Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 211 / Thursday, October 31, 2024 / Notices 86839 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

[OMB Control No. 1219–0051] 

Proposed Extension of Information 

Collection; Escape and Evacuation 

Plans for Surface Coal Mines, Surface 

Facilities and Surface Work Areas of 

Underground Coal Mines 

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration, Labor. 

ACTION: Request for public comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor 

(DOL), as part of its continuing effort to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burden, conducts a pre-clearance 

consultation program to provide the 

general public and Federal agencies 

with an opportunity to comment on 

proposed collections of information, in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. This program 

helps to ensure that requested data can 

be provided in the desired format, 

reporting burden (time and financial 

resources) is minimized, collection 

instruments are clearly understood, and 

the impact of collection requirements on 

respondents can be properly assessed. 

The Mine Safety and Health 

Administration (MSHA) is soliciting 

comments on the information collection 

entitled Escape and Evacuation Plans 

for Surface Coal Mines, Surface 

Facilities and Surface Work Areas of 

Underground Coal Mines. 

DATES: All comments must be received 

on or before December 30, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the 

information collection requirements of 

this notice may be sent by any of the 

methods listed below. Please note that 

late comments received after the 

deadline will not be considered. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments for docket number MSHA– 

2024–0033. 

• Mail/Hand Delivery: DOL–MSHA, 

Office of Standards, Regulations, and 

Variances, 201 12th Street South, 4th 

Floor West, Arlington, VA 22202–5452. 

Before visiting MSHA in person, call 

202–693–9455 to make an appointment. 

• MSHA will post all comments as 

well as any attachments, except for 

information submitted and marked as 

confidential, in the docket at https://

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. 

Aromie Noe, Director, Office of 

Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 

MSHA, at 

MSHA.information.collections@dol.gov 

(email); (202) 693–9440 (voice); or (202) 

693–9441 (facsimile). These are not tollfree numbers. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

A. Legal Authority 

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(a), authorizes 

the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) 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, metal, and nonmetal 

mines. 

B. Information Collection 

In order to fulfill the statutory 

mandates to promote miners’ health and 

safety, MSHA requires the collection of 

information under the information 

collection request entitled Escape and 

Evacuation Plans for Surface Coal 

Mines, Surface Facilities and Surface 

Work Areas of Underground Coal 

Mines. The information collection is 

intended to train persons working at 

surface installations on how to safely 

escape and evacuate these sites in case 

of a fire hazard. 

Individuals working at surface 

installations are at risk if a fire breaks 

out at a mine. To protect workers’ safety 

and health in mines or at surface 

installations at mines, mine operators 

must keep escape, and evacuation plans 

up to date. Under 30 CFR 77.1101(a), 

each operator of a mine must establish 

and keep current a specific escape and 

evacuation plan to be followed in the 

event of a fire. Under 30 CFR 

77.1101(b), each operator must instruct 

all their employees in current escape 

and evacuation plans, fire alarm signals, 

and applicable procedures to be 

followed in case of fire. Under 30 CFR 

77.1101(c), plans for escape and 

evacuation plans must include the 

designation and proper maintenance of 

adequate means for exit from all areas 

where persons are required to work or 

travel, including buildings, equipment, 

and areas where persons normally 

congregate during the work shift. 

Fire protection requirements for 

underground coal mines is covered by 

OMB Control Number 1219–0054. 

II. Desired Focus of Comments 

MSHA is soliciting comments 

concerning the proposed information 

collection related to Escape and 

Evacuation Plans for Surface Coal 

Mines, Surface Facilities and Surface 

Work Areas of Underground Coal 

Mines. MSHA is particularly interested 

in comments that: 

• Evaluate whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information has practical utility; 

• Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA’s 

estimate of the burden of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

• Suggest methods to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and 

• Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including through the 

use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

The information collection request 

will be available on https://

www.regulations.gov. MSHA cautions 

the commenter against providing any 

information in the submission that 

should not be publicly disclosed. Full 

comments, including personal 

information provided, will be made 

available on https://

www.regulations.gov and https://

www.reginfo.gov. 

The public may also examine publicly 

available documents at DOL–MSHA, 

Office of Standards, Regulations and 

Variances, 201 12th Street South, 4th 

Floor West, Arlington, VA 22202–5452. 

Sign in at the receptionist’s desk on the 

4th Floor via the West elevator. Before 

visiting MSHA in person, call 202–693– 

9455 to make an appointment. 

Questions about the information 

collection requirements may be directed 

to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 

notice. 

III. Current Actions 

This information collection request 

concerns provisions for Escape and 

Evacuation Plans for Surface Coal 

Mines, Surface Facilities and Surface 

Work Areas of Underground Coal 

Mines. MSHA has updated the data 

with respect to the number of 

respondents, responses, time burden, 

and burden costs supporting this 

information collection request from the 

previous information collection request. 


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86840 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 211 / Thursday, October 31, 2024 / Notices 

Type of Review: Extension, without 

change, of a currently approved 

collection. 

