Mining training requirements and regulations

In this blog, we will offer a general overview of common mining regulations and training requirements for both new and experienced miners. We will also compare specific requirements and regulations for mining operations around the world, as well as map out how you can stay compliant with the help of skills management.

mining training

Because of the potential for environmental impact and safety hazards, mining is a highly regulated industry around the world. Adhering to these regulations typically involves obtaining permits, conducting environmental impact assessments, implementing safety measures, and ensuring that employees attend certification courses or training programs. However, exactly what these regulations entail depends on the regulatory body that issues them.

In this article, we will offer a general overview of common mining regulations and training requirements for both new and experienced miners. We will also compare specific requirements and regulations for mining operations around the world.

Finally, we will show how AG5 can help you track and manage mining industry certifications and training you will need to stay compliant.

 

A general look at mining regulations and training requirements Copied

Around the world, mining regulations and training requirements tend to focus on two areas: new and experienced miners. There may be some crossover in training areas, but in general new miner training teaches fundamental mining knowledge and skills, while experienced miner training refreshes the basics, then goes on to teach more advanced or technical skills.

 

New miner training

The goal of many trainings for new miners is to impart the basic knowledge and skills that are necessary for safe and efficient mining operations.

This could include:

  • Basic safety protocols
  • Hazard recognition
  • Emergency procedures
  • The use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Introductions to mining operations and equipment

The length of specific new miner training will of course vary by region. However, they usually include a specified number of training hours. For example, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MHSA) in the USA requires 40 hours of training for new underground miners and 24 hours for surface miners.­ [1]

 

Experienced miner training

 On the other hand, experienced miner training usually serves to update knowledge and skills related to safety practices, regulatory changes, and advanced operational techniques or equipment.

 This could include:

  • Refresher courses
  • New regulations
  • Advanced hazard recognition
  • Specialized and role-based training

Experienced mining training are typically shorter than new miner training, often consisting of annual refresher courses or focused technical training. For instance, MSHA mandates at least 8 hours of annual refresher training for experienced miners.

 

Mining regulatory bodies Copied

The exact types of training and certifications employees must attend or achieve, as well as the regulations with which mining organizations must comply, heavily depend on the country or region in which they work or operate. In this section, we will look at regulatory bodies for mining industry organizations around the world.

 

USA

 The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is part of the US Department of Labor. It enforces compliance with safety and health regulations in the mining industry, setting standards for training, health, and safety.

 

Australia

 Australia has different regulatory bodies for each of its territories. For example, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) [2] oversees mining safety regulations in Western Australia. Additionally, the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) [3] is an industry association representing Australia’s minerals industry. It works with regulatory bodies to develop policies that support the growth and sustainability of the mining industry.

 

Canada

 In Canada, mining regulations are managed at the provincial level, such as via the Ministry of Mines in Ontario [4]. On a national level, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) [5] provides resources and sets guidelines for mining safety.

 

UK

The Coal Authority licenses and regulates coal mining throughout the UK. [6] Additionally, the Mining Product Quality Council (MPQC) [7] awards certifications for mining standards set by the HSE, the UK’s national independent regulator for workplace health and safety.

 

EU

 The European Commission [8] proposes and enforces EU legislation, including environmental and safety regulations related to mining, while organizations like Euromines [9] advocate for the interests of the mining industry. Individual nations in the EU typically have their own regulatory or governing bodies for the mining industry, such as the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain [10].

 

Mining training requirements Copied

Now, we will offer an overview of several of the mining training requirements, directives, regulations, and laws with which organizations must comply in various countries or regions. This list is by no means exhaustive; instead, it serves as a foundation you can use to start building a skills management strategy for the mining industry.

