By Willa B. Perlmutter Here’s a fun fact. Going back as early as 1998, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has promised the mining industry it would issue a rule that addresses workplace exposures to respirable crystalline silica at mine sites around the country. (By “rule,” I really mean “regulation.” In other words, a binding requirement issued under…
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Mine Safety LLC launches site to analyze MSHA data
Mine Safety LLC, a company that promotes mining safety through high-quality software tools and solutions, has launched “Mine Lookup,” an application to analyze Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) data in various ways. “I have been in the industry as a software engineer since 2007 and I have felt this information should be more accessible to miners and to mining…
Read MoreMSHA impact inspections catch 335 violations in April
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has reminded producers that mining in hot work areas during the summer can cause serious health issues for miners. Everyone needs to recognize the hazards of heat stress and mine operators should provide heat-stress recognition training, monitoring and personal protective equipment. Symptoms of heat stress, the agency said, include: hot, usually dry, red…
Read MoreWomen in Mining: WIM USA, MSHA sign alliance agreement
Women in Mining National (WIM USA) inked a historic agreement with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration that both believe will change the face of mining by boosting mining safety and diversity. The pact, confirmed March 31, will provide WIM USA members, as well as the Education Foundation of WIM USA (WIMEF), with access to information, technical assistance, guidance…
Read MoreBeat the heat: MSHA issues health alert
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has reminded producers that mining in hot work areas during the summer can cause serious health issues for miners. Everyone needs to recognize the hazards of heat stress and mine operators should provide heat-stress recognition training, monitoring and personal protective equipment. Symptoms of Heat Stress Heat Stress Prevention Treat Symptoms DO: DO NOT:…
Read MoreMSHA Secretary Appeals to Mining Community
On April 14, Christopher J. Williamson, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, penned this letter to the mining community. Dear Members of the Mining Community: Forty-five years ago, Congress declared that the first priority and concern of everyone in the mining industry must be the safety and health of the nation’s miners. In the spirit of working…
Read MoreCoal’s headwinds – and future – close to mind in Charleston
The West Virginia Coal Association annual symposium bounced the balance of market, fossil fuels’ public perception and the industry’s plans to charge toward prosperity, environmental optimism and safety in Charleston April 18-19. By Donna Schmidt With a change of venue this year to the conference hall of the capital city’s Embassy Suites, the West Virginia Coal Association (WVCA) brought together…
Read MoreMSHA calls on industry to ‘Stand Down to Save Lives’
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will hold its first “Stand Down to Save Lives” on May 17 as part of a national campaign to encourage the nation’s mining community to take steps to prevent injuries and illnesses and stop an alarming rise in the number of miners killed on the job in 2023. So…
Read MoreMSHA announces mine safety, health training, education funding
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is making $10.5 million 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 2023 State Grants program to fund the delivery of federally mandated training and re-training for miners working at…
Read MoreMSHA reports 12th fatality of 2023
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that on March 15, a miner at Vulcan Materials’ Fort Pierce Mine in St Lucie County, Fla., drowned when the ground sloughed, causing the excavator he was operating to topple into a water-filled pit. The excavator became submerged in approximately 25 feet of water. This is the 12th fatality reported in 2023,…
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