CD288 - Consultation Questionnaire on the amendments to Mines Regulations 2014 (MR2014)

Overview

Consultation by the Health and Safety Executive

This Consultation relates to proposed amendments to the Mines Regulations 2014 (MR2014) to apply a new binding limit for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) of 0.1mg/m³ below ground in coal mines.

MR2014 impose duties on mine operators to protect persons at work from the risks to their health arising from exposure to inhalable and respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) below ground in coal mines. Directive (EU) 2017/2398 amends the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (2004/37/EC) (CMD) and sets down new occupational exposure limit values (OELVs) for a number of recently categorised carcinogens and mutagens.  Importantly, it includes a new binding limit for exposure to RCS of 0.1mg/m³.  OELVs are implemented into GB law by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), in particular, the approved workplace exposure limits (WELs) set down in the EH40/2005 publication.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consults stakeholders to seek their views on its proposals. It believes that public consultation provides an open and transparent approach to its decision-making.

The Consultation sets out the HSE’s proposals.

Code of Practice on Consultation

HSE is committed to best practice in consultation and to the Government’s Consultation Principles. The Government is improving the way it consults by adopting a more proportionate and targeted approach, so that the type and scale of engagement is proportional to the potential impacts of the proposal. The emphasis is on understanding the effects of a proposal and focussing on real engagement with key groups rather than following a set process.

Additional guidance can be found at GOV.uk.

How to respond

A Consultation Letter and Questionnaire can be found on this page below.

Our preferred method for receiving comments is via email, this is the most effective way for us to fully consider and analyse responses.

You can respond by:

• downloading the word version of the questionnaire and sending it by email to: Karen.Daniels@hse.gov.uk

• downloading the word version of the questionnaire and sending a written response to: Karen Daniels, HSE, Energy Division, Policy Unit, 2.2 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS

We would be grateful if you could send an email address when you provide your response. This will allow us to inform you when HSE intends to publish information concerning consultation responses on its websites.

Responses must be received by 2 December 2019

What happens next?

We will acknowledge all responses and give full consideration to their substance in the subsequent proposals. We may contact you again if, for example, we have a query in respect of your response.

We will also tell you when we publish information concerning the consultation responses. We will provide a summary of responses to this consultation and the views expressed about each question. This information will be placed on the HSE website.