Mining/Oil/Gas

Washington – NIOSH has announced plans to expand its health surveillance program for coal miners.

Atlanta – Workers in the construction and mining industries are among those most likely to smoke cigarettes and use smokeless tobacco products, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has released a document with answers to frequently asked questions about the agency’s recent final rule on coal dust.

Washington – A series of failures on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that led to a fire and explosion in the Gulf of Mexico could be experienced on other rigs currently in operation, a draft report from the Chemical Safety Board warns.

Arlington, VA – Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors will be visiting mines to conduct “walk and talks” with miners and mine operators, the agency has announced.

Washington – A rule listed on the Department of Labor’s spring 2014 regulatory agenda is intended to address problems with the administration of the Black Lung Benefits Act, through which miners receive compensation for disabilities related to pneumoconiosis – also known as “black lung” disease.

Washington – NIOSH is asking oil and gas workers for information on occupational health hazards experienced during hydraulic fracturing operations, commonly known as fracking.

Washington – Federal oversight of the oil and gas extraction industry should be rethought and potentially changed to a model used in regulating the coal mining industry, one workplace safety advocate said following the release of the AFL-CIO’s annual “Death on the Job” report.

Anacortes, WA – The Chemical Safety Board on May 1 approved what board chair Rafael Moure-Eraso called a “landmark” report on an April 2010 explosion at the Tesoro refinery in Washington state.

Arlington, VA – As the Mine Safety and Health Administration announces its intent to work with the mining industry on implementing the agency’s recent final rule on coal dust, some mining companies and organizations are actively pushing back.