A six-step record check
Match the mine and the action
Use the Mine ID and citation or order number in the official MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System. Mine names can be similar or change. A company search result is not enough to establish that you found the same facility.
Separate issue date from recorded status
Record when the action was issued, whether a termination is displayed, and the date of your lookup. A recent issue date does not mean an action is still open. A termination in the source must remain visible when you reuse the record. If status is missing or inconsistent across sources, say so instead of assuming it is open.
Read the exact cited section
Keep the section and subsection, not only the training part. Do not turn a task-training or hazard-awareness record into an annual-refresher prospect. If the narrative is unavailable, label it unavailable; a rule number does not reveal the complete circumstances.
Keep related facts separate
A citation and an order are different action types. A blank penalty is not a zero-dollar penalty. An operator named in a historical snapshot may differ from a current corporate page; that discrepancy needs research before calling it an ownership change. An injury-severity field is not proof that an injury occurred.
Check a usable business contact route
Prefer the operator's official facility or company page. Label a corporate switchboard or general inbox honestly. Finding a public route does not verify a decision-maker, consent, training responsibility, or willingness to buy. Do not invent email addresses.
Decide whether to hold the record
Check territory, exact service capability, travel or delivery constraints, prior deliveries and exclusions. Hold conflicting or incomplete records. A research priority score should never override missing evidence or an explicit request not to be contacted.
Record enough for someone else to reproduce it
A usable research item contains the Mine ID, action number and type, exact section, issue date, recorded termination status, source snapshot date, lookup date if separately checked, public contact URL, and a clear note separating possible fit from known facts.
Sources and limits
Start with MSHA data and reports and the Mine Data Retrieval System. For regulatory text, consult the current eCFR training rules. Public datasets can lag real events; this checklist is a research aid, not a compliance determination or legal advice.
Next: match Part 46 and Part 48 records to your actual services.