A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s silica dust rule to limit silica dust exposure for coal miners. It was supposed to take effect on April 14.
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Respirable Silica Fact Sheet
MSHA Offers A Range Of Compliance Assistance Materials For Mine Operators, Informational Materials For Miners and Other Resources. Respirable crystalline silica, or silica dust, is a common occupational hazard for coal and metal/nonmetal (MNM) miners. Silica dust is released through many mining and milling operations. To avoid any legal issues, producers should stay current on compliance. Silica dust can be…
Read MoreMSHA’s Silica Rule
Exploring The Depths Of Bad Rulemaking. By Brian Hendrix On April 18, MSHA published its final rule on respirable crystalline silica (Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection). Two days before the publication, the Acting Secretary of Labor appeared with the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health and union leaders to announce the release of…
Read MoreThe Topic is Dust
Jan. 9, 2024 – Brian David, industry manager at Flexco, writes that “the safety and health of workers in the heavy-duty mining industry is something that I and the team at Flexco take very seriously, as does the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). For more than 20 years, we have anticipated a huge change in direction with MSHA’s respirable…
Read MoreWelcome to The Aggregates Almanac, 2023 Edition
Welcome to the 2023 edition of the “Aggregates Almanac: The Ultimate Information Resource for Quarry Operators.” Published now for the seventh 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 2023 survey indicates that aggregates operators are highly interested in: Equipment upgrades.…
Read MoreMSHA Will Extend Public Comment Period for Silica Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will extend the public comment period on proposed amendments to existing federal standards that protect the nation’s miners from health hazards related to workplace exposure of respirable crystalline silica or silica dust. MSHA will extend the comment period from Aug. 28 to Sept. 11, adding 15…
Read MoreMcGuire: Many Companies Already Complying with New Silica Proposal
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on June 30 announced a proposal by its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to amend current federal standards to better protect the nation’s miners from health hazards related to exposure to respirable crystalline silica, or silica dust. The proposed rule change will ensure miners have at least the same level of protections as workers in…
Read MoreMSHA Launches Silica Initiative
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has launched a new enforcement initiative to “better protect the nation’s miners from health hazards resulting from repeated overexposure to respirable crystalline silica.” MSHA said that silica dust affects thousands of miners each year and, without adequate protection, miners face risks of serious illnesses, many of which can be…
Read MoreFirst Look – July 2022
TOP NEWS House Passes 2022 WRDAThe House has passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022. It will improve the nation’s water infrastructure by authorizing water resources development projects in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This legislation will strengthen America’s economy through investments in ports, harbors and inland waterways; make communities more resilient; and protect…
Read MoreJust …. No!
If I had any hair to tear out, this month I would be tearing my hair out while yelling, “Just … No!” First, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has launched a new enforcement initiative to “better protect the nation’s miners from health hazards resulting from repeated overexposure to respirable crystalline silica.” MSHA said that…
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