MSHA Part 46 New Task Training Guide

Written by Bjorn Ansbro in Part 46

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) oversees regulations for all U.S. surface and underground mines. For surface mines, Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations – Part 46 outlines the requirements for training and retraining of surface stone, sand, and gravel miners. It’s here, in Part 46 where MSHA makes specific reference to training related to the health and safety aspects of new task assignments.

So, what’s involved in new task training for Par 46? MSHA new task training for Part 46 involves:

  1. Identifying and documenting all mine tasks
  2. Designating a competent person for task training
  3. Assigning tasks to miners and mining contractors
  4. Assessing the need for new task training per task assignment
  5. Providing new task training
  6. Evaluating the effectiveness of the new task training
  7. Recording and certifying training completion on an MSHA-compliant record of training

MSHA defines a task as “a work assignment or component of a job that requires specific job knowledge or experience.” As you can imagine, there are a wide variety of tasks needed on a daily basis to keep a mine operating properly. And every miner and mining contractor must have the experience and skill to perform all tasks in a safe, effective, and efficient manner. MSHA makes it clear that it’s the mine operator’s responsibility to ensure that everyone working at a mine site is adequately trained with supporting compliant documentation. Since task training is one of five federally required training programs, it’s critically important that mine operators and mining contractor companies adhere to all related MSHA training and recordkeeping rules. The five required MSHA Part 46 training programs are:

  1. New Miner
  2. Newly Hired Experienced Miner
  3. Annual Refresher
  4. New Task
  5. Site-Specific Hazard Awareness

In this article, we’ll cover everything you’ll need to plan, execute, and document New Task training for your team.

1 – Identifying And Documenting All Mine Tasks

In order to plan any type of task training, it makes logical sense to break down job roles into component activities. For example, the job of haul truck operator is made up of a range of tasks in addition to the core function of driving the equipment. Haul truck operator tasks may include:

  • Pre and Post-Operational Equipment Inspections
  • Vehicle Accident and Emergency Procedures
  • Equipment Troubleshooting
  • Using wheel chocks
  • Refueling Equipment
  • Lockout / Tagout

Examples of general mining tasks to be identified and documented include:

  • Facilities and Maintenance
    • Lockout / Tagout Equipment
    • Install Parts and Equipment
    • Test and Repair Electrical Equipment
    • Lubricate Machinery
    • Maintain Drainage Equipment
    • Maintain Equipment and Machinery
    • Maintain Pumps and Plumbing
    • Maintain Conveyors
    • Emergency Maintenance Repairs
    • Weld, Braze, and Cut
    • Use Hand Tools and Pry Bars
    • Use Ladders and Scaffolding
    • Rough Carpentry
  • Operations and Processing
    • Clean-up / Housekeeping
    • Pre/Post Equipment Operation Checks
    • Operate Mobile Equipment
    • Operate Mining Equipment
    • Operate Processing Equipment
    • Fuel Mobile Equipment
    • Load Trucks
    • Operate Process Equipment (Screens, Crushers, Washers, Classifiers)
  • Ground Control
    • Inspect Highwalls and Ground Stability
    • Scale Highwalls
    • Drilling and Blasting
    • Maintain Roads and Berms
    • Maintain Stockpile

Examples of tasks specific to coal mining include:

  • Equipment Operation
    • Operate Continuous Miner
    • Operate Mobile Bridge
    • Operate Roof Bolter
    • Scoop Faces
    • Operate Shuttle Car
    • Load and Unload Supplies
  • Mechanic Tasks
    • Hang Curtain
    • Grease Equipment
    • Hang Cable
    • Repair Equipment
    • Shoveling
    • Rock Dusting
  • Maintenance Tasks
    • Advancing Power Load Center
    • Building Stoppings
    • Changing Continuous Miner Bits
    • Moving or Advancing Belt

It’s the mine operator’s responsibility to ensure that all tasks and job roles are documented. Documentation of tasks is sometimes delegated to the person designated by the mine operator as responsible for health and safety training at the mine – the “responsible person.”

Having documented tasks and training records is critical to determine:

  • who has been assigned a given task
  • who has demonstrated an ability to safely performing the assigned task
  • who has previously received training for the assigned task

2 – Designating A Competent Person For Task Training

In Part 46.4, MSHA states that “(a) You must ensure that each program, course of instruction, or training session is: (2) Presented by a competent person.”

And in Part 46.7, it continues with, “(d) Practice under the close observation of a competent person may be used to fulfill the requirement for task training under this section, if hazard recognition training specific to the assigned task is given before the miner performs the task.”

