According to preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, 42 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation’s mines in 2013, an increase from the 36 miners who died in 2012. While mining fatalities occurred at a record low rate for the first three quarters of 2013, during the fourth quarter of 2013,…
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Opening in Deck on Loader Deemed S&S Violation of Safe Access Standard
By Ellen Smith A judge slightly increased MSHA’s proposed penalty from $873 to $900 for an S&S violation of MSHA’s “safe access” standard, §56.11001, where a front-end loader had an 18-in. opening in the handrail on the deck, and the driver had to access the deck to clean the loader’s windshield.
Read MoreThe Pause That Refreshes
By Randy K. Logsdon A major soft drink manufacturer once adopted the slogan “the pause that refreshes.” Television and magazine ads depicted young people taking a moment from their busy lives to relax and “refresh” while consuming the soft drink.
Read MoreFatalities Hit Month of December
Three fatalities struck the aggregates industry in the month of December. On Dec. 4, a 63-year-old lead man with 16 years of experience was killed at a crushed stone mine. The victim initiated a blast and was struck by flyrock from the blast. He was standing 153 ft. from the nearest blast hole and was struck by rock as large…
Read MoreCompany Cannot Claim it ‘Lacked Adequate’ Notice of Bad Ball Joints
By Ellen SmithAn ALJ improperly determined that a company lacked “adequate notice” when cited for four violations at its plant where an MSHA inspector alleged excessive movement in the ball joints of the steering linkage of four trucks.
Read MoreNo Respect
By Randy K. Logsdon Rodney Dangerfield made a fortune by exploiting the line “I get no respect.” Housekeeping is the Rodney Dangerfield of occupational safety in many industries, including mining. There may be a number of reasons (possibly excuses) for neglecting housekeeping in the workplace — rushing, someone else’s job, planning? I suggest that one of those reasons is an…
Read MoreWalking and Chewing Gum
By Randy K. Logsdon Congress had just passed the bill that funded the government (ending the partial government shut-down at least temporarily) and raising the debt limit again. A television reporter interviewed a congressman and the conversation went something like this:
Read MoreNoise Dosimeter is World’s Smallest
Casella CEL, offers the CEL-350 dBadge micro noise dosimeter. Amazingly compact, this breakthrough safety tool is designed to measure the noise exposure of an employee over the working day to uncover dangerous areas and to assure compliance with strict OSHA, NIOSH or ISO (European) regulations.
Read MoreNew Personal Protective Equipment Products
3M offers the addition of two new products to its personal protective equipment portfolio. The upgraded 3M SecureFit Protective Eyewear 400 Series boasts innovative new features and enhancements to the industry-popular 3M SecureFit Protective Eyewear series. The new 3M Welding Helmet 10 with an Auto-Darkening Filter (ADF) offers an affordable welding helmet solution for students or the first-time welder.
Read MoreWorkplace Safety Software
Predictive Solutions Corp. announced that version 9.0 of its SafetyNet software, used to predict and prevent workplace injuries, is now available to its customers.
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