By Mark S. Kuhar Miners in the aggregates industry are at an increased risk to opioid harms such as addiction and overdose. Research shows that they are more likely than other workers to be prescribed opioids for work-related pain, with prescriptions often being of a longer and higher dose than other workers. To help industry employers create a positive difference…
Read MoreCategory: Key Issues
MSHA’s New Enhanced Enforcement Program is ‘Something’
By Brian Hendrix Earlier this year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rolled out its “Enhanced Enforcement Program.” If this is news to you, you’re in good company. MSHA didn’t and still hasn’t done much to publicize it. Word of the program has been circulating informally since early April, along with a written description dated Feb. 28, 2022. Then,…
Read MorePerformance Interviews
We All Need To Know Our Work Is Recognized And Appreciate Direction When It Comes From A Well-Meaning Mentor. By Thomas J. Roach Many books and internet sites offer advice on job interviews, but employee review interviews are largely ignored. Obviously, strategies for interviewing and being interviewed are of primary importance. However, the average employee stays at a job for…
Read MoreIn Challenging Times, Take Care of Yourself First
In The Midst Of Crises And Chaos, You Must Keep Yourself In Good Shape. By Steve Schumacher The last couple years have put stress and pressure on nearly everyone and everything associated with our businesses. Quarantines, supply shortages, remote working, hiring challenges, etc. have impacted us in ways that nobody could ever have predicted. At the same time, the resulting…
Read MoreInvesting in Inclusion
Wake Stone Corp. Supports Special Needs With A Big Donation For A Park In Knightdale. By Therese Dunphy Children with special needs will soon have a new playground space in Knightdale, N.C., thanks to a generous donation from Wake Stone Corp. Its $226,000 donation has doubled the investment the town was able to make for the new playground. “We think…
Read MoreWelcome to The Aggregates Almanac
Welcome to the 2022 edition of the “Aggregates Almanac: The Ultimate Information Resource for Quarry Operators.” Published now for the sixth year in a row, feedback from our readers indicates that this publication is widely used and valued; and retained as a go-to information source. Rock Products’ Benchmark 2022 survey indicated that aggregates operators are highly interested in: Equipment upgrades.…
Read MoreFirst Look – September 2022
Sand Batteries May Be an Energy Saver
By Mark S. Kuhar A town in Finland is using sand batteries to provide home heating during winter. Sand batteries, you say? Tens of thousands of cubic meters of sand are heated from the generation of electricity with solar panels or wind turbines. Packed tightly in insulated silos, the sand can retain this heat for months without losing it. For…
Read MoreMSHA is Hiring! No Experience Necessary
MSHA May Be Hiring, But It Should Only Be Interested In Experienced Miners. By Brian Hendrix Across the board, the labor market is tight, and that’s particularly true in the mining industry. Miners are in short supply. Mine operators are hiring. MSHA is also hiring, but MSHA should only be interested in experienced miners. The Federal Mine Safety and Health…
Read MoreWho Do You Say You Are?
When We Write We Should Ask Ourselves What Personas We Are Projecting. By Thomas J. Roach As more work is performed online and even remotely, the image our co-workers have of us becomes more defined by our writing and less by what we look like, how we dress and what kind of small talk we make. Those of us who…
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