Agency head speaks at National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association meeting
March 19, 2015
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main told members at the annual convention of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association in Baltimore earlier this week that mining industry improvements in the past five years have laid the foundation for better protections for miners.
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.
Agency releases preliminary fatality data for 2014
January 12, 2015
Preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration indicates that 40 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation’s mines in 2014, two fewer than in the previous year.
Railway safety, a deadly trench collapse and a big uptick in workers testing positive for drug use were among the top EHS-related stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
The eight miners who died in accidents in U.S. mines from July 1 to Sept. 30 are “a harsh reminder of why mines must be vigilant in ensuring effective safety programs and fostering a culture of safety first,” Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main said.
Despite outreach efforts by the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), a high number of preventable mining industry deaths occurred during the first half of 2014, according to a mid-year summary.
A recent increase in mining deaths prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to convene a meeting of mine industry stakeholders last week at agency headquarters in Arlington, Va. Assistant Secretary Joseph Main and his staff discussed in detail the 19 metal and nonmetal mining fatalities that have occurred since October 2013.
Agency chief outlines improvements in recent speech
February 10, 2014
I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to update you on the actions taken by MSHA and the mining community to improve mine safety and health, and on the results. Over the past year, MSHA has implemented several changes, continuing the transformation we have made to our agency, and to mine safety. I will share some of those with you today.
Company waited 1 1/2 hours to contact mine rescue team leader
January 21, 2014
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission has overturned a decision by an administrative law judge involving Wolf Run Mining Co.'s Sago Mine in Upshur County, W.Va., where 12 miners died in a massive explosion on Jan. 2, 2006.
In 2013, 42 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines, an increase of six over last year. Of those fatalities, 20 were in coal mining and 22 were in metal/nonmetal mining, compared with 20 and 16, respectively, in 2012.