The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has announced the “Take Time Save Lives” campaign to reach miners, promote best practice resources, and ensure mine operators have the tools they need to fully train miners to use equipment. “The purpose of this new campaign is simple: mine operators need to take the time to train miners on equipment and safety…
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The Mine Safety and Health Administration released a safety notice in February for the nation’s mining operations relating to development mining near wells, an issue it says is happening thousands of times across the U.S. In the new notice, the agency points out that much has changes for both the mining and gas industries in recent years: “Today’s coal mines…
Read MoreThe U.S. Senate held a voice vote and confirmed Chris Williamson as the next assistant secretary for mine safety and health. The West Virginia native comes to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) where he was senior counsel to Chair Lauren McFerran.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor has announced a new program designed to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among miners in Kentucky and Arizona. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that vaccination rates are below 60% in the two states where a number of mining operations exist. The department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will pilot the Mine Vaccine Outreach…
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The new year in mining has already had its share of hazards, with four miner deaths in the U.S. in the first 14 days of 2022. The first worker died January 7 at the Sunrise Coal Oaktown Fuels Mine No. 1 in Knox County, Ky., owned by Hallador Energy. The victim, a 35-year-old continuous miner machine operator with nine years…
Read MoreThe Biden administration has nominated West Virginia native Christopher Williamson for assistant secretary for mine safety and health at the U.S. Department of Labor. Williamson, who will replace David Zatezalo if his nomination is confirmed by the Senate, currently serves as the senior counsel to Chairman Lauren McFerran at the National Labor Relations Board. Prior to his current seat, he…
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In November, MSHA announced a pillar collapse program that has spotlighted limestone mines but could also have an impact on other commodity operations. The agency noted that, since October 2020, four massive pillar collapses have occurred in limestone mines. Each was accompanied by a powerful air blast and the formation of a large surface sinkhole. Fortunately, no injuries were reported…
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MSHA announced a proposed rule in October requiring mine operators that employ six or more miners to develop a written safety program for mobile equipment and powered haulage equipment (except belt conveyors) used at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines. The written safety program would include actions mine operators would take to identify hazards and risks to reduce…
Read MoreIn late September, MSHA announced the award of $1 million in Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program funding to support education and training to help identify, avoid and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines. “We are seeing an increase in mining fatalities, particularly powered haulage fatalities, and we must reverse this trend. The Mine Safety and Health…
Read MoreFor the seventh year in a row, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) found none of the nation’s 12,000 mining operations met the criteria for one of the agency’s toughest enforcement tools, its pattern of violations (POV) screening. In MSHA’s annual screening of operations from Aug. 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021, the agency found…
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