MSHA defines a competent person as “designated by the production-operator or independent contractor who has the ability, training, knowledge, or experience to provide training.”

As one of the 5 required training programs in Part 46, New Task training must adhere to all the same federal regulations, including:

The designated competent person for task training must be listed by name in both your training plan and on each miner’s record of completed training.

  • For the training plan, the list of competent persons must also list the training subjects for which they have been designated competent by the mine operator.
  • The record of training must list the training subject that was provided as well as the competent person who provided it.

3 – Assigning Tasks To Miners And Mining Contractors

A wide variety of associated tasks are inherent to every job role at a mine. So, each job assignment automatically includes tasks both directly and indirectly related to that job.

Ultimately, it’s the responsibility of the mine operator or the designated responsible person to ensure that all job tasks are acknowledged and clearly communicated as part of an assigned job.

Let’s use the example of a newly hired experienced miner assigned the role of haul truck operator at a mine. Instruction on the health and safety aspects of assigned tasks is a required subject within MSHA’s mandated training. At the very least, it would be wise of the mine operator to have the new employee demonstrate their ability to perform the job role and all associated tasks under close observation of a competent person prior to allowing independent vehicle operation.

If the competent person observes the haul truck driver sufficiently demonstrating safe vehicle operation and acceptable task performance, the new employee may receive a record of training for completing the task training. However, the competent person may observe the equipment operator skipping tasks or inadequately performing tasks.

This new employee may be unaware of the new employers policies related to certain tasks, inexperienced on certain tasks, or making poor decisions related to certain tasks. Regardless of the root cause for the poor task performance, new task training will be required.

This leads us to assessing the need for new task training.

4 – Assessing The Need For NEW Task Training

In order to assess the need for New Task training, the mine operator or responsible person must verify if the miner or contractor has the experience and skill necessary to safely perform the assigned task. This may be done by either reviewing prior task training documentation or closely observing the miner demonstrate task competency. If there is neither documentation of prior task training nor observed verification of the miner’s demonstrated skill or ability to safely perform the task, it’s in everyone’s best interest to require new task training for the miner.

New task training may be needed when an unfamiliar task is the result of:

  • Changes in a current job role
    • added safety risk
    • different equipment
    • new process
    • unfamiliar condition
  • Added responsibilities in a current job role
  • An entirely new job role

MSHA Part 46.7 states that “(c) You are not required to provide new task training under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section to miners who have received training in a similar task or who have previous work experience in the task, and who can demonstrate the necessary skills to perform the task in a safe and healthful manner. To determine whether task training under this section is required, you must observe that the miner can perform the task in a safe and healthful manner.”

Ultimately, assessing the need for task training is the responsibility of the mine operator or responsible person to verify either through documentation or observation. But when there is any doubt, the safest decision is to provide the training and document it.

5 – Providing New Task Training

In MSHA’s Part 46.5 – Part 46.7, task training is specifically required in the following three surface miner training programs:

  • Part 46.5 – New Miner Training – “(4) Instruction on the health and safety aspects of the tasks to be assigned, including the safe work procedures of such tasks, the mandatory health and safety standards pertinent to such tasks, information about the physical and health hazards of chemicals in the miner’s work area, the protective measures a miner can take against these hazards, and the contents of the mine’s HazCom program;”
  • Part 46.6 – Newly Hired Experienced Miner Training – (Identical to 46.5 New Miner Training)
  • Part 46.7 – New Task Training – “(a) You must provide any miner who is reassigned to a new task in which he or she has no previous work experience with training in the health and safety aspects of the task to be assigned, including the safe work procedures of such task, information about the physical and health hazards of chemicals in the miner’s work area, the protective measures a miner can take against these hazards, and the contents of the mine’s HazCom program. This training must be provided before the miner performs the new task.”

Task training should be provided in all cases by a competent person and for any element of a job role that presents health and safety risks to miners.

Before a miner or mining contractor begins work at a mine, task training should be provided for all jobs that require:

  • Machine operation
  • Mobile equipment operation
  • Maintenance activities
  • Working at heights
  • Working near water
  • Working with chemicals

Miners operating equipment and machinery should be able to:

  • Perform pre and post operational checks
  • Demonstrate proper startup and shutdown under normal conditions
  • Demonstrate safe operating procedures
  • Demonstrate how to safely address changes to the equipment, operation, or process
  • Locate and use emergency shutdown devices
  • Understand required maintenance and service needs of equipment
  • Understand how and where to report problems and equipment failures

And all mine employees should be able to access and understand the mine’s written HazCom program and material safety data sheets (MSDSs) or Globally Harmonized System (GHS) safety data sheets (SDSs).

