Mine Safety and Health Administration Asks for Safety Risk Information Related to Drugs and Alcohol

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is seeking information about how to best address the safety risks associated with miner drug and alcohol use, including the possibility of incorporating drug and alcohol testing into MSHA’s regulations.

MSHA specifically wants information from the public to determine whether there is a need for rulemaking to address alcohol and drug use and its safety risk to miners, what data would accurately measure the problem of alcohol and drug use in the mining industry, and an estimated cost to mining companies to comply with such regulations or mandate drug free workplaces. 

MSHA will also be hosting seven public meetings across the nation during the next month to discuss the need for such a rulemaking. 

Click here to read the Federal Register notice from MSHA, which includes the times and dates of the public meetings.

DATIA will be working with our legislative and regulatory committee to present comments to MSHA on behalf of the drug and alcohol testing industry. If you would like to submit individual comments, instructions for doing so are in the Federal Register notice.  Comments are due November 27, 2005.