Editing Mining engineering (section)

==Mining health and safety==
{{Globalize|section|USA|2name=the United States|date=December 2010}}
Legal attention to health and safety in mining began in the late 19<sup>th</sup> century with general safety codes being added to most mining environments. Since then, it has become a widespread practice across the world to have specific, detailed mine safety regulations. This is important because working in the mining field presents many dangers to workers and having safety codes minimizes potential workplace accidents.  

Mining engineers, as employees of the mines, have to follow these safety codes in their work. Mine safety engineers, a subset of mining engineers, specifically with creating and implementing these safety regulations. They work with the documentation and analysis of mining disasters to ensure that, when possible, the same mistakes are not repeated twice.  

===United States===
The United States Congress, through the passage of the Federal [[Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977]], known as the Miner's Act, created the [[Mine Safety and Health Administration]] (MSHA) under the [[US Department of Labor|US Department of Labour]]. The act provides miners with rights against retaliation for reporting violations, consolidated regulation of coal mines with metallic and non-metallic mines, and created the independent [[Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission]] to review violations reported to MSHA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msha.gov/MSHAINFO/MSHAINF2.HTM|title=History of Mine Safety and Health Legislation|website=www.msha.gov|access-date=20 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218074218/http://www.msha.gov/mshainfo/mshainf2.htm|archive-date=18 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The act codified in Code of Federal Regulations § 30 (CFR § 30) covers all miners at an active mine. When a mining engineer works at an active mine, they are subject to the same rights, violations, mandatory health and safety regulations, and compulsory training as any other worker at the mine. The mining engineer can be legally identified as a "miner".<ref>20 CFR § 46.2(g)(1)(i)(ii)</ref>

The act establishes the rights of miners. The miner may report at any time a hazardous condition and request an inspection. The miners may elect a miners' representative to participate during an inspection, pre-inspection meeting, and post-inspection conference. The miners and miners' representatives shall be paid for their time during all inspections and investigations.<ref>The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, § 103(f) and (g)(1)</ref>

=== India   ===
A large portion of India’s mining industry is regulated by the Mines Act of 1952 and the Mine Rules of 1955.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ministry of Coal, Government of India |url=https://coal.gov.in/en/major-statistics/safety-coal-mines |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250405021304/https://coal.gov.in/en/major-statistics/safety-coal-mines |archive-date=2025-04-05 |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=coal.gov.in |language=en}}</ref>  These codes outline all of the operational, health and safety standards that all mines must follow. Some subsections, such as the Coal Mine Regulation of 2017, have been created to outline practices in more niche subsections of mining. This enforcement of these codes is managed by the Directorate-General of Mines Safety (DGMS) under the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment (MOL&E). Since these outlines are laws, they can also have legal consequences such as fines, mining license revocation, and imprisonment. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Mines Act, 1952 |url=https://labour.gov.in/sites/default/files/theminesact1952.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Mining engineers work closely to ensure that these codes are followed on an individual scale.  

==== Mines Act of 1952 ====
The Mines Act of 1952 outlines the proper procedure for the operation of mines and implements their health and safety standards. One example of this is the implementation of a mandatory day of rest for workers, which prevents workers from working more than six days out of a week. An example of a safety standard is the requirement for proper first aid kit components for the kits that should be present in every mine.  

This act also notes the beginning of the practice of documenting health and safety in incidents in mines. Since these incidents have started being recorded, the number of accidents in coal mines has consistently dropped.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Annual Indian Mines Safety Report 2021 |url=https://coal.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-01/annual-report-safety2021-22.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The main categories currently being reported on are fatalities and serious accidents, uncategorized by type or cause of accident. Mining engineers work on the reporting of these incidents and seek to create regulations that will prevent future incidents from occurring.  

==== Mine Rules of 1955 ====
This act clarifies the legal structure and consequences of health and safety regulation of mines in India. It defines what reports are needed for and from employees as well as what documentation should be taken in mines. This can include medical records, inspection documents, and mining licensure.  

The act also outlines welfare and benefits that should be given to all employees working in the mines. This includes the need for welfare management staff in all mines that employ more than 500 employees. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Mines Rules, 1955 |url=https://www.dgms.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Mines_Rules_1955.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Mining engineers also receive these benefits.

=== Australia ===
Legislation on the inspection and safety of mines in Australia can be dated back to the early 1900s with the Mine and Works Inspection Act of 1920 from South Australia. There is also a large increase in legislation starting around 1999 and continuing into the present day throughout the rest of the states and territories. <ref name=":03">{{Cite web |title=Mining Engineering Safety |url=https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/industry-and-business/mining   |url-status=live}}</ref>

Most of the states and territories of Australia also follow the WHS, a largely uniform code that details health and safety in the workplace. The WHS (Work Health and Safety) of mines in Australia is overseen by states and territories rather than the central government, so there can be minor discrepancies between each state or territory’s code. <ref name=":03" /> Beyond this, many of the states and territories have also enforced additional regulations on mines specifically in their legislation.  

Mining engineers in Australia, like in other countries, closely monitor and create accident reports. Being the country with the 3<sup>rd</sup> largest total of coal reserves in the world, there is a large subsection of mining engineers who work specifically with coal mines and coal mine-related disasters. (6)
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!State/Territory
!Mining Legislation
|-
|New South Wales
|Work Health and Safety Act 2011
Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017

Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013

Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2022
|-
|Victoria
|Chapter 5.3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017
|-
|Queensland
|Work Health and Safety Act 2011  
Work Heath and Safety Regulation 2011

Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999

Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2017

Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999

Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017
|-
|Western Australia
|Work health and Safety Act 2020
Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022

Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022
|-
|South Australia
|Work Health and Safety Act 2012
Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012

Mines and Works Inspections Act 1920  

Mines and Works Inspections Regulations 2013
|-
|Tasmania
|Work Health and Safety Act 2012
Work Health and Safety Regulations 2022

Mines Work Health and Safety (Supplementary Requirements) Act 2012

Mines Work Health and Safety (Supplementary Requirements) Regulations 2022
|-
|Australian Capital Territory
|Work Health and Safety Act 2011
Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011
|-
|Northern Territory
|Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011
Chapter 10 (Mines) of the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations 2011
|}
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