Coal Mine Dust Sampling Devices

This final rule revises requirements that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) use to approve sampling devices that monitor miner exposure to respirable coal mine dust. The final rule updates approval requirements for the existing "coal mine dust personal sampler unit" to reflect improvements in this sampler over the past 15 years. The final rule also establishes criteria for approval of a new type of technology, the "continuous personal dust monitor," which is worn by the miner and will report dust exposure levels continuously during the shift.