A Kentucky mine’s history of violations and complaints from miners about hazardous conditions led to a federal investigation that found three unwarrantable failures and a host of other serious safety issues. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) found three unwarrantable failures and 42 other violations, including 17 deemed significant and substantial (S&S) at […]
A miner with 53 years of experience died when he was ejected from the cab of a bulldozer he was operating as it rolled over an embankment. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt, according to investigators. The 73-year-old miner was killed because his employer didn’t ensure its employees wore seat belts, the Mine Safety and […]
Federal investigators found that a miner’s fatal fall through an opening in an elevated beltline catwalk was due to the employer’s failure to post warning signs and ensure workers wore fall protection. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) found that the incident would have been prevented if the employer made sure workers wore […]
A mine operator’s failure to conduct adequate workplace examinations resulted in the death of a 21-year-old miner who was engulfed in a coal stockpile, according to a federal investigation. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration investigators found that the mine operator didn’t conduct a workplace examination before miners began working which led to dangerous conditions […]
A Louisiana mine operator was issued a pattern of violations (POV) notice from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) after receiving numerous “significant and substantial” (S&S) citations. Atalco Gramercy LLC, the operator of Gramercy Operation in Gramercy, Louisiana, had 106 S&S violations from May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023, leading to the […]
A new proposed rule change could better protect U.S. miners from health hazards related to silica dust exposure. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced a proposed rule change June 30, 2023, to amend current standards to ensure miners have the same levels of protection against silica dust as workers in other industries. […]
A miner’s fatal fall was the result of his employer’s failure to assure that workers used fall protection when working in areas where there was a danger of falling. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators found that while the employer provided fall PPE and training it failed to have adequate written procedures to ensure […]
Impact inspections conducted by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) during the month of April 2023 revealed 914 violations, including 257 designated as “significant and substantial.” A significant and substantial, or S&S, violation is “one reasonably likely to cause a reasonably serious injury or illness,” according to MSHA. Impact inspections are done at […]
A 43-year-old worker at a cement manufacturer died from injuries he received when his right arm became entangled in an auger conveyor. Why? Because there were no guards, no lockout/tagout and poor training. Investigators with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) found that the mine operator failed to properly guard dangerous machinery, ensure […]
