Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has no immediate plans to change its regulation on respirable dust in coal mines, MSHA administrator David Zatezalo said Feb. 6 during a hearing before the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

Washington — Coal miners soon will have access to a series of free, confidential health screenings through the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Washington — A “fundamental shift” is needed in the mining industry’s approach to coal dust exposure to help mitigate a surge in black lung disease among underground coal miners, according a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Arlington, VA — Top-ranking Democrats in the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the Workforce Protections Subcommittee are questioning the legality of a Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission decision to remove a Sophia, WV, mine from Mine Safety and Health Administration Pattern of Violations status.

Washington — Surface coal miners, especially those who work in drilling, may be exposed to higher concentrations of respirable dust or quartz. This puts them at elevated risk of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis – a deadly but preventable disease known as black lung, results of a recent NIOSH study show.

Blacksburg, VA — Researchers at Virginia Tech have launched a project aimed at boosting the effectiveness of dust scrubbers in underground mining to enhance dust control and improve miner safety.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has determined that the annual training requirements outlined in its Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines rule supply “an experience sufficient to enable miners to apply their knowledge, other training and available written instruction to effectively use the refuge alternative in an emergency.”

Arlington, VA — Criteria for the certification of coal mine rescue teams will “remain in effect, without changes,” the Mine Safety and Health Administration announced Sept. 1, after completing a requisite review under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Washington — Proposed legislation that would ease access to health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease is advancing in the House.

Arlington, VA — In response to a number of fatalities and serious injuries involving miners working near highwalls in recent years, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert on the associated hazards.

Arlington, VA — The “collective effort” of mine industry workers and stakeholders in 2022 contributed to a 21.6% decrease in worker deaths over the previous year, Mine Safety and Health Administration head Chris Williamson said during a recent conference call.

Washington — A new software training module from NIOSH is intended to assist mine operators, miners and industry stakeholders with emergency decision-making during coal mine rescues.

L’Aquila, Italy — A recently released study has linked sleep disorders and burnout to certain aspects of shift work among nurses.

Spokane, WA — Individual organs in the digestive system contain separate biological clocks that may influence the metabolism of people who work the night shift and help explain a link to shift worker health problems such as obesity and diabetes, a recent study from researchers at Washington State University suggests.

Toronto — Middle-aged and older shift workers are more likely to be considered frail – particularly women who work rotating shifts, a recent study out of Canada suggests.

Washington – The ruptured steel pipe at the center of the 2012 hydrocarbon release and fire at the Chevron U.S.A. Inc. refinery in Richmond, CA, was corroded and should have been replaced, concludes a report released by the Chemical Safety Board and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Washington – OSHA is warning employees and employers about the dangers of falling from pallets raised by forklifts in its latest edition of Fatal Facts.

With more smart phones in use than PCs today, they are especially vulnerable to hackers, especially through QR codes.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is reminding miners working near oil and gas wells to remain aware that “an inadvertent intersection with one of these wells” could be hazardous.

Arlington – The Mine Safety and Health Administration on Aug. 14 issued a new online tool to help mine operators track their record of correcting violations.

Washington — The Senate on Sept. 29 confirmed the nominations of Mary Lu Jordan and Timothy Baker to serve as members of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

Washington — Chemical Safety Board interim executive Stephen Owens affirmed his optimism that “we can rebuild and revitalize the CSB and perform our mission as Congress intended” during a Nov. 17 confirmation hearing before the Senate Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee.

Washington — Julie Su emphasized her commitment to “finding and expanding the vast areas of common ground between employers and employees” during her April 20 confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Boston — A group of researchers from the Boston University schools of medicine and public health has developed what it calls a “fast, accurate and cost-effective approach” to test whether certain chemicals increase people’s cancer risk.

Washington – Marie Therese Dominguez promised to make safety the No. 1 priority as head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, during her nomination hearing in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Washington – A series of free, confidential health screenings will be available for coal miners as part of the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

San Diego — More than 4,600 coal miners have developed the most severe form of black lung disease since 1970, with nearly half of the cases emerging after 2000, according to a recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for coal miners through its Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Chicago — Physicians contracted by mine operators to review chest X-rays of coal miners who file “totally debilitating disease” workers’ compensation claims with the Department of Labor’s Federal Black Lung Program may have a bias strongly related to financial conflict of interest, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago suggest.

Washington — NIOSH has planned a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners via the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Charlottesville, VA — Coal miners with black lung disease commonly face various mental health issues, including thoughts of suicide, results of a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia show.

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners as part of the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Triangle, VA — United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts is calling on Congress to advance proposed legislation that would ease access to health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease.

Arlington, VA — The Stand Down to Save Lives, set for May 17, is an “opportunity for mine owners and operators to share safety measures that can prevent injuries and deaths.”

Washington – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has published a pair of hazard alerts in response to an increase in fatalities at metal and non-metal mines.

Baltimore – Chronic violators have declined and industry compliance has improved in the mining industry in the past five years, but a recent increase in fatalities at metal/non-metal mines is a concern, Mine Safety and Health Administration chief Joseph A. Main told audience members March 16 at the annual convention of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.

Arlington, VA – Ten miners were killed during the first three months of 2015, according to preliminary data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is ramping up enforcement after three miners died in separate incidents on the same day.

Madisonville, KY – A new mine rescue station in Kentucky aims to improve response times to mine emergencies in the Midwest.

Arlington, VA – A new safety initiative from the Mine Safety and Health Administration aims to protect miners at a time of the year when they need it most.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a proposed rule intended to improve the quality of workplace examinations in metal and non-metal mines.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is proposing to delay until July 24 the effective date of a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is proposing to amend a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines, as well as delay its effective date until March 2, according to separate notices published in the Sept. 12 Federal Register.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has put on hold until June 2 the effective date of a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration recently released its annual safety alert spotlighting hazards unique to the mining industry during winter.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has published a final rule on pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines.

Washington — In response to recent questions from the mining community, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a program policy letter intended to clarify requirements for providing emergency escapeways for underground metal and nonmetal miners.

Washington — In an effort to mitigate the risk of post-blast ground falls in underground mines, NIOSH has developed an online software tool intended to help mining engineers develop safe and efficient designs for controlled blasting operations.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has scheduled a public meeting and extended the comment period on a program policy letter intended to clarify requirements for providing emergency escapeways for underground metal and nonmetal miners, in response to stakeholder requests.