The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule from its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to help protect miners from accidents, injuries and fatalities related to surface mobile equipment. The rule requires mine operators to have written safety programs for surface mobile equipment – excluding belt conveyors – at surface mines and underground mines’ surface areas. The programs…
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Orica’s new upgrades are a blast
Users of Orica’s eDev II and uni tronic 600 electronic blasting systems (EBS) will now experience more efficient and productive operations, as the updated versions of both have been integrated with the field-proven Blaster 3000 currently used with the i-kon III system. The Blaster 3000 will serve as a common blast box platform to deliver an improved user experience and…
Read MoreNo more ‘bubble zones’: Matrix unveils collision avoidance using VAI
An intelligent collision avoidance system is in testing now that not only makes miners safer – without using tags and personal devices – but also allows users to pool data from machine interactions for use anytime. Edited by Donna Schmidt Matrix Design Group has created a system ideal for any mobile equipment unit, using Visual Artificial Intelligence (VAI) to detect…
Read MoreFisher Phillips: Five 2023 mine safety predictions
Editor’s note: the following is an op-ed from Fisher Phillips. As the calendar turns to a new year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration appears to have found its footing – and that means mine operators need to be on their toes in 2023. After a presidential administration change, retirements throughout the inspector ranks, and an anemic regulatory agenda, MSHA…
Read MoreThe Sixth Circuit and Advance Notice – The Cavalry Never Showed Up After All
By Willa B. Perlmutter In my very first column for this publication, I wrote about the KenAmerican Resources case that was then pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, based in Cincinnati. At the time, I wrote that I hoped the Sixth Circuit would take the opportunity to provide much-needed guidance on what exactly “advance notice”…
Read MoreA look within: Clintwood JOD No. 2
What’s old is new again, even in coal preparation, and this Kentucky facility is outlining its own legacy. By Donna Schmidt The heart of the eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia coalfields are dotted with coal operations large and small, as well as their respective coal preparation plants. With that comes competition, of course, but also results in many miners seeking…
Read MoreVirtual reality hazard awareness training program developed
Underground and surface mines can be hazardous places, so when it comes to safety training in the mining profession, the old saying “practice makes perfect” holds true. To improve hazard safety instruction, a team at South Dakota Mines has spent the past year developing a virtual reality (VR) training module that mimics a mining environment.
Read MoreRedpath breaks record again
Redpath Raiseboring has achieved another record-breaking hole, this one the longest raisebore hole ever accomplished in the Northern Hemisphere and in all of the Americas. The achievement was recorded in late May at Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa mine in Ontario, Canada. “This concludes the first of the planned twin, 12-foot diameter ventilation raises extending from surface down to 5617 Level,”…
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