Category: MSHA

MSHA awards more than $10.5M in grants to support mine safety, health training across the nation

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Supports delivery of federally mandated miner education in 46 states, territories 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration has awarded more than $10.5 million in grants to reduce mining accidents, injuries and illnesses by supporting programs such as safety and health courses.

The agency is awarding the grants to support the delivery of federally mandated training and re-training for miners at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines, as well as miners engaged in shell dredging or employed at surface stone, sand and gravel mining operations. MSHA is awarding grants in 43 states and the Navajo Nation, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

“Training is a critical element in protecting the safety and health of our nation’s miners,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Christopher J. Williamson. “Deficiencies in miner training continue to be a root cause of fatal accidents. These grants fund programs and training designed to reduce mining accidents, injuries and illnesses.”

States and territories apply for grant funding, which is administered by state mine inspectors’ offices, state departments of labor and state-supported colleges and universities. Recipients tailor their training programs to address their area’s mining conditions and hazards miners may encounter.  Continue reading»

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

MSHA announces findings of impact inspections at 14 US mines; identifies 246 violations of safety, health standards

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Identified 94 significant, substantial violations; 17 unwarrantable failure findings

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections at 14 mines in 10 states in August, issuing 246 violations.

Begun after an explosion killed 29 miners in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine in 2010, monthly impact inspections are conducted at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries, and illnesses; and other compliance concerns.

Among the 246 violations MSHA identified in August, 94 were evaluated as significant and substantial, or S&S, violations and 17 were found to have an unwarrantable failure finding. An S&S violation is one reasonably likely to cause a reasonably serious injury or illness. Violations designated as unwarrantable failures occur when an inspector finds aggravated conduct that constitutes more than ordinary negligence.

MSHA completed monthly impact inspections at mines in Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming in August.

So far this year, the agency’s impact inspections have identified 1,969 violations, including 587 S&S and 40 unwarrantable failure findings.

Continue reading “MSHA announces findings of impact inspections at 14 US mines; identifies 246 violations of safety, health standards”

MSHA announce $1M in grants awarded to support mine safety, health awareness; education, training

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Grants seek to bolster education, training for key risks facing miners

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $1 million in grants to nine organizations in seven states to support education and training initiatives that will help identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines.

Administered by the department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program will allow recipients to create training materials, promote and conduct mine safety training or educational programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.

In awarding the grants, MSHA gave special emphasis to education and training programs that target miners at smaller mines and underserved populations in the industry. Training and education supported by the grants align with key MSHA priorities, ranging from better protecting miners from exposure to silica dust to mine rescues.

“The Mine Safety and Health Administration works collaboratively with industry, labor, academia and other stakeholders to protect the health and safety of all miners. Education and training is a vital tool in achieving this objective,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson.

“In examining the mining industry’s troubling trend of fatalities this year, MSHA has found that training deficiencies continue to be a root cause of fatal accidents,” Williamson added. “The grants awarded today further key priorities of the agency and the Biden-Harris Administration, including preventing fatalities and serious accidents from safety issues, while also addressing miner health, such as preventing exposure to toxic materials like silica dust.”

Established under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, the grant program honors 25 miners who perished in mine disasters in 2001 at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine in Brookwood, Alabama, and in 2006 at the Sago Mine in Buckhannon, West Virginia.

“These grants recognize the sacrifice of 25 miners who died needlessly in two of the nation’s worst mine disasters in the last 25 years,” Williamson said. “The recipients of our 2023 Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grants share our determination to keep miners safe and healthy at mines across the nation.”  Continue reading»

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

Mobile Mining Operations & Equipment – Health Alert

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HEALTH ALERT Mobile  
Mining Operations & Equipment

Best Practices
  • Control workplace environments to ensure compliance with the dust permissible exposure limits.
  • Engineering controls reduce dust at its source.

– Dust collector systems

– Enclosures and booths

– Use water for dust suppression

  • Sprays
  • Water Trucks

– Environmental cabs

  • Maintain equipment per manufacturer’s recommendations.
  • Provide respiratory protection and ensure it is worn.
  • Have a compliant respiratory protection program (RPP).

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

MSHA – Mine Fatality #30

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MINE FATALITY – On August 30, 2023, a belt foreman died when a belt conveyor take-up unit component broke and struck him.

