Federal Asbestos Agencies: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Department of Labor

MSHA regulates occupational safety and health issues relating to mining. Technical field support assistance is provided to mines to encourage voluntary compliance with existing regulations. MSHA is developing a regulation to reduce the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for asbestos in mines in order to reduce the number of miners developing asbestos-induced occupational disease. A recent report by the Office of the Inspector General recommended that MSHA lower its existing PEL for asbestos to a more protective level and address take home contamination of asbestos. It also recommended that MSHA use Transmission Electron Microscopy to analyze fiber samples that may contain asbestos.

Courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency