Workplace Exam Standards Update

By:  The Mine Safety Institute, Part 46 New Miner Training
Part 46 On-Demand Training,  Video Sample of Workplace Examination Requirements

New Workplace Exam Standards

On Oct. 1, 2018, MSHA began actively enforcing the new Workplace
Examinations Rule requirements that technically went into effect on
June 2. The biggest changes to the standard are that the examination
must be done in a work area before work is performed there, affected
miners must be notified of any hazards found and the examination
record must be created during the same shift as the hazard was
identified. Also, there are now specific details that must be in the
exam record documentation.

Sample exam records are available on the MSHA website:https://www.msha.gov/regulations/sample-templates-and-checklists

• Examinations should be conducted using a company checklist.
• A competent person with industry experience and knowledge on how to spot workplace hazards should conduct the exam.
• All work areas should be examined once a shift BEFORE work is done in that area.

• Affected employees should be notified immediately of hazards.
• No employee should return to work in affected areas until the hazard is resolved.

• Hazards must be documented in the same shift that they are found.
• Documentation must include:
  • The name of the person conducting the examination
  • Date of the examination
  • Location of all areas examined
  • A description of each adverse condition found that is not promptly corrected
  • The date when corrected