By Mark S. Kuhar By dusting off old advertisements, you’ll find the Best 25 Tracklayer was capable of “doing the work of 12 horses and three men.” Nowhere did it mention anything about how the 5,200-lb. tracklayer could go airborne, but that’s exactly what a long-lost Best 25 actually did. The story begins in December 2013 with a hiker in…
Read MoreDay: February 19, 2015
December Impact Inspections Target Cement Plant
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced that federal inspectors issued 135 citations, 24 orders and one safeguard during special impact inspections conducted at 11 coal mines and two metal and nonmetal mines in December.
Read MoreFirst Fatality Hits Aggregates Industry
On January 8, a 63-year-old sales manager with 11 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel mine. He was installing new screen panels in the B tower screen.
Read MoreMSHA Releases Regulatory Agenda
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released its fall regulatory agenda Nov. 24. The agency states that it is on track in conducting the rulemaking on reform of civil penalties; comments are due Jan. 9, according to the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.
Read MoreUnwarrantable Failure Criteria Not Met In Crane Assembly Project
By Ellen Smith A company violated §56.16009, which states, “persons shall stay clear of suspended loads,” where a miner did not stay clear of a suspended load during a crane assembly project. But the violation was not due to an unwarrantable failure to comply, the Review Commission ruled on Dec. 10, 2014.
Read MoreSafety is a Local Thing
By Randy K Logsdon The former Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O’Neil was a colorful character. Despite being on opposite sides of the political pond, he and then President Ronald Reagan became good friends and enjoyed sharing Irish jokes.
Read MoreEffective and Responsible Water Treatment for Sand Mining
By Kyle and Cliff Blaisdell A small percentage of a sand mine’s operating budget is spent on water treatment; however, the way it is implemented has a substantial impact on the bottom line. Done correctly, a good water treatment program minimizes loss of product and compliance verification, while likely eliminating environmental citations. Careful selection of effective polyacrylamides (PAM) in water…
Read MoreMSHA Rebuked, Not Deterred
An ALJ Determines That There Are Outer Limits of MSHA’s Relatively Unlimited Enforcement Authority By R. Brian Hendrix
Read MoreNew Construction Starts Decrease 16 Percent
Nonresidential Building And Nonbuilding Construction Experience Substantial Declines; Highways Up 2 Percent. By Mark S. Kuhar
Read MorePermitting – February 2015
Oregon Quarry Fights for Permit According to the Oregonian/OregonLive, a new quarry will soon be developed near Sherwood, Ore., on a 35-acre site immediately adjacent to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Tonquin Holdings, the company behind the proposed Tonquin Quarry, said applications for the federal permits needed to drain wetlands and commence with quarrying will be filed soon. But…
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