Stay out – Stay Alive!

Active and abandoned mine sites are dangerous, potentially fatal There are approximately 14,000 active mines and about 500,000 abandoned mines throughout the nation There are mines in every state. This makes the possibility of encountering an active or abandoned mine likely in those areas. Active and abandoned mine sites pose serious risks to people untrained…

Department of Labor completed impact inspections at 15 mines with histories of repeated health, safety violations in May 2024

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections in May 2024 at 15 mines in 12 states, leading the agency to cite 300 violations and one safeguard. The agency began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big…

Respirable Crystalline Silica – Fact Sheet

Respirable crystalline silica (also known as RCS, silica dust, or quartz dust) is a common occupational hazard for coal and metal/nonmental (MNM) miners. Silica is a common component of rock composed of silicon and oxygen (chemical formula SiO2). Due to its small size, this dust may be inhaled and move throughout the lungs. It may…

Final Report Issued for January 2, 2024 Fatality

On January 2, 2024, the driver of an over the road tractor-trailer haul truck died when the trailer tipped over onto the cab of the tractor. The driver was dumping part of the load of gravel from the trailer. Between 2018 and 2024, mine operators reported 14 injury accidents where over the road trucks tipped…

Register to Attend the Second Silica Stakeholder Meeting, July 17th!

Please join the Mine Safety and Health Administration for their second Silica Stakeholder Meeting in-person or on-line. This meeting will take place at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy, 1301 Airport Rd. Beaver, WV 25813 and will also stream on-line, beginning at 1pm Eastern time. Register to attend here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7913983/MSHA-Beckley-WV-Silica-Stakeholder-Meeting-07-17-2024. If you have questions regarding the…

US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES $10.5M FUNDING AVAILABILITY TO SUPPORT MINE SAFETY, HEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration is making $10.5 million in grant funding available to help provide mine safety training for the nation’s miners. MSHA will award these grants as part of its fiscal year 2024 State Grants program to fund the delivery of federally mandated training and re-training for…

Kevin P. Deel Obituary

Kevin P. Deel, 67, of Slate Lick, PA, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, June 15, 2024, due to cancer. Kevin was born April 6, 1957, son of the late Esther B. (Lewis) and Andy J. Deel and was a lifelong resident of the Freeport area. He graduated from Freeport Area Senior…

Certificates of Achievement in Safety

All active and intermittently active mines required to report injury and employment data under the Mine Act are eligible to receive a Certificate of Achievement in Safety. Online submissions are required by July 15, 2024. Since 1978, MSHA has issued Certificates of Achievement in Safety to eligible mine operators. The specific rules and requirements to…