Accident scene where a belt foreman died when a belt conveyor take-up unit component broke and struck him.
Photo property of MSHA
Best Practices
  • Examine work areas for hazards found during the shift. Report hazards and defects immediately and do not work in unsafe conditions.
  • Ensure there are no obstructions in the travel path of the belt conveyor take-up system prior to tensioning.
  • Examine any belt or linkage assembly for signs of deformation such as cracking, lateral deflection or distorted connections.
  • Train miners to recognize and avoid potential hazards from sudden releases of stored energy.
Additional Information

This is the 30th fatality reported in 2023, and the sixth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

MSHA – Mine Fatality #28

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MINE FATALITY – On August 21, 2023 a crusher lid that was being moved into place struck a miner when the rigging broke. The miner died from his injuries on August 23, 2023.

Accident scene where a crusher lid that was being moved into place struck a miner when the rigging broke.
Photo property of MSHA
Best Practices
  • Do not work under suspended loads.
  • Use properly rated lifting equipment and ensure that the load is well secured.
  • Attach tag lines to suspended loads to steady or guide the load.
  • Communicate lift plans to all persons working in the lift zone. Follow manufacturer’s recommended work procedures.
Additional Information

This is the 28th fatality reported in 2023, and the twelfth classified as “Machinery.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

MSHA – Mine Fatality #29

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MINE FATALITY – On August 24, 2023, a miner died while preparing a wash plant for relocation. In the process of lowering the feed box into the travel position, the miner was pinned between the feed box and the handrail.

Accident scene where a miner died while preparing a wash plant for relocation.
Photo: MSHA
Best Practices
  • Block machinery components against motion before beginning maintenance or repairs.
  • Do not work under suspended loads.
  • When conducting a non-routine task, review safe procedures before starting work and ensure all safety components are in place and working.
Additional Information

This is the 29th fatality reported in 2023, and the 13th classified as “Machinery.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

White House reviewing MSHA rule on surface mobile equipment safety

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Photo property of MSHA

Washington — A Mine Safety and Health Administration final rule that would require mine operators to have a written safety program for mobile and powered haulage equipment is a step closer to publication.

Received by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review on Sept. 8, the potential regulation would apply to operators with six or more miners and would cover equipment – except belt conveyors – at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines. The review is one of the final steps in the regulatory process. When the review is completed, MSHA will publish the final rule in the Federal Register.

“Mine operators would be required to assess hazards and risks and identify actions to reduce accidents related to surface mobile equipment,” MSHA says in the Spring 2023 regulatory agenda. “The operators would have flexibility to develop and implement a safety program that would work best for their mining conditions and operations.”

MSHA published a notice of proposed rulemaking in September 2021 and conducted a public hearing on the regulation in January 2022.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

MSHA – Mine Fatality #27

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MINE FATALITY – On August 5, 2023, a customer truck driver fell from a large container mounted on the trailer of his truck. After opening the container lid, the driver slipped while descending the container.  The driver died from his injuries on August 7, 2023.

MSHA – Mine Fatality #27

Photo property of MSHA

Best Practices
  • Provide fall protection or safe means of access to miners, contractors, and customers who need to gain access to containers or tankers if there is danger of falling.
  • Ensure miners, contractors, and customers wear proper slip resistant footwear and use three points of contact when accessing elevated surfaces.
  • Provide site-specific hazard awareness training to customers, including commercial over-the-road truck drivers.
Additional Information

This is the 27th fatality reported in 2023, and the third classified as “Slip or Fall of Person.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

MSHA completed impact inspections at 15 mines in July 2023, identified 288 violations of safety, health standards

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To date, inspections found nearly 500 significant, substantial violations in 2023

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections at 15 mines in 12 states in July 2023, issuing 288 violations and four safeguard notices. MSHA began impact inspections after an explosion killed 29 miners at West Virginia’s Upper Big Branch Mine in 2010.

So far in 2023, MSHA’s impact inspections have identified 1,723 violations, including 493 significant and substantial and 23 unwarrantable failure findings. An S&S violation is one reasonably likely to cause a reasonably serious injury or illness. Violations designated as unwarrantable failures occur when an inspector finds aggravated conduct that constitutes more than ordinary negligence.

The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries, and illnesses; and other compliance concerns. Among the 288 violations MSHA found in July, the agency evaluated 82 as S&S and found one to have an unwarrantable failure finding. The agency completed these inspections at mines in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

“In the last 10 years, more than 20 miners and contractors have been fatally injured and more than 1,000 have been disabled or lost time from work in fall-from-height accidents. The Mine Safety and Health Administration continues to see fall from height accidents and issue imminent danger orders due to miners lacking fall protection,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “MSHA is troubled that this month’s impact inspections included citations for hazards the agency has previously highlighted in safety and health alerts, such as fall accidents and hazardous chemicals.”

Continue reading “MSHA completed impact inspections at 15 mines in July 2023, identified 288 violations of safety, health standards”