Author
OSHA issues final rule on respirable silica dust
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) announced a final rule to improve protections for workers exposed to respirable silica dust. According to OSHA, the final rule will improve worker protection by reducing the permissible exposure limit for crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an eight-hour shift. The rule will also require employers to use engineering controls, such as water or ventilation, and work practices to limit worker exposure. Employers will also be required to provide respiratory protection when controls are not able to limit exposures to the permissible level; limit access to high exposure areas; train workers; and provide medical exams to highly exposed workers. The rule will also provide greater certainty and ease of compliance to construction employers, OSHA says, including many small employers, by including a table of specified controls they can follow to be in compliance, without having to monitor exposures. Compliance dates will be staggered to ensure employers have sufficient time to meet the requirements,… Keep Reading
Operation’s owners preserve, refurbish historic equipment
Bulldozers. Cranes. Crushers. Dump trucks. Equipment is seemingly everywhere at Lakeside Sand & Gravel, a family-owned operation in Mantua, Ohio. Only a handful of the machines on site are the kind you’ll typically find operating in a modern-day sand or gravel pit, though. The majority are antiques that Lakeside co-owners Larry and Ron Kotkowski acquired over the years for their ever-growing collection of construction equipment. A walk through Lakeside’s garages and surrounding property is, in a sense, like visiting a construction equipment museum. Every machine on site has a unique story in terms of how it was used, acquired and, in a number of cases, brought back to life. Some of those stories are as fascinating as the very sight of construction equipment that hasn’t operated in 50-plus years. Take a Bucyrus-Erie 71-B shovel Lakeside acquired from a construction company that went out of business 30-some years ago in Youngstown, Ohio. After the company went out of business, Ron says a son kept that company’s old equipment and restored as… Keep Reading
MSHA initiative emphasizes April safety
The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) unveiled a new initiative to curb mining deaths in one of the year’s deadliest months. “Think, Plan Train… Before You Begin Work!” is an MSHA safety alert initiative aimed directly at the metal and nonmetal mining industries. According to MSHA, 50 miners in the metal and nonmetal mining industry have died since 2000 in workplace accidents in the month of April, which signals the beginning of the spring season and the startup of many mines idled during winter months. “Oftentimes, mines resume operations with newly hired or newly assigned employees,” says Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor at MSHA, who adds that April is historically the second deadliest month in mining. “Some miners may be entirely new to the mining environment, and others may simply be performing unfamiliar tasks.” The April safety initiative is part of MSHA’s overall fatality reduction plan, which includes targeted safety alerts that mine inspectors share with miners, training representatives, mine operators and industry stakeholders. In August 2015, MSHA… Keep Reading
Kolberg-Pioneer’s Wendte named inside sales director
Kolberg-Pioneer Inc. promoted Jeff Wendte to inside sales director. In his new position, Wendte is responsible for directing, administering and coordinating all equipment sales operations for Kolberg-Pioneer. Wendte will report to the president of Kolberg-Pioneer and work closely with Ron Earl, vice president of sales and marketing at Kolberg-Pioneer, Johnson Crushers International Inc. and Astec Mobile Screens Inc., to achieve annual sales goals and effective operations for Kolberg-Pioneer. Wendte has worked at Kolberg-Pioneer for 25 years. Most recently, he served as the product manager for the company's washing and classifying product line. Previously, he held positions in the sales and engineering departments, both as a sales application engineer and as a design engineer. “We’re extremely excited about Jeff assuming his new position and taking on this additional leadership responsibility for Kolberg-Pioneer,” says Jeff May, president of Kolberg-Pioneer. “Jeff’s technical sales expertise and his aggregate process knowledge will be an invaluable asset in ensuring our sales team offers our customers and dealers the best value for their equipment needs.” Keep Reading
Hillhead once again sold out
