The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has received a petition from Wolf Run Mining, LLC to modify a safety standard for their coal mine, the Leer South Mine. The company wants to use new respirators, the 3M Versaflo TR-800 and CleanSpace EX, which provide better protection from dust but are not currently approved by MSHA. Wolf Run Mining argues that these new respirators are safer and that using the old standard diminishes safety. The petition details how they plan to ensure safety and training for the use of these new devices, even though they are not MSHA-approved. They assure that their plan will offer the same level of protection required by the existing safety standards.
Simple Explanation
Wolf Run Mining wants to use special face masks that help keep their workers safe from dust better than the old ones, but these new masks aren't yet approved by the safety team. They promise these masks will keep everyone just as safe as the old ones and are asking if they can use them at their coal mine.