Mining/Oil/Gas

Washington – Noting that “regulators of high-hazard industries must have an informed and reasoned basis for making their regulatory choices,” a recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine states that clarifying design concepts of safety regulations in industries such as transportation, chemical manufacturing, and offshore oil and gas development – and exploring how various circumstances may impact them – can help.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board has released a video on last year’s ExxonMobil refinery fire, which severely burned four workers in Baton Rouge, LA.

Washington – The Mine Safety and Health Administration will be gathering suggestions and comments on planned improvements to the Mine Data Retrieval System, as well as its new search page for health and safety materials, as part of a public webinar scheduled for Oct. 19.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has put on hold until June 2 the effective date of a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines.

Durham, NC – Workers exposed to oil dispersants during cleanup of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster are likely to experience respiratory issues and other health problems, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board released a set of recommendations Sept. 18 after its investigation into last year’s ExxonMobil refinery fire, which severely burned four workers in Baton Rouge, LA.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is proposing to amend a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines, as well as delay its effective date until March 2, according to separate notices published in the Sept. 12 Federal Register.

Washington – Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is asking Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta to address concerns regarding the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s temporary Compliance Assistance Program aimed at preventing injuries and deaths among less-experienced miners.

Washington – President Donald Trump on Sept. 2 nominated former mining executive David Zatezalo to be assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.

Washington – OSHA has published a guide intended to help oil refineries comply with the agency’s Process Safety Management Standard (1910.119).