by Joseph P. McGuire, PhD, Emily J. Haas, PhD and Lucas Simpson, M.Ed., GSP Technological development and innovation across the industry show no signs of slowing, bringing to the forefront effective adoption and use. Regardless of the technologies that workers use in the workplace, the basic principles of human-centered design and integration have remained the same: involve workers early and…
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $250,000 in Brookwood-Sago grant funding to three organizations in three states to support education and training initiatives that will help identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines. Administered by the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program helps recipients create comprehensive…
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration 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 2025 State Grants Program to fund the delivery of federally mandated training and re-training for miners who work at surface, underground…
Read MoreBetween Oct. 1, 2024, and April 1, 2025, 2,201 injuries have been reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Fourteen were fatal injuries. For the remaining injuries, 1,523 were non-fatal and resulted in days lost or restricted duty, 27 resulted in a permanent disability, and 637 resulted in no days lost or restricted duty. Since Oct. 1, 2024,…
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In last month’s column, I spotlighted the job losses of many gifted researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), many of which are key contributors to the future of mining more safely and with better health behaviors. The layoffs, triggered by governmental cuts from the DOGE program, also have included agencies such as the Mine Safety…
Read MoreA federal appeals court has temporarily blocked The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s silica dust rule to limit silica dust exposure for coal miners. It was supposed to take effect on April 14. The National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association recently sought an emergency stay of the rule in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis and…
Read MoreThe Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that 10 miner fatalities have occurred between Jan. 3 and March 5 – more than triple the number for the same period in 2024. Accidents classified as Powered Haulage remain the most common with four fatalities, followed by Machinery (two fatalities), and Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall (two fatalities). Four…
Read MoreThe Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has reported that a miner has died from injuries sustained while realigning some longwall shields at Arch Resources’ underground Leer mine complex in West Virginia. The 34-year-old miner, who had 14 years of mining experience, was initially injured on September 28 when the hook and strap assembly broke while attached to two longwall…
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By Willa B. Perlmutter So, last week I had the pleasure of attending a seminar put on by the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. It was called a “safety seminar,” but that’s kind of a misnomer. With one interesting exception, a mine operator who talked about how they’d improved mobile equipment…
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An important discussion of mental health and well-being with mining and construction workers. By Joe McGuire, PhD, Emily J. Haas, PhD, Lucas Simpson, MS, Vince Hafeli, DBA Mining and construction are often cited as inherently hazardous and stressful occupations and can pose risks to workers’ mental health and well-being.1,2 Psychosocial risk factors that can increase the occurrence of mental health…
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