By Randy Logsdon Don Wilson was the featured keynote speaker for day two of the New Mexico Mine Health and Safety Conference on May 8. Wilson is the vice president of SafeStart, a commercially marketed injury prevention system.
Read MoreMonth: July 2013
ALJ Vacate Drilling Citations, Citing an Unreasonable Interpretation
By Ellen Smith MSHA’s interpretation of a drilling standard is erroneous, not worthy of deference, and would lead to extraordinarily dangerous results, according to a recent ruling by Review Commission Judge Pricilla Rae. The case involved MSHA’s interpretation of §56.7012, which requires that drills be “attended” at all times. The dispute centered around the meaning of “attended.”
Read MoreChief ALJ Refuses to Extend Deadlines Where DOL Cut Backlog Staff Due to Sequester and Budget
By Ellen Smith Review Commission Chief ALJ Robert Lesnick has denied a motion filed by an MSHA conference litigation representative to stay a case for 180 days due to a “high rate of contests coupled with MSHA’s limited staff.”
Read MoreLafarge: ‘Building Better Cities to Meet Demand of Urbanization
By Mark S. Kuhar Lafarge North America launched its new brand positioning, Building Better Cities, representing its pledge to offer solutions that contribute to meeting the many challenges posed by the growing trend of urbanization. Lafarge’s new brand positioning opens a promising new niche for the company to be a more involved player in sustainable construction and resilient building for…
Read MoreFeather in Our Cap
This may come as a surprise to you, but . . . ConExpo-Con/Agg is right around the corner! It seems like just yesterday we were walking 25 miles a day all over the Las Vegas Convention Center, but in March 2014, we will be doing it all again. In this issue, we begin our first “ConExpo-Con/Agg Countdown” column, which will…
Read MoreOff-Highway Diesel Prices
The national estimated average price-per-gallon for off-highway diesel fuel as of July 15 is $3.603. That is higher than the previous comparison price-per-gallon of $3.585.
Read MoreFoxx Sworn in as DOT Chief
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx was sworn in as the nation’s 17th Secretary of Transportation by Judge Nathaniel Jones in a private ceremony at U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters. The ceremony was attended by Foxx’s wife, Samara, and their two children, Hillary and Zachary, and used a Bible belonging to Secretary Foxx’s great-grandparents. His nomination was confirmed by the full U.S.…
Read MoreLiebherr Gets New President
Liebherr announced the appointment of Peter Mayr as president of Liebherr Construction Equipment Co., effective July 1, 2013. Mayr has held progressive leading positions within the Liebherr Group. Most recently he served as managing director for Liebherr-Great Britain Ltd. (LGB) and Liebherr Rental Ltd (LRL). Mayr began his Liebherr career in 2001 working at Liebherr-Werk Telfs GmbH (LWT) in Austria…
Read MoreARTBA to Congress: Reforms Important, Implementation Critical
Simply giving federal agencies the ability to complete regulatory reviews in a more efficient manner in no way guarantees that authority would be utilized, was the key message recently delivered to Congress by American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). First Vice-Chair Nick Ivanoff, president and CEO of New York-based design firm Ammann & Whitney, testifying before the House Judiciary’s…
Read MoreCement Called Most Energy Intensive Industry
Drawing data from its just-released 2013 Annual Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) cites challenging statistics portland cement customers and producers might encounter in a construction market influenced by green building rating systems and carbon-tracking government agencies. Although the cement industry used only one-quarter of one percent of total U.S. energy, it is the most energy-intensive of all manufacturing…
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