Agency: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration. 

OMB Number: 1219–0051. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. 

Number of Annual Respondents: 31. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Number of Annual Responses: 62. 

Annual Time Burden: 130 hours. 

Annual Other Burden Costs: $0. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and 

included in the request for Office of 

Management and Budget approval of the 

proposed information collection 

request; they will become a matter of 

public record and be available at https:// 

www.reginfo.gov. 

Song-ae Aromie Noe, 

Certifying Officer, Mine Safety and Health 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25235 Filed 10–30–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–43–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

[OMB Control No. 1219–0082] 

Proposed Extension of Information 

Collection; Records of Preshift and 

Onshift Inspections of Slope and Shaft 

Areas at Coal Mines 

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration, Labor. 

ACTION: Request for public comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor 

(DOL), as part of its continuing effort to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burden, conducts a pre-clearance 

consultation program to provide the 

general public and Federal agencies 

with an opportunity to comment on 

proposed collections of information, in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. This program 

helps to ensure that requested data can 

be provided in the desired format, 

reporting burden (time and financial 

resources) is minimized, collection 

instruments are clearly understood, and 

the impact of collection requirements on 

respondents can be properly assessed. 

The Mine Safety and Health 

Administration (MSHA) is soliciting 

comments on the information collection 

entitled Records of Preshift and Onshift 

Inspections of Slope and Shaft Areas at 

Coal Mines. 

DATES: All comments must be received 

on or before December 30, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the 

information collection requirements of 

this notice may be sent by any of the 

methods listed below. Please note that 

late comments received after the 

deadline will not be considered. 

• Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: 

https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments for docket number MSHA– 

2024–0027. 

• Mail/Hand Delivery: DOL–MSHA, 

Office of Standards, Regulations, and 

Variances, 201 12th Street South, 4th 

Floor West, Arlington, VA 22202–5452. 

Before visiting MSHA in person, call 

202–693–9455 to make an appointment. 

• MSHA will post all comments as 

well as any attachments, except for 

information submitted and marked as 

confidential, in the docket at https://

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. 

Aromie Noe, Director, Office of 

Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 

MSHA, at 

MSHA.information.collections@dol.gov 

(email); (202) 693–9440 (voice); or (202) 

693–9441 (facsimile). These are not tollfree numbers. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

A. Legal Authority 

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(a), authorizes 

the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) 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, metal and nonmetal 

mines. 

B. Information Collection 

In order to fulfill the statutory 

mandates to promote miners’ health and 

safety, MSHA requires the collection of 

information under the information 

collection request entitled Records of 

Preshift and Onshift Inspections of 

Slope and Shaft Areas at Coal Mines. 

The information collection is intended 

to assist slope and shaft supervisors and 

employees, State mine inspectors, and 

Federal mine inspectors in making 

decisions that will ultimately affect the 

safety and health of slope and shaft 

sinking employees based on the records 

that show the examinations and tests 

that were conducted. 

The working environment is typically 

a confined area in close proximity to 

moving equipment. The sinking of 

slopes and shafts is a particularly 

hazardous operation where conditions 

change drastically in short periods of 

time. Explosive methane and other 

harmful gases can be expected to 

infiltrate the work environment at any 

time. Preshift and onshift inspections, 

as well as inspections before and after 

blasting, are fundamental to ensuring 

that no changes have occurred, and that 

the working environment is in a 

condition that is optimal for miner 

health and safety. 

1. Preshift and Onshift Inspections 

Preshift inspections need to be 

completed close to the beginning of 

shifts to ensure that there is little time 

for conditions to change, and during 

shifts to ensure that conditions are 

stable. Under 30 CFR 77.1901, slope and 

shaft areas must be examined by a 

certified person for hazardous 

conditions, including tests for methane 

and oxygen deficiency, within 90 

minutes before each shift, at least once 

during each shift when employees are 

inside any slope or shaft during 

development, and before and after 

blasting. The surface area surrounding 

each slope and shaft is also required to 

be inspected by a certified person for 

hazards and all hazards in the vicinity 

must be corrected before miners are 

permitted to enter the excavation. 

It is also important to keep records of 

these conditions and any corrective 

actions upon the discovery of hazardous 

conditions. Under 30 CFR 77.1901(f), 

operators must keep records of the 

results of the inspections. The record 

includes a description of any hazardous 

condition found and the corrective 

action taken to abate it. The record is 

necessary to ensure that the inspections 

and tests are conducted in a timely 

fashion and that corrective action is 

taken when hazardous conditions are 

identified, thereby ensuring a safe 

working environment for the slope and 

shaft sinking employees. The record is 

maintained at the mine site for the 

duration of the operation. 

II. Desired Focus of Comments 

MSHA is soliciting comments 

concerning the proposed information 

collection related to Records of Preshift 

and Onshift Inspections of Slope and 

Shaft Areas at Coal Mines. MSHA is 

particularly interested in comments 

that: 

• Evaluate whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information has practical utility; 


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