(a) This subpart implements the provisions of section 115(e) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006. Every operator of an underground coal mine shall assure the availability of mine rescue capability for purposes of emergency rescue and recovery.
(b) The following Table 49.11 summarizes the new requirements for mine rescue teams contained in section 4 of the MINER Act.
Table 49.11--Summary of New Miner Act Requirements for Underground Coal Mine Operators and Mine Rescue Teams----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type of mine rescue team
Requirement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mine-site Composite Contract State- sponsored----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Team members must participate at YES............... YES............... YES............... YES.
least annually in two local
mine rescue contests.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team members must participate in Annually at Large Semi-annually..... Quarterly at Large Annually at Large
mine rescue training at each Mines; Semi- Mines; Semi- Mines; Semi-
mine covered by the mine rescue annually at Small annually at Small annually at Small
team. A portion of the training Mines. Mines. Mines.
must be conducted underground.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Team must be available at the YES............... YES............... YES............... YES.
mine within 1 hour ground
travel time from the mine
rescue station.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Team members must be YES............... YES............... YES............... YES.
knowledgeable about the
operations and ventilation of
each covered mine.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Team must include at least two YES
active employees from each
covered large mine and at least
one active employee from each
covered small mine.Team must be comprised of YES ..................
persons with a minimum of 3
years underground coal mine
experience that shall have
occurred within the 10-year
period preceding their
employment on the contract mine
rescue team.All mine operators must provide for two certified mine rescue teams. Large mine operators shall provide one team
that is either an individual mine-site mine rescue team or a composite team.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Team members of State-sponsored teams who are full-time State employees whose primary job duties include (1)
inspecting underground mines for compliance with State safety laws or (2) training mine rescue teams or (3)
other similar duties that would enhance their mine rescue knowledge may substitute their regular job
experience for 50 percent of the training requirements for non-State employee mine rescue team members, except
these team members must participate in two local mine rescue contests and train at the covered mine in
accordance with Sec. 49.20(b). [73 FR 7648, Feb. 8, 2008, as amended at 74 FR 28608, June 17, 2009]