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Compliance Guideline for
MSHA's Part 46 Training Regulations


Training and Retraining of Miners Engaged in Shell Dredging or Employed at Sand,Gravel, Surface Stone, Surface Clay, Colloidal Phosphate, or Surface Limestone Mines

Version 3 - Published May 28, 2001.

§ 46.7 New Task Training

88. Q. How much time is required to train a miner in a new task?

A.Part 46 does not specify the amount of time that must be spent on specific areas of training. The performance-oriented approach of Part 46 allows for the needs of individual miners to be taken into account when determining the amount of time for particular aspects of training, including new task training. A reasonable amount of time must be allotted for training in each task, based on the individual needs of the miner and the complexity of the assigned task.

89. Q. If an experienced miner was trained on a Caterpillar D8, and is then assigned to operate a similar piece of equipment made by Komatsu, is he or she required to receive new task training on the new piece of equipment?

A.Yes. Although there may be similarities among different types of equipment, each type of equipment has unique operational characteristics. Miners must be trained on the unique characteristics of each piece of equipment that they are assigned to operate.

90. Q. Under Part 46 must the written plan address each specific task training subject?

A.Section 46.3 requires that the training plan include a list of the tasks, general description of the teaching methods and course materials that are to be used in the training program, and the approximate time or range of time to be spent on each subject area. Additionally, the plan must also contain a description of the evaluation procedures used to determine the effectiveness of the training.

91. Q. Do I need to list the time spent conducting task training on the certificate of training form?

A. Yes. Section 46.9(b)(3) requires the duration of training be listed on the certificate of training form for each type of training.

92. Q. Can task training be a part of new miner training?

A. Yes, although it has a slightly different name. New miners must receive instruction on the health and safety aspects of the tasks to be assigned, including the safe work procedures of such tasks, and the mandatory health and safety standards pertinent to such tasks. The training should be recorded appropriately at the completion of training.

93. Q. Can hands-on training be used to complete task training?

A.The regulation provides that; "practice under the close observation of a competent person may be used to fulfill the requirement for task training." While training under close observation may be done in a production mode, emphasis should be placed on the training and not the production.

94. Q. Does task training have to be recorded and certified each time you train an employee in a specific task?

A.A "record" of task training must be made at the completion of each task training session. The training must be "certified" at least once every 12 months, or upon request by the trained miner.