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Proposed fund would help oil and gas workers pay out-of-pocket health care costs

Hobbs, NM — Recently introduced legislation would establish a trust fund to reimburse energy sector workers for health care costs associated with poor air quality and intense heat.




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MSHA’s proposed rule on silica has ‘shortcomings,’ lawmakers say

Washington — A Mine Safety and Health Administration proposed rule intended to reduce worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica “does not demand enough from operators,” Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Alma Adams (D-NC) claim.




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MSHA awards $1M in mine safety training grants

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has awarded nine organizations a total of $1 million through the agency’s Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants Program.




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MSHA issues alert on silica dust and mobile mine equipment

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is reminding mine operators to safeguard against worker exposure to hazardous silica dust where mobile equipment is used.




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Chronic health conditions more frequent among miners: study

Washington — Miners are at elevated risk for chronic pain, hearing loss and high blood pressure compared with workers in nonmanual occupations, NIOSH researchers say.




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MSHA issues alert on dipper bucket maintenance

Arlington, VA — Spurred by a miner’s death, the Mine Safety and Health Administration is warning of the dangers of performing maintenance on dipper buckets.




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Mine safety agency issues alert on working near water

Arlington, VA — Five miners in the past two years have died in incidents involving water, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says.




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Journal spotlights NIOSH’s work on occupational hearing loss prevention

Washington — A special issue of the journal Seminars in Hearing “shines a light” on NIOSH’s efforts to prevent on-the-job hearing loss.




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MSHA issues alert for bulldozer operators

Arlington, VA — A recent string of fatalities involving miners operating bulldozers has prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue a safety alert.




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MSHA shares best practices for miners working alone

Arlington, VA — Miners working alone should always tell a responsible person their location and travel path through a mine, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says.




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Inspector General to MSHA: Publish silica rule

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is calling on the Mine Safety and Health Administration to publish a final rule – currently in the works – that lowers the silica exposure limit for miners.




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MSHA issues alert on machinery incidents

Arlington, VA — Alarmed by a series of 10 fatal incidents related to miners operating machinery, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.




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Lawmakers reintroduce legislation on black lung benefits for miners

Washington — Democratic lawmakers have renewed their push to ease access to health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease.




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MSHA urges caution during cold weather

Arlington, VA — Keeping miners safe during cold weather is the focus of a new alert from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.




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NIOSH announces winners of mine technology awards

Washington — Four organizations recently earned recognition from NIOSH for their use of technology and creativity to advance miner safety and health.




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MSHA issues final rule on written programs for mobile, powered haulage equipment

Arlington, VA — Mine operators will soon be required to have a written safety program for mobile and powered haulage equipment “developed and updated with input from miners and their representatives.”




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Offshore alert: Use safety devices with temporary test equipment

Washington — The death of an offshore worker conducting a pressure test on a well surface casing has prompted the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to issue a safety alert.




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MSHA to miners: Stay safe on underground mobile equipment

Arlington, VA — MSHA describes four separate incidents that occurred between Sept. 26 and Oct. 16 in which workers were pinned between mobile equipment and a coal rib.




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Look at your training, MSHA tells mine operators at close of 2023

Arlington, VA — Miner inexperience contributed significantly to what Mine Safety and Health Administration head Chris Williamson called an “unacceptable trend” of industry deaths in 2023.




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OSHA and MSHA civil penalty amounts get annual bump

Washington — OSHA’s maximum penalty for willful or repeat violations will be increasing approximately 3.2%.




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MSHA final rule on respirable crystalline silica under White House review

Washington — A long-anticipated Mine Safety and Health Administration final rule intended to reduce miners’ exposure to silica has been sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review.




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MSHA shares tips on safely operating haulage vehicles

Arlington, VA — Miners dumping cargo from haulage vehicles should always load trucks or trailers properly and dump only on level surfaces, free of spillage, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says.




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MSHA issues alert on rotating conveyor rollers

Arlington, VA — Spurred by recent incidents involving rotating conveyor rollers that resulted in permanent disabilities for three miners, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.




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CDC study explores severe injury trends in oil and gas extraction industry

Washington — Oil and gas extraction operators should include contract workers in site safety management plans, improve job and equipment hazard training, and reinforce safety practices, a recent study concludes.




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MSHA repeating its warning about operating mobile equipment near water

Arlington, VA — Miners operating mobile equipment near water should always examine the worksite, remain a safe distance from the water’s edge and wear a seat belt.




