MSHA
Miners and marijuana
As in other industries, mining companies must contend with employees and contractors using or being influenced by illegal drugs in the workplace. Marijuana is one of the most prominent substances detected in drug screens of job applicants. Mine operators have… Keep Reading
MSHA to award mine safety-training grants
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) made $1 million in grants available for training or training materials to support mine rescue or mine emergency preparedness in underground mines. According to a press release, MSHA will evaluate applications and then… Keep Reading
MSHA announces results of May impact inspections
The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) announced that federal inspectors issued 176 citations during special impact inspections in May at 10 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines. MSHA conducted impact inspections at mines in Alabama, California, Kentucky,… Keep Reading
MSHA or OSHA?
Intense federal regulation of workplace safety and health began when Congress introduced civil penalties for mines with the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, and for other employers with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.… Keep Reading
Revising interpretations
If a federal agency has published an interpretation of a regulation, can the agency later revise that interpretation at will or is it fixed in stone? In a recent case, the U.S. Supreme Court said agencies could revise their interpretations… Keep Reading
MSHA publishes latest stats on fatal accidents
Ten mining deaths occurred during the first quarter of 2015, the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) reports. Six of fatal accidents occurred in metal and nonmetal mining, while the other four occurred in coal mining. According to MSHA, two… Keep Reading
3 workers injured after ground shift at Hanson Aggregates quarry
Three workers were injured, two seriously, after ground shifted at Hanson Aggregates' Whitney Quarry, an underground limestone mine in western Pennsylvania, reports the Associated Press (AP). The ground shift caused a rush of air through the mine’s entrance, about 50… Keep Reading
MSHA releases March impact inspection results
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) issued 188 citations and two orders during its special impact inspections in March. The inspections were conducted at 13 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines. MSHA’s special… Keep Reading
Unfamiliar roles
From the Mine Safety & Health Administration comes news that operator-reported injuries reached historic lows last year. That is great news for an industry that continues to place a high priority on safety. The bad news is that there are… Keep Reading
