Most don’t give much thought to PPE – it’s just another part of the job. It does evolve, however, and there are trends in the demand for improvements in the mining industry that are unique and which must be met. by Nick Warrick Last year, there were 40 fatalities in the mining sector, a far cry from over 1,000 per…
Read MoreMSHA reported that on Nov. 5, a miner at Samuel G. Hurworth in Crane County, Texas, died when the haul truck he was operating over travelled a dump point. The edge of the dump point failed, causing the haul truck to travel backwards, overturn and land on the roof of the cab. This is the 26th fatality reported in 2024,…
Read MoreOn Dec. 10, MSHA published a final rule that allows the use of eight voluntary consensus standards approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for electric mining equipment approvals. This final rule allows product manufacturers and designers seeking MSHA approval to follow either the ANSI-approved voluntary consensus standards or the existing MSHA-specific technical requirements. This final rule updates MSHA’s…
Read MoreThe Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections in October 2024 at 15 mines in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming and issued 286 violations. Inspections occurred at plants owned by Arcosa, Holcim and Mid-Michigan Materials, among others. The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased…
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It has arrived – the end of 2024. It has been quite a year for mining and the nation. As we set our sights on 2025 with optimism, as well as a new American leader in the returning energy-friendly president Donald Trump, we can pick up the pen to begin charting the nation’s new chapter. NAM has its sights set…
Read MoreMSHA reported that on Nov. 16, a miner at Ervin Hill Enterprises Inc., Highland County, Ohio, died when he became entangled in a log washer. The miner was last seen standing on a deck and using a water hose to wash material out of the log washer to clear a blockage. This is the 27th fatality reported in 2024, and…
Read MoreMSHA reported that recent accidents highlight the risks associated with dump points and stockpiles, especially where stockpile stability and visibility are of concern. Fatalities and serious injuries have occurred when heavy equipment operators traveled or dumped material too close to a stockpile edge or worked too close to the toe of an over-steepened stockpile. MSHA recommends the following best practices…
Read MoreMSHA reported that on April 13, a front-end loader operator at Martin Marietta Materials’ Morgan County Quarry in Buckhead, Ga., drowned, lying face down in a pool of water. The front-end loader operator was last seen using a water hose to wash material off a concrete pad next to a pool of water. This is the 25th fatality reported in…
Read MoreThe Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections in September 2024 at eight mines in Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin and issued 112 violations. The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries and illnesses; and other compliance concerns. Of…
Read MoreMSHA reported that on Oct. 9, a 60-ton haul truck was dumping a load of material when the dump point sloughed off, causing the haul truck to slide down and overturn, coming to rest upside down 15 ft. below. The driver was rescued from the truck through the side window of the cab with minor injuries. MSHA recommends the following…
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