Right now, a statute has been proposed in the House of Representatives (H.R. 5663) that, if it becomes law, will change parts of both the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (FMSHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA).
If it passes, the new law would make some mining companies implement new safety measures for the protection of their employees as they work in the mines, as well as forcing the companies to adhere to new standards regarding employee rights – including new protections for whistleblowers and mining accident victims.
Finally, the proposal as it is currently written makes it mandatory for there to be independent, third-party accident investigations for certain mine accidents.
Which all sounds good, right? Except that H.R. 5663 may never become reality. Right now, opposition is growing to its passage.
