MSHA Launches Fatality Prevention Program

In January 2010, MSHA launched “Rules to Live By,” a fatality prevention program that focused on 24 standards in 9 accident categories frequently cited in fatal accident investigations from Jan. 1, 2000 through Dec. 31, 2008. November of that year, they launched the second phase which focused on 9 frequently cited standards at major coal mine accidents, and on January 31, 2012, MSHA launched the third phase. "Rules to Live By III: Preventing Common Mining Deaths" focuses on 14 safety standards – 8 in coal mining and 6 in metal and nonmetal mining – cited as a result of at least 5 mining accidents and resulting in at least 5 deaths during the 10-year period from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2010. This rule hopes to reduce deaths and injuries from the targeted standards by having mine operators identify and correct all hazardous situations and training them to handle conditions that could lead to death. For more information on each of the phases, click here.