Mining/Oil/Gas

Washington — The enforcement date for the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s final rule on miner exposure to respirable crystalline silica has been pushed to Aug. 18.

St. Louis — The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s final rule on miner exposure to respirable crystalline silica has been put on hold, after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay on April 4.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has scheduled several meetings to “provide information and answer questions” ahead of the fast-approaching compliance date for its final rule on miner exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

Bootle, England — Responding to an uptick of incidents involving attendant ships colliding with offshore oil and gas and renewable energy structures, Great Britain’s Health and Safety Executive has issued a safety advisory.

Arlington, VA — Loose rocks and overhangs are a couple of the hazards miners should be looking for on highwalls before beginning work, the Mine Safety and Health Administration advises in a recent fatality alert.

Washington — House Education and Workforce Committee Democrats are asking the Department of Labor for details about Department of Government Efficiency-led closures of numerous Mine Safety and Health Administration field and district offices.

Arlington, VA — Miners who operate mobile equipment should remain in the operator’s compartment when the equipment is in motion, the Mine Safety and Health Administration emphasizes in a recently released fatality alert.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency won’t regulate the manufacture, processing and distribution of lead wheel weights, citing “extremely low risk” of lead exposure and an ongoing phaseout of the equipment.

Washington — The Department of Labor has revised the Black Lung Benefits Act to require self-insured coal mine operators to “post adequate security for their benefit liabilities.”

Washington — A Mine Safety and Health Administration final rule “offers more flexibility” for testing, evaluating and approving mine equipment and accessories powered by electric motors intended for use in gaseous environments.