Mining/Oil/Gas

Triangle, VA — United Mine Workers of America President Cecil E. Roberts recently called proposed legislation that would reduce the scope of mine safety inspections in West Virginia and amend the state’s underground ventilation laws “one of the most outrageous attempts to slash critical protections for miners’ safety and health on the job that I have ever seen.”

Washington — NIOSH has unveiled a beta version of an interactive, PC-based simulation software tool aimed at improving hazard recognition in mines.

Cambridge, MA — Injured workers who are older, employed by organizations with smaller payrolls and in counties where more people have health insurance are more likely to receive opioid prescriptions, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for coal miners through its Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is seeking public comment on existing coal mine rescue training guides IG7 and IG7A, the agency announced Dec. 21.

Arlington, VA — Twenty-seven miners died on the job in 2018, one fewer than in 2017 and the second lowest total recorded by the Mine Safety and Health Administration since it began publishing such data more than a century ago, the agency announced Jan. 9.

Washington — A total of 5,147 workers died as a result of on-the-job injuries in 2017 – a 0.8 percent decrease from 2016 – according to data released Dec. 18 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington — OSHA’s efforts to require employers to report occupational fatalities and certain injuries in a timely manner lack “sufficient guidance on how to detect and prevent underreporting,” the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General states in its semiannual report to Congress.

Triangle, VA — The United Mine Workers Association is suing the Mine Safety and Health Administration and its administrator, David Zatezalo, over the legality of the agency’s removal of a Sophia, WV, mine from Pattern of Violations status.

Washington — NIOSH is asking for stakeholder input on overcoming barriers to participation in the free health screenings offered through its Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program, according to a notice published in the Nov. 13 Federal Register.