The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections at 16 mines in 10 states in July 2024, issuing 239 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 4,314…
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National Mine Rescue Competition crowns winners
The 2024 National Mine Rescue, First Aid, Bench, Pre-shift and Technician Team Competition, held this year from August 12-15 in Lexington, Kentucky, wrapped with a number of winners in 13 different categories. They include: BioPak 240R Bench Competition Final Results Draeger BG 4 Bench Competition Final Results First Aid Competition Final Results Preshift Competition Final Results Technician Team Competition Final…
Read MoreMSHA issues alert on tire explosion during equipment fire
MSHA reported that on June 14, one firefighter died, and another was injured at Robar Enterprises Inc., Los Angeles, when a front-end loader tire exploded while firefighters fought an equipment fire. MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident. In the event of a possible or actual fire (e.g., odor, heat, smoke, flames):
Read MoreMSHA reports seventh fatality of 2024
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:
Read MoreMSHA issues diesel particulate matter alert
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a health alert on diesel particulate matter. The agency said exhaust from diesel engines contains a mixture of gases and very small particles that can create a health hazard when not properly controlled.
Read MoreMSHA completes 12-month POV screening
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has released results of a Pattern of Violations screening that identifies chronic violators and mine operators that show a disregard for miners’ health and safety. The results follow the agency’s reviews which, for the first time, included more than one POV screening by MSHA in a calendar year. MSHA conducted a POV screening…
Read MoreMSHA 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…
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