Mining/Oil/Gas

Washington — James McHugh is the new deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Washington — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is pressing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore NIOSH’s offices and programs that focus on coal miner safety and health.

Arlington, VA — Miners should avoid entering trenches with unsupported walls, the Mine Safety and Health Administration advises in a recent fatality alert.

Frankfort, KY — A new Kentucky law reduces – to one from two – the number of certified emergency medical and mine emergency technicians required during each shift at small underground coal mines.

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.