Hillhead 2016, which will take place June 28-30 at Tarmac's Hillhead Quarry near Buxton, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, is a sellout, according to show organizers. More than 460 companies will exhibit, and organizers say more live demonstrations will take place at this show than ever before. The quarry face will host large excavators, hydraulic breakers, large wheel loaders, and rigid and articulated dump trucks. The rock processing area, meanwhile, will be operated in "crusher alley," where the latest tracked and skid-mounted crushers, screens, scalping grids and stockpiling conveyors will be showcased. Recyclers will be on display to the south of the site, where a range of crushing, shredding, screening and washing equipment will be showcased. The recyclers will use material imported onto the site, including C&D waste, reject concrete blocks, waste asphalt and brick rubble. In addition, the registration area will combine rock processing and recycling demonstrations. Keep Reading
Case names successor to retiring Hasler
Jim Hasler, vice president of North America at Case Construction Equipment, announced plans to retire in April following 34 years with the company. Scott Harris, vice president of parts and service for CNH Industrial, which manages the Case brand, will take over Hasler's role and oversee Case's North American construction equipment operations. “Jim Hasler has been an outstanding leader, colleague and friend to many throughout his career with Case, and we wish him the absolute best in his retirement,” says Brad Crews, COO of CNH Industrial NAFTA. According to Case, Harris joined CNH Industrial’s Capital Group in 2006 as U.S. sales manager for construction equipment. Later, Harris served as Northeast sales manager for both agricultural and construction equipment. In 2007, Harris became senior director of sales and marketing for his division. His last role with CNH Capital was as vice president of U.S. financial services and operations, where he was responsible for the overall sales growth and profitability of CNH Capital’s financial products and services. “Through his various roles with… Keep Reading
Geraghty retires, Matson assumes president and CEO role
Jerry Geraghty, president and CEO of Rogers Group Inc., announced his retirement from the company. Darin Matson, who has held several key leadership positions within Rogers Group during his 27-year career in the aggregates industry, was elected to the role of president and CEO, effective April 1. Geraghty served Rogers Group since joining the company's board of directors in 1999. He was appointed executive vice president and COO in 2003 and elected president and CEO in 2005. Geraghty will maintain a seat on the 108-year-old company’s board of directors. According to the company, Geraghty’s first priority for all employees was always safety. Geraghty was dedicated to industry causes, as well, through the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and other trade organizations. He received the Barry K. Wendt Memorial Commitment Award from NSSGA this year. “Our company, our industry and our communities have all benefited from Jerry’s commitment to excellence driven by his passion to make the world a better place," says… Keep Reading
Main discusses mine safety improvements at NSSGA Convention
Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor for the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA), highlighted improvements that have taken place in mine safety and health over the past five years in remarks delivered at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association's (NSSGA) Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Main outlined actions MSHA and the mining community have taken that led to mine site compliance improvements, including a reduction of chronic violators, historic-low levels of respirable coal dust and silica, and record-low numbers of mining deaths. “The most important measure of our progress is the number of miners who go home safe and healthy at the end of each shift,” Main said, noting that collective efforts between MSHA and its stakeholders helped make 2015 the safest year in the history of mining. Mining deaths fell to 28 – a record low – in 2015. That's a considerable drop from 46 deaths the previous year. Yet, the improvement did not occur without challenges, Main said. In late 2013, mining deaths began to increase… Keep Reading
Safety consultant: Speak up to achieve safety excellence
Zach Knoop, a senior safety consultant at Caterpillar Safety Services, asked two straightforward questions to aggregate producers at the start of an AGG1 Academy educational session he led in Nashville, Tenn. The first: How many of you want your employees to speak up when they see something unsafe? More than 90 percent of the hands in the room shot up in response. Knoop's second question: How many of you have done the work to educate your employees about how to speak up? Significantly fewer hands rose – maybe 30 percent – underscoring the challenges employees face communicating unsafe situations with others. "The communication side of safety is critical to the excellence of safety," says Knoop, who adds that about 90 percent of accidents happen because of unsafe behaviors while about 10 percent occur due to unsafe working conditions. Yet, despite the high percentage of behavior-based accidents, many efforts to thwart accidents are focused on unsafe working conditions. The industry focuses on the 10 percent largely because the Mine Safety & Health Administration… Keep Reading
