The Board of Coal Mine Health & Safety promulgated a final rule pertaining to the use of High Voltage Face Equipment in conjunction with longwall mining. The administrative rule has been assigned Title 36, Series 47 and was filed with the Secretary of State and takes effect immediately. Final rules were also adopted for using high voltage in conjunction with continuous mining machines.
The Board also continued its consideration and deliberations of a proposed mandatory Drug Testing program. The drug testing program considered by the Board would basically:
- ·Requires all mining operations to have a mandatory drug testing program that would, at a minimum, ensure that all employees at the mine level would be tested on an annual basis;
- ·Requires the Director of the State Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training to suspend the WV certification of any miner whose miner’s certification issued from another state had been revoked for failing a drug test;
- ·Requires the Director to provide drug testing to any applicant for a miners “specialty” certification, i.e., fire boss, electrician, belt examiner, shot firer, etc.; and,
- ·Requires any prospective miner to have a drug test prior to the issuance of an apprentice miner’s certification.
C.A. Phillips, Director of the WV Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training was confirmed by the State Senate this week on a unanimous vote. Phillips was originally appointed to his position by Governor Manchin last year and reappointed by Governor Tomblin in October.