The 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 (NLRB). Prior to his current seat,…
Read MoreThe Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that on Sept. 21, a 68-year-old contract truck driver with 20 years of experience was fatally injured at Bonito Pit in Valencia County, N.M., while operating a haul truck. The victim was found lying in front of his truck near the edge of a haul road. The truck was upright and in the opposite…
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.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (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.
Read MoreBy Caroline J. Sundbaum and Willa B. Perlmutter, Stoel Rives LLP Just a few short months ago, we would have thought that COVID-19 was almost behind us and that it was only a matter of time before mine operators would no longer have to worry about the spread of the disease at their worksites. It looked like face masks and…
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced a proposed rule 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.
Read MoreMSHA has released the date for its Training Resources Applied to Mining (TRAM) 2021 summit, which will be held virtually this year from November 2-4. Featuring presentations from some of the industry’s most respected safety trainers, this tuition-free event helps health and safety trainers improve their training skills and infuse their training programs with new ideas and materials. The workshop…
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On Aug. 2, MSHA reported the death of a section utility person in a water inundation at the Gentry No. 3 in Huntington, Emery County, Utah, that occurred the previous day. The event occurred during a flash flood when a personnel carrier was engulfed by water; the miner exited the vehicle and was carried away in the water. The incident…
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Pennsylvania-headquartered Exyn Technologies has partnered with Northern Survey Supply that will make Exyn’s underground drone products available to the Canadian market thanks to distribution by NSS Canada. Exyn, a creator of autonomous aerial robot systems, said that the Canadian underground mining community has been seeking ways to increase safety and efficiency with its robots; the company said it offers a…
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By Willa B. Perlmutter In general, the mining industry is pretty well versed in the Mine Act. Mine operators know that under the authority of the Act, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) adopts mandatory safety and health standards they have to follow. They know that because the Act requires it, MSHA inspects surface mines twice per year, underground…
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