MSHA removes outdated flame safety lamp requirement from coal mine regulations
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Table of Contents
The Mine Safety and Health Administration has finalized a rule that deletes an old regulation requiring the use of flame safety lamps in underground coal mines. The agency is removing paragraph (d)(4) from its code on permissible electric face equipment because this technology is no longer used.
Why it matters: This update removes a regulatory requirement for equipment that no longer exists in active use. It streamlines the code without changing how miners are protected, as modern gas detectors provide better monitoring than flame observations ever did. The agency determined this is not a significant regulatory action because it imposes no new costs and affects no current operations.
Who it affects
- Underground coal mine operators who must maintain compliance with federal safety standards
This final rule was issued by the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration and published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2025.
Agency: Labor Department, Mine Safety and Health Administration
Source: Federal Register — read the official document