Confined Space
Idaho Miners Safely Evacuated Following Underground Rock Burst
Hear that? A group of miners was able to let out a sigh of relief when they were safely evacuated from the Lucky Friday mine near Mullan, Idaho, on Dec. 14...
Are "Cybugs" the Next-Generation Responder?
In the future, some of our first responders might be insects decked out with high-tech communications equipment. New research is investigating the possibility of sending insects wearing cameras and microphones into dangerous environments to gather information in lieu of putting human first responders at risk...
House Hearing Scrutinizes MSHA Regulatory and Enforcement Actions
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Administrator Joseph Main testified at a March 3 House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing that examined recent regulatory and policy changes aimed at improving mine safety...
NIOSH to Offer Black Lung Screenings for Surface Coal Miners
Beginning in March, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will continue a series of free, confidential health screenings to surface coal miners throughout the United States. The screenings are intended to provide early detection of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung, a serious but preventable occupational lung disease in coal miners caused by breathing respirable dust...
OSHA Releases Fall Regulatory Agenda
OSHA’s fall semi-annual regulatory agenda was published in the Federal Register Dec. 20, featuring updates on regulatory actions including the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, modernizing recording and reporting requirements, infectious diseases, hazard communication, combustible dust and more...
OSHA Fines U.S. Minerals $396,000 for Alleged Hazardous Dust, PPE and Training Violations
On Dec. 7, OSHA cited U.S. Minerals LLC with willfully exposing its workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust and not providing adequate breathing protection and training for workers at its facility in Coffeen, Ill. The company, however, is contesting the violations and called OSHA’s allegations “incomplete, overstated and/or inaccurate.”...
OSHA Reissues Shipbreaking National Emphasis Program, Updates Shipyard PPE Directive
OSHA issued two directives on Nov. 4 to update its National Emphasis Program on Shipbreaking and its Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in Shipyard Employment...
China Miners Rescued; New Zealand Miners Remain Trapped
This week brought good news for the 29 miners in China who were trapped underground Nov. 21 when their mine flooded – all miners were rescued a day later and appear to be in stable condition. But for another 29 miners in New Zealand, the outlook isn’t as bright...
MSHA Kicks Off Annual Winter Alert Campaign
On Nov. 1, MSHA kicked off its 2010 Winter Alert campaign to warn miners and mine operators about the dangers colder weather can bring to the mining environment...
MSHA Issues Proposed Rule on Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Coal Dust
In the Oct. 19 Federal Register, MSHA published a proposed rule on lowering miners’ exposure to respirable coal dust in all underground and surface coalmines, with the aim to end black lung disease among miners. The proposed rule is the latest element of MSHA's “End Black Lung – Act Now” campaign...
The Effect of Prolonged Lack of Daylight for Chilean Miners
According to Samer Hattar, an assistant professor of biology at The Johns Hopkins University and an expert in how exposure to light (or lack thereof) affects mammals’ biological clocks and health, the 69 days the Chilean miners spent without natural light could impact their physiology, especially their sleep-wake cycles...
Chilean Miners Provide Lesson in Resilience
While many people might assume that the men rescued from the mine in Chile might suffer from psychological problems that require therapy, the miners’ survival of the ordeal may actually provide a worldwide lesson on the remarkable strength of human resilience, explained a University at Buffalo researcher...
MSHA Releases Inspection Results from Targeted Mines with Suspected Unsafe Conditions
MSHA announced Aug. 24 the outcome of recent impact inspections at four underground coal mining operations where unsafe practices and conditions were suspected. MSHA inspectors uncovered numerous safety violations, including failure to follow the mine’s approved ventilation plan, inadequate roof support and accumulation of combustible materials...
33 Chilean Miners Found Alive, but Rescue May Be Months Away
Thirty-three Chilean miners who were trapped underground Aug. 5 when their mine collapsed were found alive 17 days later, giving their loved ones and the entire nation cause to celebrate. ...
OSHA Proposes Another $374,500 in Fines Against Cooperative Plus
OSHA recently proposed penalties of $374,500 against Cooperative Plus Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative, for federal workplace safety violations at its Whitewater and Genoa City, Wis., sites. This action follows the $721,000 in penalties issued Aug. 4 after a worker was seriously injured from being engulfed by soybeans at the cooperative’s Burlington, Wis., facility in February...
OSHA Puts Grain Handling Operators on Notice; Fines Wisconsin Grain Cooperative $721,000
On Aug. 4, OSHA Administrator David Michaels announced that the agency will send letters to approximately 3,300 employers involved in grain handling and storage to warn them not to allow workers to enter grain storage facilities without proper equipment, precautions and training. This move comes on the heels of the agency issuing $721,000 in fines against a Wisconsin grain cooperative after a worker was engulfed in frozen soybeans...
MSHA Announces Underground Investigation of Upper Big Branch Mine
MSHA announced that the federal team investigating the April 5 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine will begin its underground examination the week of June 28. Investigators previously had been prevented from beginning their physical probe underground due to conditions resulting from the explosion...
Controlling and Removing Static Electricity During Confined Space Entry Ventilation
EHS professionals need a clear, well-defined 'how-to' standard on the proper procedures for controlling and safely removing electrostatic charges during confined space ventilation....
Fall Protection and Confined Spaces
OSHA 1910.146, the standard covering permit-required confined spaces, is a great starting point to learn more about creating a confined space program....
MSHA Completes 100 Percent of Annual Mine Inspections
MSHA announced that in the first year of its 100 Percent Plan, the agency achieved its goal of completing every mandated regular inspection for the year. This marks the first time in MSHA’s 31-year history that every mandated regular inspection was completed within the year....
Hardware Heroes: Search and Rescue Robots
Imagine the following situation: You are a first responder and you arrive at the scene of a building that has collapsed....
Expanding Confined Space Awareness
Joe Gurican, who teaches a confined space awareness class, believes confined space deaths typically occur for two reasons. First, employers and workers fail to recognize and control the hazards associated with confined spaces, and secondly, they conduct inadequate or incorrect emergency response, resulting in the death of the initial entrant, the would-be rescuer or both. ...
Confined Space Safety and Rescue: Challenges and Lessons Learned
Engulfment takes the lives of three workers in a trench collapse at a construction site. An employee dies instantly when a spark causes an internal explosion;...