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MSHA releases tool to help miners with health care searches

Unveiled March 6, the tool allows users to locate multiple types of health care facilities and specialists.




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Two emergency medical techs is too many for small coal mines, Kentucky lawmaker says

Frankfort, KY — A bill that would reduce – to one from two – the number of mine emergency technicians required during each shift at small underground coal mines is advancing in the Kentucky Legislature.




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MSHA optimistic about ‘downward trend’ of fatalities, silica rule development

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has recorded 70% fewer miner deaths through the first 10 weeks of 2024 than during the same period in 2022 and 2023.




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New law keeps safety agencies’ FY 2024 budgets steady

Washington — OSHA’s budget will remain unchanged in fiscal year 2024, under new legislation signed into law March 23.




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Senate confirms mine review commission nominee

Washington — The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Moshe Marvit to serve on the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.




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NIOSH black lung screening program to visit 4 states

Washington — Aiming to identify cases of black lung disease in current and former miners, NIOSH will provide free, confidential health screenings in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.




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Can safe driving policies reduce deaths in the oil and gas industry?

Washington — Risky driving behaviors are more common among oil and gas extraction workers whose employers don’t have a motor vehicle safety policy, NIOSH researchers say.




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MSHA final rule lowers limit for miner exposure to silica

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a long-anticipated final rule that lowers miners’ permissible exposure limit to respirable crystalline silica.




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New alert warns miners of arc flashes

Arlington, VA — Eleven miners in the past six months have been injured as a result of an arc flash, according to a new safety alert from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.




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MSHA issues alert for customer truck drivers

Arlington, VA — Six fatal incidents involving customer truck drivers in the past three years have prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue a safety alert.




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Offshore safety agency issues alert on hand tool use

Washington — Alarmed by a rising trend of hand and finger injuries caused by improper use of hand tools, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a safety alert.




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MSHA to mining community: Let’s all stand down for safety

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s second annual Stand Down to Save Lives is set for May 22.




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Offshore safety inspections lead to alert on welding and burning

Washington — Recent Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement performance-based risk inspections have uncovered “several critical issues” related to welding and burning operations, according to an agency safety alert.




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MSHA issues alert on mobile equipment

Arlington, VA — Spurred by the deaths of six miners who were struck by mobile equipment in underground production areas, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.




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Sen. Bob Casey urges fellow lawmakers to strengthen miners’ black lung benefits

Washington — Easing access to health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease can help remedy a “devastating” development in the mining community, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) says.




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MSHA issues alert on battery-powered devices

Arlington, VA — A recent explosion and fire resulting from an object striking a lithium battery-powered device has prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue a safety alert.




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MSHA issues alert for stored energy in belt conveyors

Arlington, VA — Spurred by recent deaths and injuries caused by the sudden release of energy from belt conveyor systems, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.




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Fire spurs MSHA safety alert on polyurethane foam

Arlington, VA — An underground coal mine fire stemming from the injection of polyurethane foam into a roof cavity has prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue a safety alert.




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Miners’ union calls provision in House bill ‘a direct attack’ on coal miners

Triangle, VA — A legislative attempt to block federal enforcement of a rule intended to protect miners from exposure to silica is “morally reprehensible,” United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts says.




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MSHA head: Mining industry ‘in much better shape’ as worker fatalities decline

Arlington, VA — Collaboration within the mining industry has spurred “significant improvement” in reducing fatalities, Mine Safety and Health Administration head Chris Williamson said during a July 10 stakeholder meeting.




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MSHA offering more than $10.5 million in state grants

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is accepting applications for more than $10.5 million in state grants for safety and health training and retraining of miners.




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MSHA warns of tire explosions related to equipment fires

Arlington, VA — Tires on mobile equipment may explode during equipment fires and after flames are extinguished, the Mine Safety and Health Administration is warning miners.




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MSHA providing $1M in safety grants

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is accepting until Sept. 9 applications for its Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants.




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MSHA warns miners about dangers of unsupported roofs

Arlington, VA — Miners should never travel or work under an unsupported roof, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says in a recent safety alert.




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MSHA sees spike in Pattern of Violations offenders

Arlington, VA — Mine Safety and Health Administration officials recently identified multiple Pattern of Violations offenders during a single screening period – an action the agency says is unprecedented in its history.