Worker fired after demanding msds for potential chemical exposure
Wanted to know what PPE to use
After a flurry of legal activity, a miner who was fired from a California rare earth minerals operation after complaining about unsafe working conditions has been reinstated – temporarily.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) says the employee, who spoke out about various safety issues at the mine, had refused to work on a sodium carbonate tank until the operator provided him with a material safety data sheet (msds) so he would know what to do in the event of overexposure. The miner also wanted to know what type of personal protective equipment to use when handling the chemical substance. In addition, he refused to tie off on a vertical scaffolding pole for protection from falling rather than on a designated tie-off point, as required by MSHA, and made those complaints directly to management.