On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, Nicholas W. Scala presented a webinar regarding MSHA’s 2022 in Review and 2023 Forecast.
With 2022 behind us, now is the time to take stock of the state of MSHA as the Biden Administration enters its third year. MSHA’s senior political leadership is now in place, and with that, we expect to see MSHA’s true agenda for rulemaking and enforcement take shape and be put into action.
This webinar reviewed the past year’s enforcement trends and initiatives, as well as the regulatory agenda, highlighting the evolution of MSHA, and its priorities for the coming year.
Entering MSHA’s third year under the Biden Administration, the mining industry should expect to see a more active and emboldened agency. The past year saw the completion of MSHA political leadership, and a renewed focus on rulemaking and enforcement. In the year to come, operators can expect to see at least two rules from the agency, specifically regarding MSHA’s long-awaited proposed rule on respirable crystalline silica – or respirable quartz as MSHA sometimes refers – and the final form or the Surface Mobile Equipment rule. In conjunction with the anticipated silica rule, MSHA continues to engage in increasingly aggressive enforcement regarding industrial hygiene at the nation’s mines. The coming year will be active from both an enforcement and rulemaking perspective, meaning it is as important as ever for operators to stay attuned to developments at MSHA.
Conn Maciel Carey’s complimentary 2023 MSHA Webinar Series includes free programs put on by the MSHA-focused attorneys in the firm’s national MSHA Practice Group and is designed to give employers insight into the changes and developments at MSHA during this active period for the agency.
To register for an individual webinar in the series, click on the link in the program description below, or to register for the entire 2023 series, click here to send us an email request so we can get you registered. If you missed any of our past programs from the MSHA Webinar Series, here is a link to a library of webinar recordings. If your organization or association would benefit from an exclusive program presented by our team on any of the subjects in this year’s webinar series or any other important MSHA-related topic, please do not hesitate to contact us.
MSHA citations and orders can vary significantly in severity, penalty, and how they might impact your company, whether mine operators or independent contractors, moving forward. Contesting MSHA citations is a right that all operators have post issuance, whether that is done informally through MSHA’s 10-day conference program, or formally through the Federal Mine Safety and Health Commission. This presentation discussed the different avenues for contesting MSHA citations/orders, what aspects of the citations to look at when deciding whether to contest or not, and strategies for best protecting your company’s MSHA enforcement history.
MSHA citations and orders can vary significantly in severity, penalty, and how they might impact your company, whether mine operators or independent contractors, moving forward. Contesting MSHA citations is a right that all operators have post issuance, whether that is done informally through MSHA’s 10-day conference program, or formally through the Federal Mine Safety and Health Commission. This presentation will discuss the different avenues for contesting MSHA citations/orders, what aspects of the citations to look at when deciding whether to contest or not, and strategies for best protecting your company’s MSHA enforcement history.
Participants in this webinar will learn the following: Continue reading →
The line of demarcation between MSHA and OSHA jurisdiction is clear-cut and it is easy to determine which regulator has authority over your operations, right? While that is sometimes the case, where the MSHA/OSHA Interagency Agreement specifically outlines which agency has authority of which operation, there are most definitely gray areas. Whether looking at where the mining process ends and manufacturing beings, or what is the exact definition of mineral milling and how is it applied, there are frequently questions and concerns regarding MSHA/OSHA jurisdiction. However, frequently employers just accept the status quo or agency determination without question. This presentation will help employers ask the right questions regarding MSHA/OSHA jurisdiction at their facilities and determine whether or not challenging the agency in control is merited and worthwhile.
With 2022 behind us, now is the time to take stock of the state of MSHA as the Biden Administration enters its third year. MSHA’s senior political leadership is now in place, and with that, we expect to see MSHA’s true agenda for rulemaking and enforcement take shape and be put into action.
