The notice, revealed late Monday by the US Mine Safety and Health Administration and posted Tuesday morning in the Federal Register, showed an online deadline date for comments of November 25.

Existing federal standards under 30 CFR 49.50 encompass the mandated criteria for mine operators to certify mine rescue team qualifications. Under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, MSHA must update these criteria every five years.

Any revisions will update the agency’s existing Instruction Guide IG7, entitled “Advanced Mine Rescue Training – Coal Mines”. IG7 is used as a part of mine rescue team qualification certification.

MSHA is compiling New Instruction Guide IG7a, or “Advanced Skills Training – Activities for Coal Mine Rescue Teams”. This document includes activities and exercises moved from existing Instruction Guide IG7 along with additional exercises to provide more hands-on skills training to improve team performance when responding to a mine emergency.

All input should cite Docket MSHA-2013-0037.

Visit www.regulations.gov to view the documents.