As this new year begins, we all innately want a better path forward than where we came from; that’s what makes resolutions so popular as well as polarizing, depending on your perspective. For the NAM team, we are ready to take on 2026 with a busy schedule of conferences and shows (including our own, the West Virginia Coal Show, beginning…
Read MoreThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) announced January 14 that, following nine months of pressure from its members, labor allies and public health experts, all employees of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) who received layoff notices have been fully reinstated.
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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…
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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 MoreMore than 100 employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will be permanently reinstated – a crucial development after months of uncertainty that threatened the agency’s workforce and core safety programs. The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) led a nationwide campaign to defend NIOSH. “This is not just a win for NIOSH – it’s a win…
Read MoreUnited States Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia confirmed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will construct its new Underground Mine Safety and Health Research Program facility in the southern town of Mace, east of Charleston. Funding for the design and construction of the campus site…
Read MoreMissouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) researchers have revealed they are conducting research using a Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog to help in the often-perilous conditions found during mine emergencies. University senior Dustin Peterson recently supported a research project entitled “Research, Technological Innovations and Human Factors for Effective Miner Self-Escape from Underground Mine Emergencies,” part of a $4…
Read MoreAnnual October meeting returning to Pittsburgh host venue As this issue of NAM goes to press, final plans are being made for the annual joint meeting of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Society for Metallurgy, Mining and Exploration (SME) and the Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America (PCMIA) for the 2022 meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa. Registration is advancing well for…
Read MoreThe annual joint meeting of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Society for Metallurgy, Mining and Exploration (SME) and the Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America (PCMIA) has set its dates for the 2022 meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa., and has opened registrations for attendees. The event will return to the Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe in Canonsburg, just south of Pittsburgh, from…
Read MoreThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is planning free, confidential black lung screenings to coal miners in August in Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia. Screenings are provided through the NIOSH mobile testing unit at convenient community and mine locations. All coal miners – current, former, underground, surface, and those under contract – are welcome to participate. Participation…
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