Mining/Oil/Gas

Arlington, VA – Beginning July 1, the Mine Safety and Health Administration will increase enforcement of its “Rules to Live By” initiative, as well as the nine common standards that fall under the agency’s Exam Rule, the agency announced during a May 12 stakeholder meeting.

Arlington, VA – Miners in warehouses and other storage areas are at risk for musculoskeletal disorders and other types of injuries and illnesses, the Mine Safety and Health Administration cautions in a new safety alert.

Washington – The Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs has issued a final rule intended to increase protections – including full access to medical information – for coal miners who have black lung disease.

Washington – More than one out of eight workers exposed to on-the-job noise suffer from some form of hearing impairment, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has released a safety alert in response to seven stockpile incidents involving dozers in 2015.

Washington – A series of physical, operational and organizational failures preceded the April 2010 explosion and fire that killed 11 workers and injured dozens more on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a recent report from the Chemical Safety Board.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is calling 2015 “the safest year in mining history” based on preliminary fatality and injury data released April 7.

Washington – NIOSH will be offering free, confidential health screenings to coal miners to help detect the occupational lung disease known as black lung in its early stages.

Charleston, WV – Don Blankenship, the former Massey Energy Co. CEO who was convicted of willfully violating safety standards leading up to the deadly 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine, has been sentenced to one year in prison for his crimes.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is calling for increased focus on safety during April, one of the deadliest months of the year for the mining industry.