Mining/Oil/Gas

Washington — Inspectors and investigators employed by OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration are exempt from taking part in the federal government’s deferred resignation program, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer clarified during a May 22 Senate subcommittee meeting on the Department of Labor’s fiscal year 2026 budget.

Washington — Wayne Palmer’s nomination to lead the Mine Safety and Health Administration has advanced to the full Senate, after a 12-11 party-line vote by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on May 22.

Arlington, VA — Alarmed by a recent series of serious injuries to miners resulting from falls from height, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.

Washington — A group of House Democrats say they’re alarmed about potential office closures at OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Washington — The Department of Health and Human Services has reinstated 328 NIOSH employees, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified May 14 during a House Appropriations Committee hearing.

Washington — Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) plan to reintroduce legislation intended to “empower miners to raise safety concerns” and “prevent future mine tragedies.”

St. Louis — A federal appellate court’s denial of a United Steelworkers and United Mine Workers of America petition to defend rulemaking on miner exposure to respirable crystalline silica is “profoundly disheartening,” union officials say.

Washington — A number of NIOSH programs are no longer accepting applications “due to a reduction in force” at the agency.

Washington — The federal government has temporarily reinstated up to 40 NIOSH employees, mainly in coal mining and firefighting health and safety, according to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and the Washington Post.

Washington — Operators of offshore oil and gas rigs and their contractors should establish and clearly communicate enhanced safety measures in anticipation of adverse weather conditions, a recently released safety alert states.