Rock Burst Control Plan (Pertains to Underground Metal/Nonmetal Mines)

Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act), as amended 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to collect information necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety and health of miners. Further, section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811, authorizes the Secretary of Labor to develop, promulgate, and revise as may be appropriate, improved mandatory health or safety standards for the protection of life and prevention of injuries in coal and metal and nonmetal mines. 30 CFR 57.3461 requires operators of underground metal and nonmetal mines which have experienced a rock burst to report to the nearest MSHA office of each rock burst within 24 hours. These mine operators are also required to develop and implement a rock burst control plan within 90 days after a rock burst has been experienced. Plans are required to include: (1) mining and operating procedures designed to reduce the occurrence of rock bursts; (2) monitoring procedures where detection methods are used; and (3) other measures to minimize exposure of persons to areas prone to rock bursts. Plans are also required to be updated as conditions warrant and are to be made available to MSHA inspectors and to miners or their representatives. The standard does not require that all underground metal and nonmetal mines develop these preventative measures, but it does require that all mines with a rock burst history develop and implement a rock burst control plan. Rock bursts pose a serious threat to the safety of miners in the area affected by the burst. These bursts may reasonably be expected to result in the entrapment of miners, serious physical harm, and death. Recent mining technology utilizes scientific methods of monitoring rock stresses which allows for the prediction of an oncoming burst. These predictions can be used by the mine operator to move miners to safer locations and to identify areas which need relief drilling.

The latest form for Rock Burst Control Plan (Pertains to Underground Metal/Nonmetal Mines) expires 2027-02-28 and can be found here.