MSHA reported that on May 16, a worker at a surface mine died when the excavator he was operating traveled over a 200-foot highwall. This is the seventh fatality reported in 2024, and the second classified as “Machinery.” MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
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MSHA completes May impact inspections
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections in May at 15 mines in 12 states, leading the agency to cite 300 violations and one safeguard. The agency began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 miners. MSHA’s impact inspections since 2023 have identified…
Read MoreMSHA announces $10.5 million funding availability for safety
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is making $10.5 million in grant funding available to help provide mine safety training for the nation’s miners. MSHA will award these grants as part of its fiscal year 2024 State Grants program to fund the delivery of federally mandated training and re-training for miners working…
Read MoreMarch impact inspections recap
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) said it completed impact inspections at 14 mines in 11 states in March, issuing 199 violations and one safeguard. Of the March violations, 74 were evaluated as significant and substantial and four had an unwarrantable failure finding. The agency completed these inspections at mines in Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,…
Read MoreMine manager pleads guilty to second-degree manslaughter
MSHA announced that an upstate New York court accepted a mine manager’s guilty plea to manslaughter in the second degree for the death of a mechanic at R J Valente Grafton Quarry in October 2022. Anthony Valente admitted to causing Darren Miller’s death by recklessly disregarding and overriding safety features of a crane he was operating to lower a replacement…
Read MoreMSHA reports fourth fatality of 2024
MSHA reported that on April 15, a miner at Riverbend Sand and Gravel, Weld, Colo., died when the tail section of a collapsible belt conveyor fell and pinned him between the tail section and middle section. The miner was working as part of a crew to tear down the conveyor in preparation to be moved. This is the fourth fatality…
Read MoreMSHA safety alerts: Electric arc flashes, customer truck drivers
MSHA has reported that in the last six months, 11 miners received injuries due to electric arc flashes. In one instance, two miners were injured by an arc flash while performing maintenance on a breaker box; another, two contract miners received burns while checking the rotation on a transformer. The agency recommends the following best practices to avoid this type…
Read MoreMSHA issues final silica rule
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a final rule to better protect the nation’s miners from health hazards associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica. It lowers the permissible exposure limit to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air for a full-shift exposure, calculated as an eight-hour, time-weighted average. If a miner’s exposure exceeds the limit, the…
Read MoreFebruary impact inspections uncover 207 violations: MSHA
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections at 13 mines in nine states in February, identifying 207 violations with 58 being classified as significant and substantial and two as unwarrantable failures. The agency completed the impact inspections at mines in Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and West Virginia. “February’s impact inspections uncovered hazardous…
Read MoreMSHA reports third fatality of 2024
MSHA has reported that on March 1, a miner at Swift Creek Mine in Hamilton County, Fla., died after a metal slurry pipe struck him. The miner was removing the last bolt connecting two metal slurry pipes when the pipe broke free and swung in his direction. This is the third fatality reported in 2024, and the first classified as…
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