Feb. 11, 2022 – In our February issue Law column – OIG’s Audit of MSHA Enforcement is a Mess – attorney Brian Hendrix writes, “Audits aren’t fun for anyone, though it’s better to be the auditor rather than the auditee. Most of the time, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is basically the auditor. On occasion, MSHA is on…
Read MoreTag: Department of Labor
OIG’s Audit of MSHA Enforcement is a Mess
OIG Concluded That MSHA Wasn’t Effectively Managing the Enforcement Process. So What Does That Mean for You? By Brian Hendrix Audits aren’t fun for anyone, though it’s better to be the auditor rather than the auditee. Most of the time, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is basically the auditor. On occasion, MSHA is on the receiving end of…
Read MoreIncrease in MSHA Penalties
Jan. 14, 2022 – On Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule in the Federal Register that will increase Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) civil monetary penalties by 1.06222%. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 requires the department to adjust its civil monetary penalty levels for inflation annually no later than Jan. 15 of each year.…
Read MorePalmer Interim Head at MSHA
August 21, 2017 – According to The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA), the Trump Administration has announced its selection of Wayne Palmer to serve as acting assistant secretary for MSHA. Palmer has been serving as the Trump Administration’s chief of staff of the Department of Labor (DoL), and will be replaced there by Nicholas Geale, DoL’s solicitor. Earlier…
Read MoreSome MSHA Employees Do Not Meet Medical Standards
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced immediate action to address a longstanding issue by implementing an action plan for employees who do not meet the Agency’s medical standards. Some employees have not met medical standards for several years.
Read MoreConstruction Materials Prices Increase
Overall construction materials prices increased 0.4 percent in April and are up 1.5 percent year over year, according to the May 14 Producer Price Index released by the U.S. Department of Labor. Nonresidential construction material prices were up 0.5 percent for the month and are 1.4 percent higher than the same time last year.
Read MoreMSHA Issues Mine Fatality Data; Convenes Meeting
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released a summary of U.S. mining deaths that occurred during the first quarter of 2014. From Jan. 1 to March 31, eight miners died in accidents in the U.S. mining industry. Three were killed in coal mining accidents and five in metal and nonmetal mining accidents. The previous quarter…
Read MoreMSHA Issues Preliminary Mine Safety Data for 2013
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration released preliminary data for calendar year 2013, updating the “Mine Safety and Health at a Glance” page. The charts include information on inspections; violations; number of mines and miners; and fatality and injury rates for coal, metal and nonmetal, and all mining.
Read MoreMSHA Rings Alarm Bells
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration will convene a meeting of mine industry stakeholders this week in the wake of a dramatic increase in metal and nonmetal mining deaths. The meeting will address the causes of recent deaths, identify actions needed to prevent them, and work to reverse the trend.
Read MoreConstruction Gains Jobs in March
The U.S. construction industry gained 19,000 jobs in March and the construction unemployment rate fell to 11.3 percent (non-seasonally adjusted), according to the April 4 employment report by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Nonresidential construction segments added 6,700 jobs in March, a marked improvement from the 2,800 jobs (revised) added in February. The improvement led the construction unemployment rate…
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