News

MSHA Fatality Summaries for 2010

renewcomerLeave a comment
MSHA has posted Fatality Summaries for both the Coal and Metal/Nonmetal Industries. Each summarizes the various task and equipment groupings. The coal report includes information on each of the 19 fatalities that occurred in addition to the 29 killed in the Upper Big Branch explosion. It also include a look at the most common causes of all coal fatalities from 2001 to 2010 and provides suggested best practices. Also included are two Mine Safety Alerts for Powered Haulage and Roof Falls.
The Metal/Nonmetal report includes the same type of information for that industry with a number of colorful posters highlighting Machinery, LOTO, and Contractor Safety.

MSHA Alert – Mine Deaths are NOT Inevitable

renewcomerLeave a comment

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration today issued a fatality alert to the mining community profiling the causes of and circumstances surrounding the 71 fatal accidents that occurred last year.

“2010 will be remembered for the dramatic explosion that killed 29 men at the Upper Big Branch Mine and for the deaths of 42 other miners across the nation whose lives ended in needless tragedy,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “We can – and must – honor all of these miners by increasing our efforts to ensure safe and healthy workplaces for our nation’s miners.”

Click here for: MSHA Press Release (pdf).

Mining Health and Safety Scholarship

renewcomerLeave a comment

The Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association scholarship program and encourage new generations to enter the mine safety and health profession. A financial award is given to deserving candidates to help defray their educational costs in a field related to mining health and safety.

This scholarship program is open to persons who are pursuing careers in the mining industry, safety and health-related fields.

Scholarship awards are available in the following categories:

  1. High school graduates (graduating seniors) enrolled in a college or university degree program.
  2. Undergraduate students currently enrolled in a college or university degree program.
  3. Graduates of a college or university pursuing a graduate degree.

Applicant must satisfy each of the following criteria:

  1. Provide a transcript of grades for the last 3 years of completed education (i.e. high school or college level)
  2. Complete the Financial Disclosure Information section to verify financial status and expenses of all persons living in the applicant’s household.
  3. Submit a 100-300 personal word essay on “Why I am pursuing a degree in mining or in a mine safety/health-related field.”
  4. Provide a list of Extracurricular Activities and/or a list of other Academic Achievements.
  5. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green-card holder).
  6. Complete application and submit it with all required documents by March 31, 2011.

Click here for: Joseph A Holmes Safety Association Scholarship web page and application.

Partnership Produces Resources for Aggregate Miners and Contractors

renewcomerLeave a comment

MSHA and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association have teamed up to produce a web page on MSHA’s site that provides everything an aggregate miner or contractor needs to know… even if the disclaimer is needed to say it’s still your responsibility to be sure you are compliant in every way. It’s SAFETY PRO IN A BOX!

These are not new materials, but it’s certainly helpful to have them accessible from one page, something SafeMiner.com tries to do all the time. There are Web Education and Training Resources, Paperwork Requirements, and links to MSHA Handbooks, the Instructor Guide Series, Streaming Media Clips, and more!

But why am I telling you what’s there when you can check it out here!

Now about whether you can actually put a Safety Professional in a box or not without providing confined space training… Ha! SafeMiners.com will provide a permanent link to the site under our Resources Tab, so you can always find one in a box if yours is out wandering around.

MSHA Announces Tougher POV Provisions

renewcomerLeave a comment

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced the second phase in major reforms to its pattern of violations process, which includes tougher provisions for mines with chronic and persistent violations of significant health and safety regulations. This announcement coincides with the release of an independent analysis prepared by the Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General: “In 32 years MSHA Has Never Successfully Exercised its Pattern of Violation Authority.” Earlier this week, MSHA publicized new screening criteria for the POV enforcement program.

Click here for: MSHA Press Release (pdf), POV Screening Criteria 2010 (pdf), POV Procedures Summary 2010 (pdf), POV Regulations (web)

MSHA Safety Alert

renewcomerLeave a comment

MSHA has issued an alert to call attention to the fatalities that have occurred other than those at Upper Big Branch which of course has received much attention.  A variety of posters are available on the MSHA site.

“Eight miners are dead because they were struck-by moving or falling objects. Roof falls and rib rolls crushed 7 miners. Six miners were killed working in close proximity to mining or haulage equipment. Three more miners lost their lives in explosions and fires; another miner was killed when he was caught inside rotating machinery; a contract miner fell to his death, a contract truck driver was killed when his truck went through a berm and over a highwall, and a miner drowned. Eight of the dead miners were contractors. Each life lost is a tragedy for a family, a mining operation, and a community.” – from the statement by Joe Main.

Click here for: MSHA Page with Links to Posters

OSHA Publishes Final Rule on Cranes and Derricks in Construction

renewcomerLeave a comment

crane and derrick banner osha

OSHA announced on 7/28/10 that it is issuing a new rule addressing the use of cranes and derricks in construction, which will replace a decades-old standard. Approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected by the new rule.

The previous rule, which dated back to 1971, was based on 40-year-old standards. Stakeholders from the construction industry recognized the need to update the safety requirements, methods and practices for cranes and derricks, and to incorporate technological advances in order to provide improved protection for those who work on and around cranes and derricks.

Click here for: OSHA Cranes and Derricks Web Site (web)

1st Anniversary of Roundtable Meetings

renewcomerLeave a comment

It was a beautiful day to be outside and those who attended the CSS Roundtable meeting enjoyed it along with coffee, pastries, and conversation… and a reclaimed mine tour as well. Participants had some good discussion on MSHA, the new Mine Safety legislation for coal and gassy underground MNM mines, training plans, effective training, the National Joseph A Holmes meeting, and more for about an hour. Then we all walked down to the old sand mine on the property of the Ephrata Township Park and continued the discussion with conversation on mine reclamation, DEP mining issues, and tried to volunteer one another to find out how deep the water was.

Though not always held at a park, the Roundtables are held every quarter and sponsored by Complete Safety Solutions. Anyone is welcome to attend. Details on the next one appear about a month before and you can sign up here.

Mine Safety Personnel, Contractors, and DEP Representatives share stories and ideas for improving safety in mining at the Complete Safety Solutions quarterly safety roundtable.

Events Tab Added

renewcomerLeave a comment

Hey look up. Right at the top of this web page. I’ve added a new tab for Events. Here you’ll find great events like workshops, seminars, and other special events to increase your knowledge of what it takes to be safe and network with other safety professionals and like-minded folk.

Check it out. I’ll keep posting good stuff there and if you have your own non-commercial event to publicize let me know. Click on the Contact Me tab to do that.

MSHA Announces Drop In Fatalities for 2009

renewcomerLeave a comment

MSHA issued a news release that gave credit in part for a large drop in mining fatalities to enforcement. They gave a nod to miners being safe, but ignored the fact that with the bad econonmy miners just didn't work as many hours last year. Of course the figures aren't out, but it's not too hard to see in the stone industry at least. It's a great accomplishment for everyone to reduce the fatalities as much as we did, but I'll wait to see the fatality rate before I celebrate too much. It's possible that with the reduced hours the rate still did not decline and that's what really matters.

Read the news release here.