Jan. 19, 2023 – Inside sources say that the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) proposed silica rule has now been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and is currently under review, which is the final step before the rule can be published in the Federal Register. No definitive word on what the content of the bill…
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What Is MSHA Doing With The Silica Rule?
MSHA Must Continue To Recognize Engineering Controls As The Primary Means To Eliminate Respirable Dust Within The Mine Atmosphere And Achieve Compliance. By Brian Hendrix Just a few days after the midterm elections in 2022, Sen. Joe Manchin and four of his colleagues in the Senate sent a letter to MSHA Assistant Secretary Chris Williamson to “formally request additional information…
Read MoreAggregates Operations Earn Sentinels of Safety Awards
In a ceremony in Washington, D.C., the National Mining Association (NMA), the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement honored outstanding achievements in mine safety and technology. NMA’s Sentinels of Safety Award recognizes mining operations in 10 categories for recording the most hours in a calendar year without a…
Read MoreMSHA’s Response to President Biden’s Vaccine ‘Mandate’
MSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeannette Galanis, Informed Stakeholders That MSHA Would Not Issue An ETS. By Brian Hendrix Writing yet another column about the COVID-19 pandemic was high on my “To Don’t” list. You may feel the same way about reading another column about the pandemic. Yet, here we are, and we have President Biden to thank or to blame…
Read MoreCOVID-19: Injury and Illness Reporting Requirements and Other Impacts
The Pandemic Has Changed All Workplaces Around the United States. By Donna Pryor
Read MoreFIRST LOOK – JUNE 2020
TOP NEWS Summit Materials’ Aggregates Volumes Increase Summit Materials Inc. reported that net revenue increased by 11.9% to $342.4 million in the first quarter 2020, versus $306.0 million in the prior-year period. The improvement in net revenue was primarily attributable to organic volume and price growth in ready-mix concrete and aggregates. Martin Marietta Reports Strong First Quarter Martin Marietta Materials…
Read MoreFIRST LOOK – OCTOBER 2018
TOP NEWS Cemex Makes Acquisition Cemex USA acquired a Blue Star Materials II aggregates operation in Chico, Texas, positioning the company for expansion in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The 122-acre site and quarry plant is about 45 miles northwest of Fort Worth in Wise County and has more than 25 years of limestone reserves. U.S. Concrete Expands in Texas U.S.…
Read MoreFIRST LOOK – JUNE 2018
TOP NEWS Vulcan Achieves First-Quarter Success Vulcan Materials Co. announced that first-quarter earnings from continuing operations increased 23 percent year-over-year to $53 million on a 9 percent increase in total revenues. Summit Materials Reports Revenue Increase Summit Materials Inc. announced that net revenue increased by 11.9 percent to $289.9 million in the first quarter 2018, versus $259.0 million in the…
Read MorePresident-Elect Trump’s Potential MSHA and OSHA Initiatives
An early look at the president-elect’s potential workplace safety agencies (e.g. MSHA, OSHA and NIOSH) initial actions can provide the transition team, the new cabinet and sub-cabinet, the Congress and the regulated industry insights on warranted corrections. The foggy crystal ball reports that:
Read MoreFIRST LOOK – NOVEMBER 2016
TOP NEWS Eagle Flies High Eagle Materials Inc. reported Concrete and Aggregates division revenues for the second quarter of $38.8 million, an increase of 7 percent. Second quarter operating earnings were $4.8 million, a 25 percent improvement from the same quarter a year ago, reflecting improved aggregates sales volumes and improved concrete and aggregates sales prices. Polaris Turns Up the…
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