Mining industry - Articles - Page 4

Weekly news round-up

October 20, 2018

Veterinarians face a hazmat risk when treating animal patients, truck stops don’t offer healthy options to truckers and OSHA says it’s going after worksites with high injury and illness rates. These were among the occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

UMWA angry about mine’s removal from POV

October 17, 2018

The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) decision to release a West Virginia mine operator from its Pattern of Violations Notice (POV) is drawing the ire of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). President Cecil E. Roberts said the release of Affinity mine after five years of being under a POV notice is “a dangerous step in the wrong direction for America’s coal miners” and one that violates MSHA’s own rules of procedure for releasing mines from POV oversight.

Mining safety gets $250K boost

October 1, 2018

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration has awarded $250,000 to four organizations to develop and conduct training programs that support the recognition and prevention of safety and health hazards in underground mines.

From United Mine Workers of America

The real story about miners, Black Lung and the life and death struggle for benefits

OPINION

September 21, 2018

Recent studies show that the occurrence of Pneumoconiosis, or Black Lung disease, among coal miners across the Nation has skyrocketed beyond anything ever seen before in the industry. Younger, less experienced miners are contracting the disease at an earlier age, subjecting them to a shortened and debilitating existence until they ultimately succumb to the ravages of the illness.

Coal miner’s black lung disease on the rise in several Appalachian states

Adelina Lancianese

August 13, 2018

One in five working coal miners in central Appalachia who have worked at least 25 years now suffer from the coal miners' disease black lung. That's the finding from the latest study tracking an epidemic of the incurable and fatal sickness.

Black lung on the rise since 2000

July 27, 2018

After reaching a low point in the late 1990s, the national prevalence of coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (black lung) in miners with 25 years or more of tenure now exceeds 10 percent and in some areas is much higher than that, according to a study published in the American Public Health Association’s American Journal of Public Health.

MSHA wants public input on mining rule study

July 24, 2018

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on a Retrospective Study of the final rule entitled "Lowering Miners' Exposure to Respirable Coal Mine Dust, Including Continuous Personal Dust Monitors" in the Federal Register.

Women scientists who are advancing safety and health for miners

Amy Chambers, MS, and Lauren Chubb, DrPH strive to reduce corrosion, silica risks to miners

Valerie Coughanour MA, MFA

March 22, 2018

Amy Chambers, MS, is a research engineer working in the NIOSH Spokane Mining Research Division. She joined NIOSH in July 2015. Ms. Chambers seeks to ensure underground miners have a stable roof to work under. With a background in metallurgy, she is the lead engineer for corrosion research as part of a project to examine ground control (i.e., controlling the ground above an underground mine workspace) in metal mines.

Mine operators get warning about nonpayment of safety fines

March 9, 2018

Mine operators with safety violations have failed to pay millions of dollars they owe in penalties – a state of affairs David G. Zatezalo calls “unacceptable.” In a recent op-ed piece in The Intelligencer. Wheeling News-Register, Zatezalo said uncollected fines combined with continued violations “show disregard for the law and our nation’s miners.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Coming soon to a workplace near you: Field-based respirable crystalline silica monitoring

Emanuele Cauda PhD Lauren Chubb DrPH Valerie Coughanour MA, MFA

February 22, 2018

The NIOSH Mining Program aims to eliminate mining fatalities, injuries, and illnesses through relevant research and impactful solutions. More than 65 engineers work in the NIOSH Mining Program representing many disciplines including chemical, electrical, mechanical, industrial, mining, software, and general engineering.