Tag: #miners

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.

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

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

New Heat Stress Training Module for Mine Workers

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New Heat Stress Training Module for Mine Workers

Heat stress is a growing problem among mine workers. NIOSH researchers developed a training module to address this issue and decrease heat-related illnesses in miners. The training will also help mine workers recognize the signs of heat-related illness and provide first aid.

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 NIOSH

MSHA: ‘We just need to put an end’ to the rise in mining deaths

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Arlington, VA — Mine Safety and Health Administration officials acknowledge that the industry is “not on a good track” for deaths this year.

Brian Goepfert, of MSHA’s metal/nonmetal mining safety division, made that declaration during a July 26 conference call for agency stakeholders. He also highlighted best practices to “curtail” the “alarming trend” of increasing deaths among miners.

As of Aug. 14, MSHA had recorded 27 industry fatalities this year, approaching the 30 the agency documented in 2022. MSHA reported 37 miner fatalities in 2021, ending a run of six straight years in which fewer than 30 miners died on the job.

Among the fatalities recorded to date in 2023, 11 were related to machinery incidents.

Goepfert offered guidance to help prevent fatal incidents related to machinery:

  • Follow the manufacturer manual and instructions. Pay special attention to the elimination of potential stored energy and avoid unintended movement of machinery when performing repairs or maintenance.
  • Stay out of swing areas, pinch points or other hazardous areas when working on or around machinery.
  • Perform adequate workplace examinations and preoperational inspections of mobile equipment.
  • Always wear a seat belt.

“When we see these accidents, and we post the fatality notices and the reports online, there’s not a lot of mystery behind them,” Goepfert said. “A lot of them are repeats, and we just need to put an end to those.”

MSHA administrator Chris Williamson emphasized the importance of the agency and stakeholders working together to mitigate deaths on the job.

“If we’re seeing trends, if we’re identifying things, if there are best practices, all of those things that we can share and collaborate on with everyone in the mining community – things that we know could make a difference and better protect miners and reduce serious and fatal accidents – our agency’s going to do that,” he said.

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 Safety+Health an NSC publication

MSHA will extend comment period for proposed changes to standards to better protect miners from hazardous silica dust levels

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Comment period extended to Sept. 11, 2023

WASHINGTON– The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration will extend the public comment period on proposed amendments to existing federal standards that protect the nation’s miners from health hazards related to workplace exposure of respirable crystalline silica, or silica dust.

MSHA will extend the comment period from Aug. 28, 2023 to Sept. 11, 2023, adding 15 days to the process. The extension responds to requests from the mining community and other interested parties for additional time to develop and submit comments on the proposal. The agency received and considered requests to extend and to not further delay the comment period.

“Several interested parties requested that the Department of Labor provide additional time to prepare and submit comments. Upon careful consideration, we have decided to extend the comment period for 15 days and to promptly provide notice of the extension to the mining community,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson.

The agency published the notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on July 13, 2023.

The proposed change will ensure miners have at least the same level of protections as workers in other industries. It would require mine operators to maintain miners’ Permissible Exposure Limit to respirable crystalline silica at or below 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air for a full shift exposure, calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average. If a miner’s exposure exceeds the limit, the proposed rule would require operators to take immediate corrective actions to come into compliance.

In addition to reducing the existing exposure limit, the proposal also includes other requirements to protect miners’ health — such as exposure sampling — and medical surveillance at no cost for metal and nonmetal miners. It would also replace existing outdated requirements for respiratory protection with a standard that reflects the latest advances in respiratory protection technologies and practices.

Read the comment period extension notice.

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 finds 242 violations in June 2023 during inspections at 18 mines in 12 states

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Identifies 71 significant & substantial violations, including 4 unwarrantable failure findings

WASHINGTON– The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that impact inspections completed by its Mine Safety and Health Administration at 18 mines in 12 states in June 2023 led the agency to issue 242 violations. The agency began impact inspections after the deaths of 29 miners in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in April 2010, one of the deadliest in U.S. history.

To date, MSHA’s impact inspections in 2023 have identified 1,435 violations, including 411 significant and substantial and 22 unwarrantable failure findings. An S&S violation is 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 242 violations MSHA issued in June, the agency evaluated 71 as S&S and found four to have unwarrantable failure findings. The inspections included mines in Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

“The Mine Safety and Health Administration remains troubled by the fact that our impact inspections continue to discover the same hazards we’ve identified as root causes for fatal accidents and that we know can cause serious occupational illnesses,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “Mine operators are responsible for providing a safe and healthy work environment; this includes controlling miners’ exposure to health hazards like silica, preventing safety hazards such as unsafe electrical equipment and potential slips, trips and falls, and ensuring adequate workplace examinations and training.”

Two of the inspections in June provide examples of some of the hazards miners face.

On June 6, MSHA conducted an impact inspection at Kentucky Fuel Corp.’s WV-3 Surface Mine in Logan County, West Virginia, due to enforcement history and receiving hazardous condition complaints.

Continue reading “MSHA finds 242 violations in June 2023 during inspections at 18 mines in 12 states”

MSHA issues alert on heat stress

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Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is reminding mine operators of best practices for preventing heat stress and treating workers who become overheated.

heat stress

Photo: MSHA

In a recently published safety alert, MSHA says signs of heat stress include hot – and often dry, red or spotted – skin. The victim may be confused, have a pale or flushed face, and experience muscle cramps from a loss of sodium.

To help prevent heat stress:

  • Provide cool drinking water near miners, and encourage them to drink a cup of water every 15-20 minutes.
  • Avoid drinks with caffeine and large amounts of sugar.
  • Use sunblockers and proper protective clothing.
  • Set up shaded areas for workers to take a break.
  • Rotate miners on hot jobs and schedule physically demanding tasks during cooler times

When treating symptoms, remove the miner from the hot area and apply cool, wet cloths to aid in recovery. Don’t apply ice directly to the skin or allow the miner to become cold enough for shivering.

Give the miner water if they’re awake. If no improvement occurs, seek medical attention.

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

NIOSH details basics of self-escape plans for underground coal miners

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Washington — A new NIOSH document is intended to help underground coal miners be prepared for emergency escape.

Original article published by Safety+Health
self-escape plans for underground coal miners

Photo: NIOSH

Intended for mine operators, managers, safety professionals, mine workers and government agencies, the document offers guidance on nine core competency areas and related training topics:

  • Everyday preparedness
  • Situational awareness of mine layout
  • Emergency diagnosis and response
  • Wayfinding
  • Locating, donning and maintaining self-contained self-rescuers
  • Using self-contained self-rescuers
  • Communication
  • Refuge alternatives
  • Firefighting

The agency cites research showing that more than 80% of the 20-plus miners who died in three separate mine emergencies in 2006 survived the initial incident but died while attempting to escape. Ensuing investigations attributed “deficiencies in miners’ mastery of numerous critical self-escape” knowledge, skills and abilities to the fatalities while linking the deficiencies to “inadequate self-escape training.”

The miners’ deaths led to the Mine Improvement and New Emergency (MINER) Act of 2006. Although the act “strengthened existing self-escape training regulations” and requires an assessment of miners’ self-escape competencies, it doesn’t include guidance “on how to teach or evaluate” this knowledge, NIOSH says in the document.

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.