 

USA

  • MSHA Part 46. Outlines safety requirements for miners at surface mines, including sand, gravel, stone, clay, and limestone mines, with an emphasis on hazard recognition and emergency response [11]
  • MSHA Part 48. Outlines training requirements for miners in underground mines, as well as surface mines not included in Part 46, including health and safety standards, emergency procedures, and hazard recognition [12]
  • MSHA Part 50. Requires mine operators to immediately notify MSHA of workplace accidents, sets requirements for accident investigations, and mandates that mining operators report employment and production-related data [13]
  • Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). While not specific to the mining industry, OSHA sets and enforces standards to ensure safe working conditions, providing training, outreach, and assistance programs to support regulatory compliance [14]

Canada

  • Canadian Mining Certification Program (CMCP). Sets standards for and validates the skills, knowledge, and experience of mining industry employees [15]
  • Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations. Sets limits for and regulations the concentrations of harmful substances that can be discharged from metal and diamond mines into water bodies [16]
  • Explosives Act. Regulates the manufacture, storage, and use of chemicals and explosives in mining operations (as well as in other industries) [17]

UK

  • HSE Mining Qualifications. The HSE has set several National Operating Standards (NOS) enforced and certified by the MPQC [18]
  • Mines Regulations 2014. Standards and regulations for the health and safety management of mining operations, including emergency planning, ventilation, and mine surveying [19]
  • Quarries Regulations 1999. Standards and regulations for the health and safety management of quarries [20]

EU

  • Directive 2006/21/EC. Governs the management of waste from the extractive industries, ensuring environmental protection and waste minimization [21]
  • Directive 2000/60/EC. A water framework directive from European Parliament that aims to protect and enhance the quality of water resources, impacting mine water management and pollution prevention [22]
  • Directive 2011/92/EU. Requires environmental impact assessments for certain public and private projects, including mining, to prevent environmental damage and boost sustainability [23]

Australia

  • Standard 11 mining induction. A mandatory training program for anyone seeking to work in the Queensland mining industry, particularly in coal mining [24]
  • Certificate IV in Surface Coal Mining. A nationally recognized certification course for individual employees who want to work as Open Cut Examiners in surface coal mining operations, but who do not hold a Bachelor of Mining Engineering degree from an Australian university [25]
  • Mining Regulations 1981. Sets standards and regulations for mining organizations in Western Australia, encompassing miners’ rights, land exploration, and mining operations [26]

 

How skills management helps you stay compliant with mining training requirements Copied

The above directives, regulations, and training requirements are only a drop in the bucket when it comes to the mining industry. However, they do set the stage for the amount of work involved in staying compliant, especially when operating across multiple sites in multiple countries. With this in mind, a skills management strategy is essential for maintaining a compliant, audit-proof way of working, helping you ensure that you stay operational, productive, and safe in the complex mining industry. You can for example, quickly get started with our free mining industry skills matrix template.

However, skills management with spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel – which we see many organizations using, especially at the beginning of their skills management journeys – quickly becomes challenging. This is especially true when they are faced with the many complex training and regulatory requirements for international mining operations.

Such organizations often have multiple mining sites in different countries, territories, or regions, each of which is subject to different directives, regulations, and training requirements. Excel spreadsheets that track the skills, certifications, and trainings required to for compliance in such highly regulated industries are difficult to maintain, and prone to errors that can result in costly downtime or production delays.This is where AG5’s skills management software is invaluable, providing an intuitive solution to the many challenges presented by Excel-based skills management and the many regulations with which mining organizations must comply.

AG5’s skills management software allows you to:

  • Ensure training compliance across the entire organization – even when operating in sites around the world
  • Always be prepared for audits, with every activity on the platform recorded, including all data creation, modification, and change
  • Integrate with any HRIS and learning system to ensure alignment with existing systems and processes

     

Meeting mining safety and training requirements with AG5 Copied

 Training compliance is difficult, especially for global or large organizations.

  • We have seen organizations that must meet global standards start with AG5, as well as those that do not
  • We have seen organizations start with AG5 while their organization was in the midst of a large-scale IT transformation
  • We have seen organizations start with AG5, even though they weren’t ready to use a centralized system

Why? They needed to meet regulatory requirements. This is one of the primary reason that organizations start using AG5. Our experts help organizations set up a centralized skills management system, supporting them throughout the transition and implementation process to achieve organization-wide training compliance – not in years, but in months, or even weeks!

