This rule is more strict than the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) regulations. MSHA does not have a certification process to certify miners in each particular coal mine specialty. Therefore, MSHA does not have the need to temporarily decertify those certifications when a miner commits a serious safety violation.
This rule was created in response to the West Virginia Supreme Court’s decision in Perry v. Miller, 171 W. Va. 509, 300 S.E.2d 622 (1983).
A more detailed spreadsheet is available at http://www.wvminesafety.org/PDFs/S.B.%20619%20%20Final.pdf.