MSHA's Regulation Development Process Needs Improvement
HRD-81-80
Published: Apr 27, 1981. Publicly Released: Apr 27, 1981.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) procedures for developing safety and health regulations. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act combined all federal mine safety and health programs under a single statute, which provides for the promulgation of new or revised mandatory safety and health regulations to protect all miners. It also provides specific steps and timeframes for the formal rulemaking process.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Labor | The Secretary of Labor should direct the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health to develop and implement procedures to establish priorities for the development of safety and health regulations for all types of mining operations. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Department of Labor | The Secretary of Labor should direct the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health to develop and implement procedures to establish a monitoring and reporting system to identify all regulations being developed and measure the progress of development. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Department of Labor | The Secretary of Labor should direct the Assistant Secretary to require concurrent development of regulations regarding hazards that are common to more than one type of mining. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Department of Labor | The Secretary of Labor should direct the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health to develop and implement procedures to establish central responsibility for MSHA's regulation development projects. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
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Topics
Federal regulationsMine safetyMining industryMining legislationOccupational health and safety programsOccupational safetySafety regulationToxic substancesHealth careHealth hazards