"Can you hear me now?" The answer was a resounding "Yes" as mine rescue personnel deep underground were able to communicate with the surface command center as new technology was put to the test April 8 during a mine rescue simulation in West Finley, Pennsylvania at the Harvey Mine, owned by Consol Energy Inc.
A new study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) examines thirty years of hearing loss trends experienced by workers exposed to noise while on the job, across various industries. The study, published by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, found that while progress has been made in reducing the risk of hearing loss within most industry sectors, additional efforts are needed within the Mining, Construction, and Healthcare and Social Assistance sectors.
In 1968, a powerful explosion rocked an underground West Virginia coal mine, killing 78 miners. While the disaster's cause remains uncertain, the Farmington mine disaster was a flashpoint for reform after years of mining fatalities and injuries and a growing awareness of black lung disease.
Poor ventilation was only one of the hazardous conditions found by Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors during a special impact inspection last month at Mill Branch Coal Corp's Osaka Mine in Wise County, Virginia.
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) launched two new online tools this week to assist operators, miners, MSHA and others in tracking violations of standards commonly associated with mining deaths and frequently found by federal mine inspectors in examinations of underground coal mines.
Mine & Process Service, Inc. (MPS, Inc.) has introduced the ELIPSE Half-Mask Respirator for the mining industry. Its low profile design keeps the weight below 5 oz with filters installed, and allows for maximum visibility.
Backers of H.B. 2566, a measure which is advancing through the West Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates, say it would make the state’s mining industry more competitive.
Assistant Secretary of Labor cites industry compliance at WV Coal Mining Symposium
February 3, 2015
At the West Virginia Coal Association’s 42nd Annual Mining Symposium in Charleston, West Virginia last week, Assistant Secretary of Labor Joseph A. Main highlighted strategic actions the Mine Safety and Health Administration has implemented in the past five years to better protect miners and positively affect the mining industry’s approach to safety.
Not long after a miner who maintained a dust collector machine at a cement facility in San Bernardino County, California, contacted the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) about safety hazards, he was suspended and then terminated, in April 2014.