Author
Fall brings rise in accidents
The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) points out that this time of year brings an increase in accidents, often while moving equipment into storage and breaking down equipment for major repairs. It is in the fall, says MSHA, that many intermittent aggregate operations are preparing for the winter season and performing annual shutdown or repair activities. “During seasonal transition,” the agency says in a recent seasonal safety alert, “miners may engage in new or unfamiliar tasks, working with equipment they service only once a year, or assisting maintenance personnel on jobs they rarely perform.” Potentially hazardous tasks include: Disassembling conveyors and transporting and storing sections. Rigging, lifting and towing equipment. Rebuilding crushers and screens. Winterizing sand wash facilities. Best practices that should be followed: Identify hazards through effective workplace exams. Provide effective task training. Lock out and block equipment against hazardous motion. Provide necessary personal protective equipment. Operator safety and health It isn’t just about safety: Operator health is also important. Volvo and other makers of operator-driven equipment have… Keep Reading
Buckle your seat belt
If you like seeing new equipment and technology introduced to the aggregates industry, you’re in for a treat. Over the course of a 12-month period beginning in March, manufacturers will unveil cutting-edge equipment at no less than five major trade shows. It kicks off in Nashville with the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association’s AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo, March 22-24. As always, Pit & Quarry will be there to bring you the latest developments through Twitter, a live enewsletter from the show, the Pit & Quarry website, and in our monthly print magazine. On the heels of AGG1 is the largest trade show in the world – Bauma. It’s the leading trade fair for construction and mining machinery, and is held once every three years in Munich, Germany. The 2016 edition takes place April 11-17. In June 2016 is the biennial event in Buxton, England – Hillhead. The “International Quarrying & Recycling Show” takes place in a quarry, and includes live machine demonstrations. It is the largest equipment exposition geared… Keep Reading
Wirtgen Group hosts Mineral Technology Days in Germany
The Wirtgen Group hosted 2,300 customers, dealers and media at its Mineral Technology Days 2015 event in Wittlich, Germany. It was the company's eighth annual get together, and participants came from more than 100 countries. Highlights included demonstrations of crushing and screening plants from Kleemann, as well as products from other Wirtgen business units, including asphalt plants and surface miners. Attendees were given an in-depth look behind the scenes during tours of the company's Benninghoven plants in Mülheim and Wittlich. The Mobicone MCO 9 EVO was the centerpiece of the Kleemann exhibits. This track-mounted mobile cone crusher fills one of the last remaining gaps in the Kleemann range of models. Like the other Kleemann crushers in the EVO series, the MCO 9 is designed for user-friendly operation and easy transport, in addition to optimum interlinking options. A live demonstration showed how the MCO 9 EVO, used in conjunction with the Mobicat MC 110 EVO jaw crusher and mobile triple-deck screening unit, the MS 16 D, form a productive setup for… Keep Reading
Proximity detection ruling could apply to aggregates
This month, the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) issued a regulation proposing that hauling machines and scoops in underground coal mines be equipped with proximity detection systems. But the proposed rule may go beyond just coal operations. The agency is requesting comments on whether this technology should be required in underground metal and nonmetal mines – including underground aggregate operations. MSHA says, "This proposed proximity detection system rule would better protect our nation’s miners from being crushed or pinned in confined underground mine spaces where large equipment is constantly in motion." Proximity detection is a technology that uses electronic sensors to detect motion and the location of one object relative to another. These systems provide audible and visual warnings and automatically stop moving machines before miners get too close and an accident occurs. Under the proposed rule, operators would be required to use proximity detection systems that: • Cause a machine to stop before contacting a miner. • Provide audible and visual warning signals when a miner gets too close to… Keep Reading
New Enterprise sells quarry, asphalt plant
Aggregate company Glenn O. Hawbaker has purchased New Enterprise Stone & Lime’s quarry and hot-mix asphalt plant in Milroy, Pa., according to a report by ARI. The acquisition is expected to close soon, according to the report, and in the meantime Hawbaker will handle operation of the facilities. The quarry, which has been in service since 1913, produces a full range of limestone products. The asphalt plant, in the same location as the quarry, will continue to serve the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and other customers. Keep Reading
Unified announces new leadership team
Unified Screening & Crushing has announced a new lineup for its leadership team and board of directors, which now includes members outside of the founding Lentsch family. Unified is a collection of 16 companies across the U.S. that manufacture and sell screening media, wear parts and related products primarily for the quarry and mining industries. Its company officers and board members are: CEO Tom Lentsch, Senior Vice President Bob Kleason, CFO John Groess and Vice President Andrew Lentsch. A fifth board member, Anne Peltier, is not involved with Unified’s day-to-day management. Keep Reading
The ‘Yellow Pages’
One of the benefits of being an editor is having the opportunity to read about all of the new equipment and technology being developed by the hundreds of equipment manufacturers supporting this industry. Details of it arrives in the way of press releases to my inbox every day (to my mailbox when I first started in publishing). Hopefully, we’ve done a good job of passing along that information to you. And having worked at Pit & Quarry for nearly 20 years, I’ve witnessed, along with you, the acceleration of new technologies in the aggregates industry. Do you read our Looking Back page at the end of every issue? The old equipment you see there might not look all that different from what you see in use today. But “under the hood,” the equipment used at modern aggregate operations is superior by leaps and bounds to what was produced 50, 25, even 10 years ago. Whether making an operation more efficient, more productive, easier to control, safer to employees, or more… Keep Reading
States, localities taking the initiative
Some states are not waiting around for Congress to get its act together in regards to highway funding. According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), about half of U.S. states have approved measures in the past two years that would "collectively raise billions of dollars through higher fuel taxes, vehicle fees and bonds." Paul Trombino III, vice president of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, says he believes every state is having a conversation about raising revenue for transportation. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association says federal dollars cover about half of each state's expenditures for roads and bridges. But, says the AP report, gas-tax money available from the federal Highway Trust Fund declined 3.5 percent during the five-year period ending in 2013, partly because of improved fuel economy. Local governments are also taking it upon themselves to raise money for transportation infrastructure. AP says a new 4-cent/gallon gas tax took effect in July in Normal, Ill., and a 5-cent increase will begin Jan.… Keep Reading
Terex Corp. announces leadership changes, merger
Terex Corp. has announced a number of senior executive changes: George Ellis will take on a new role as senior vice president, operations planning and president, Terex Construction. Scott Hensel, now vice president, Terex Services North America, has been named to the newly created position of vice president and managing director, Terex Utilities and Services. Kieran Hegarty, president, Terex Materials Processing will assume management responsibility for the Terex Fuchs business, which will become part of the Terex Materials Processing segment. Ken Lousberg, currently president of Terex China, will take on the role of president of Terex Cranes, as well as the responsibility for Latin America. Tim Ford, currently president, Terex Cranes, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Terex recently announced a merger with Konecranes in which Terex shareholders will own approximately 60 percent of the combined company and Konecranes shareholders will own approximately 40 percent. The new company will be named Konecranes Terex and will be incorporated in Finland, while maintaining headquarters in Westport, Conn., and Hyvinkää, Finland. Keep Reading
