Deadline Extended on Diesel Exhaust RFI
Until September 25, 2020

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has extended the comment period for information being collected on the effects and dangers of diesel exhaust. 

The Request for Information (RFI) on Exposure of Underground Miners to Diesel Exhaust was first published on June 8, 2016.

The extended comment period is now scheduled to close on September 25, 2020.

If you have information to share, go here.

Epidemiological studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have found that diesel exhaust exposure increases miners’ risks of death due to lung cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified diesel exhaust as a human carcinogen in June 2012.

MSHA is reviewing the Agency’s existing standards and policy guidance on controlling miners’ exposures to diesel exhaust in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the protections now in place to preserve miners’ health.

Mine operators struggle daily to meet the demands of keeping employees safe and to stay in compliance. One of the ways they do this is by continuously monitoring the diesel particulate matter (DPM) and other aerosols that are emitted within underground mines.

The Diesel Exhaust Health Partnership between MSHA and NIOSH was created to share information on issues related to diesel exhaust and potential health effects.

For more information on CORESafety, visit www.coresafety.org