Instructors should ensure that there is adequate time set aside, appropriate training equipment, and a safe training environment with sufficient space for effective task training.

The federal government requires that miners be paid at their normal rates during training.

6 – Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The New Task Training

MSHA Part 46.4 states that “(d) Training methods may consist of classroom instruction, instruction at the mine, interactive computer-based instruction or other innovative training methods, alternative training technologies, or any combination of training methods.”

While Part 46 does not dictate specific evaluation procedures for determining the effectiveness of the training, the methods used to evaluate effectiveness must be listed in the training plan. Training evaluation procedures may include:

  • Written or oral tests
  • Skills demonstrations

In Part 46.7, MSHA suggests that “(d) Practice under the close observation of a competent person may be used to fulfill the requirement for task training under this section, if hazard recognition training specific to the assigned task is given before the miner performs the task.”

In order to effectively observe and evaluate training on the health and safety aspects of new tasks, training should be –  

  1. initially performed in a non-production setting followed by…
  2. close observation of demonstrated skills and supervised practice in a production environment prior to…
  3. performing tasks independently in a production environment.

After official training, MSHA also suggests periodic observations of miners performing tasks to determine when training may be necessary again. And creating an open dialog with miners can help refine and improve task training and overall operating procedures.

7 – Recording And Certifying Training Completion

MSHA requires recording and certifying completion of Part 46 New Task training with either a 5000-23 Certificate of Training or a compliant record of training created to meet documentation requirements.

When a compliant record of training is created, it must contain at a minimum, the following information:

  1. Mine or Contractor Details – “The name of the production-operator or independent contractor, mine name(s), and MSHA mine identification number(s) or independent contractor identification number(s);
  2. Responsible Person – The name and position of the person designated by you [the mine operator or mining contractor] who is responsible for the health and safety training at the mine.
    • IMPORTANT – This is the person who will sign your record of training to certify that training has been completed.
  3. Teaching Methods, Subjects, and Times – A general description of the teaching methods and the course materials that are to be used in the training program, including the subject areas to be covered and the approximate time or range of time to be spent on each subject area.
  4. Competent Person(s) – A list of the persons… who will provide the training, and the subject areas in which each person and/or organization is competent to instruct; and
    • IMPORTANT – This is the person or persons who will conduct training on subjects for which they are deemed competent to teach.
  5. Evaluation Procedures – The evaluation procedures used to determine the effectiveness of training.”

In Part 46.7, MSHA also allows that “(e) Training provided under this section may be credited toward new miner training, as appropriate.”

Related Questions

What is an MSHA 5000-23 Certificate of Training?

A 5000-23 Certificate of Training is MSHA’s official form used to record and certify that federally required training has been successfully completed by a miner or mining contractor. The form was originally designed to be used for Part 48 training of underground miners and surface areas of underground mines.

Part 46 surface miner training can be documented with either a 5000-23 Certificate of Training or a compliant document created to meet MSHA’s specifications.

For more on what a 5000-23 Certificate of Training is and how to properly fill it out, check out our article, “How To Fill Out An MSHA 5000-23 Certificate of Training.”

What is Part 46?

Part 46 is a federal regulation that falls under Subchapter H – Education and Training in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations (30 CFR).

Containing 12 sections, Part 46 defines the requirements for “training and retraining miners and other persons at shell dredging, sand, gravel, surface stone, surface clay, colloidal phosphate, and surface limestone mines.”

The 12 sections that comprise Part 46 include:

  • 46.1 – Scope
  • 46.2 – Definitions
  • 46.3 – Training plans
  • 46.4 – Training plan implementation
  • 46.5 – New miner training
  • 46.6 – Newly hired experienced miner training
  • 46.7 – New task training
  • 46.8 – Annual refresher training
  • 46.9 – Records of training
  • 46.10 – Compensation for training
  • 46.11 – Site-specific hazard awareness training
  • 46.12 – Responsibility for independent contractor training

For more on what Part 46 is and what training is required, check out our article, “What Is MSHA Part 46? – Your Complete Guide!”

Bjorn Ansbro

With a background that spans technical writing, instructional design, marketing, publishing, and business development, Bjorn has been turning highly technical and complicated material into easy-to-understand training content for a couple decades. Since 2008, Bjorn has been writing MSHA eLearning courses and helping mine operators and mining contractors comply with Part 46 surface miner training regulations. He's written and overseen development of many hours of online content for MSHA Part 46 new miner and annual refresher training. So when miners, mine operators, and mining contractors have questions about regulations and compliant documentation for Part 46 training, he's happy to help.

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