Want to see how this would work in your organization? Schedule a free, live, 15-minute demo for a custom look at how AG5 can help you comply with mining safety and training requirements around the world.

AG5 skills management software

Sources Copied

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Source number Source title Description Date retrieved Source URL
1Safety and TrainingMine Safety and Health Administration13 Jun 2024 15:41:51https://www.msha.gov/safety-an..
2Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and SafetyDMIRIS13 Jun 2024 15:42:38https://www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/..
3Minerals Council of AustraliaMinerals Council of Australia13 Jun 2024 15:44:27https://minerals.org.au/..
4Ministry of MinesOntario13 Jun 2024 15:45:01https://www.ontario.ca/page/mi..
5Occupations and WorkplacesCanadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety13 Jun 2024 15:45:57https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswer..
6The Coal AuthorityGOV.UK13 Jun 2024 15:46:50https://www.gov.uk/government/..
7Mineral Products Qualifications CouncilMPQC13 Jun 2024 15:32:34https://www.mp-qc.org/dashboar..
8Sustainable MiningEuropean Commission13 Jun 2024 15:48:36https://single-market-economy...
9European Metals and Mining Industryeuromines13 Jun 2024 15:43:03https://euromines.org/..
10ZaragosaIGME13 Jun 2024 15:42:58https://www.igme.es/zaragoza/i..
11TRAINING AND RETRAINING OF MINERS ENGAGED IN SHELL DREDGING OR EMPLOYED AT SAND, GRAVEL, SURFACE STONE, SURFACE CLAY, COLLOIDAL PHOSPHATE, OR SURFACE LIMESTONE MINES.Code of Federal Regulations13 Jun 2024 15:11:58https://www.ecfr.gov/current/t..
12TRAINING AND RETRAINING OF MINERSCode of Federal Regulations13 Jun 2024 15:56:59https://www.ecfr.gov/current/t..
13Mining Industry Accident, Injury, Illness, Employment, and Coal Production ReportsMine Safety and Health Administration13 Jun 2024 15:56:31https://www.msha.gov/data-and-..
14OSHAOccupational Safety and Health Administration13 Jun 2024 15:42:02https://www.osha.gov/..
15The Canadian Mining Certification Program (CMCP)Mining Industry Human Resource Council13 Jun 2024 15:11:59https://mihr.ca/cmsds/the-cana..
16Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent RegulationsGovernment of Canada13 Jun 2024 15:04:52https://www.canada.ca/en/envir..
17Justice Laws WebsiteGovernment of Canada13 Jun 2024 15:06:53https://laws-lois.justice.gc.c..
18HSEHealth and Safety Executive13 Apr 2024 16:42:23https://www.hse.gov.uk/..
19Mines Regulations 2014HSE13 Jun 2024 16:04:51https://www.hse.gov.uk/mining/..
20Health and safety at quarries. The Quarries Regulations 1999. Approved Code of PracticeHSE13 Jun 2024 15:24:31https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/b..
21DIRECTIVE 2006/21/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 15 March 2006 on the management of waste from extractive industries and amending Directive 2004/35/ECEUR-LEX13 Jun 2024 16:06:31https://eur-lex.europa.eu/lega..
22Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policyEUR-LEX13 Jun 2024 14:46:50https://eur-lex.europa.eu/lega..
23DIRECTIVE 2014/52/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 April 2014 amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environmentEUR-LEX13 Jun 2024 15:43:01https://eur-lex.europa.eu/lega..
24Standard 11 Mining InductionOHSA13 Jun 2024 16:03:32https://www.ohsa.com.au/course..
25RII40220 - Certificate IV in Surface Coal Mining (Open Cut Examiner)training.gov.au13 Jun 2024 16:11:02https://training.gov.au/Traini..
26Mining Regulations 1981Western Australian Legislation13 Jun 2024 16:13:21https://www.legislation.wa.gov..

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