Sealing of Abandoned Areas

MSHA's standards for sealing abandoned areas in underground coal mines includes requirements covering the design and construction of new seals and the maintenance and repair of all seals. Miners rely on seals to protect them from the hazardous, and sometimes explosive, environments within the sealed area. MSHA inspectors use the records to determine that tests and examinations, required by the standards, are being done correctly. Records collected under these standards will help ensure that the construction and maintenance of seals are done correctly, certified persons conducting sampling in sealed areas are adequately trained, and results from sampling in sealed areas are recorded, so that problems can be identified and corrected.

The latest form for Sealing of Abandoned Areas expires 2027-02-28 and can be found here.