The Definition of Workplace Examination (MSHA)

Definition of Workplace Examination (MSHA)

A workplace examination is an inspection of each working place at a mine, made by a competent person at least once each shift before miners begin work there, to find conditions that may adversely affect safety or health.

The exam is a first line of defense at metal and nonmetal mines. Ground conditions change overnight, equipment gets damaged, berms erode and guards get left off after maintenance. A careful examination at the start of each shift catches those changes before miners are exposed. It also creates a record that shows what was found, who found it and when it was fixed.

Workplace examinations apply to surface and underground metal and nonmetal operations, including quarries, sand and gravel pits, cement plants and hard rock mines. They involve mine operators, supervisors, designated examiners and the miners who work in each area. Rules from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) set the minimum requirements. Coal mines follow a separate set of examination rules.

Key Elements of a Workplace Examination

Who Conducts the Exam

• Competent person: The operator designates a competent person, meaning someone with the abilities and experience that fully qualify them to do the exam.
• Area knowledge: The examiner should know the equipment, processes and typical hazards of the area being examined.
• Authority: The examiner needs the authority to stop work and report conditions so they get corrected.

When and Where

• Each shift: Every working place must be examined at least once each shift.
• Before work begins: The exam must happen before miners begin work in that place, not partway through the shift.
• Every working place: Pits, plants, shops and any other area where work is performed are covered.

What Happens When Hazards Are Found

• Notify miners: The operator must promptly notify miners in affected areas of any adverse condition that is not corrected before work begins.
• Start corrections: The operator must promptly initiate action to correct adverse conditions.
• Withdraw for imminent danger: Where imminent danger is found, all persons must be withdrawn from the affected area until it is corrected, except those needed to make the correction.

Recordkeeping

• Timing: The record must be made before the end of the shift.
• Content: It must include the examiner's name, the date, the locations of all areas examined, a description of each adverse condition not corrected promptly and the date of corrective action.
• Retention: Records must be kept for at least one year and made available to MSHA and miners' representatives, with a copy provided on request.

Regulations and Standards

MSHA Metal and Nonmetal Mines

Workplace examinations at surface metal and nonmetal mines are required by 30 CFR 56.18002. The parallel standard for underground metal and nonmetal mines is 30 CFR 57.18002. Both require a competent person to examine each working place at least once each shift before miners begin work. Both also require prompt notification and correction, withdrawal from areas of imminent danger, and the record content and one-year retention described above.

The current text took shape over several steps. MSHA issued a final rule in 2017, revised it in 2018, and published a technical amendment in 2019 after a court decision reinstated key 2017 provisions. Operators using older forms or procedures should confirm they match the current regulation.

MSHA Coal Mines

Coal mines have separate examination requirements. Underground coal mines must conduct pre-shift examinations under 30 CFR 75.360, supplemental examinations under 30 CFR 75.361 and on-shift examinations under 30 CFR 75.362. Surface coal mines follow the examination requirements in 30 CFR 77.1713. These coal exam records must also be retained for at least one year.

Good Practices for Workplace Examination (MSHA)

• Use a written route: Map every working place so no area is skipped, including remote pumps, stockpiles and seldom-used shops.
• Train and designate examiners: Document who is designated as competent for each area, and refresh training when equipment or processes change.
• Look for the serious hazards: Check ground conditions, haul road berms, machine guards, electrical hazards, housekeeping and mobile equipment traffic.
• Talk to miners first: Ask the outgoing shift what changed. Their notes often point to new hazards.
• Close the loop: Give each uncorrected condition an owner and a due date, and record the date it was corrected.
• Review trends: Treat exam findings as a leading indicator and review repeat conditions at safety meetings.
• Keep records easy to retrieve: Store records so they can be produced quickly for MSHA inspectors and miners' representatives.

Example of Workplace Examination (MSHA)

A sand and gravel operation ran two shifts with a single foreman doing all the exams. On busy mornings, he examined the plant after the crew had already started, and his records listed "plant and pit" without specific locations. A loader operator was nearly struck when part of a stockpile face collapsed in an area that had not been examined that day. During the next MSHA inspection, the operation was cited because exams were not being completed before work began.

The company trained and designated two more examiners, split the site into mapped zones and required each zone to be examined before crews entered it. It moved to a digital checklist in safety audit software that lists each location, captures photos of adverse conditions, records when miners are notified and stamps the date of corrective action. Monthly reviews of the records now feed the site's broader workplace inspection program, and repeat findings get permanent fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions: Workplace Examination (MSHA)

How often must MSHA workplace examinations be done?

At metal and nonmetal mines, each working place must be examined at least once each shift. The exam must take place before miners begin work in that place.

Who can perform a workplace examination?

The mine operator must designate a competent person, meaning someone with the abilities and experience that fully qualify them to examine the area. The metal and nonmetal standard does not require a specific certification, but the examiner must know the hazards of the work and the area.

What must be included in a workplace examination record?

The record must show the name of the examiner, the date, the locations of all areas examined, a description of each adverse condition not corrected promptly and the date of corrective action. It must be made before the end of the shift.

How long must workplace examination records be kept?

Records must be kept for at least one year. They must be available to MSHA and miners' representatives, and the operator must provide a copy on request.