Mining/Oil/Gas

Washington – NIOSH and the California Department of Public Health have collaborated on a video intended to protect oil and gas extraction workers from deadly hazards linked to manual gauging and fluid sampling on production tanks.

Washington – Responding to ongoing damage in the Gulf Coast region caused by Hurricane Harvey, the Chemical Safety Board has issued a safety alert warning oil and chemical facility workers to follow special precautions when restarting in the wake of the storm.

Washington – Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta on Aug. 21 appointed Wayne Palmer acting assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Arlington, VA – Prompted by insufficient inspections of wire rope incorrectly determined to be safe for service, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert regarding nondestructive testing and wire rope examinations.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration did not issue any Pattern of Violations notices for the third consecutive year, the federal agency announced Aug. 2. The most recent screening period for the 13,000-plus mining operations in the United States was July 1, 2016, to June 30.

Sacramento, CA – The California Department of Industrial Relations and the California Environmental Protection Agency have approved final regulations intended to improve hazard prevention and management at the state’s 15 oil refineries.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has launched its annual campaign intended to promote roof and rib fall hazard awareness among coal miners and mine operators, while also focusing on continuous mining machine operator safety.

Arlington, VA – A recent rise in fatalities and injuries among less-experienced coal miners has prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to launch a training assistance initiative.

Boulder, CO – Researchers are calling on Colorado to require reporting of all fires and explosions in the state’s oil and gas industry, after an analysis showed an incident rate significantly lower than that of neighboring Utah, where reporting is mandatory.

Washington – In an effort to prevent fatalities stemming from the ignition of vapors by vehicles and motorized equipment in the oil and gas industry, OSHA; NIOSH; and the National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety Network have partnered on a hazard alert.