Because of the temporary delay in dust sampling between April 8, 2016, and May 2, MSHA will take into consideration time devoted to resolving Proximity Detection Service interference issues in making decisions about regulatory compliance with the dust sampling requirements in the Dust Rule.
MSHA has resumed its own respirable dust sampling.
“Mine operators must comply with dust sampling and also must comply with other existing regulatory requirements such as gas sampling, communication and tracking, methane monitoring, and other relevant standards,” it said.
MSHA’s final rule on Proximity Detection Systems for Continuous Mining Machines in Underground Coal Mines requires that proximity detection systems be installed to prevent interference that adversely affects performance of any electrical system.
MSHA is working with NIOSH, manufacturers, the mining industry, and others to identify additional solutions that mitigate the effect of EMI.