Hazard Communication Program

Operators who use hazardous materials within the workplace must implement a hazard communication program to raise employee awareness of the hazards for the chemicals used. A hazardous material is defined as any chemical substance that causes a physical or health hazard. Miners must be familiar with chemical materials and their hazards to maximize mining safety.

Before miners can perform any mining operations involving a hazardous chemical, they must be trained in its proper use, the labeling system needed, and the appropriate protective measures to ensure safe handling. As part of their training, miners must be shown the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for any hazardous chemical they might be exposed to during mining operations. The SDSs are the main source of chemical information within a workplace. An SDS covers topics ranging from accidental release measures to hazard identification and emergency response. It is important for miners to be familiar with the information contained on the SDS in order to respond safely to hazards in the workplace.

Mine operators must determine which materials are hazardous and maintain the related SDSs for those materials. They must also make the SDSs freely available to all miners. This requirement applies to all of the materials produced at the mine and those that are brought onto the property from other suppliers.

To learn more about MSHA Part 48 training requirements visit our MSHA Part 48 Subpart B Surface Mining Online Training web page.