Coal mines were issued 339 citations, 12 orders, and two safeguards, while metal/nonmetal operations were issued 62 citations and 13 orders in May.
The Web-based tools include the full text of “A Guide to Miners' Rights and Responsibilities,” links to additional information on miners' rights, an electronic form for filing an anonymous hazard complaint, a discrimination complaint packet, and black lung benefits and resources.
The rule requires mine operators to maintain the percentage of incombustible content of the combined coal dust, rock dust, and other dust at 80 percent in all accessible areas of underground bituminous coal mines.
OSHA initiated an investigation following the accident that occurred when two employees were installing storm water pipes in a trench that was approximately 60 feet long and 18-20 feet deep without trench protection, such as a trench box or proper sloping.
The final rule will include procedures to improve training, mitigate fatigue, and clearly define roles and responsibilities for employees in control rooms for DOT-regulated pipelines.
From 2000−2009, 350 workers died in trenching or excavation cave-ins—an av¬erage of 35 fatalities per year.
OSHA's investigation was initiated in March after an employee was pinned and injured in a 9-foot-deep trench when a large piece of the trench wall caved in on him.
In 2008, OSHA issued more than $1 million in fines against the two companies now on trial in a Colorado federal court.
OSHA's investigation, which began in December 2010, resulted in the issuance of citations 27 serious and three other-than-serious violations.
The deal secures a strategic position in a region that is expected to experience significant growth in the industries both companies serve, according to Capital Safety.
Each year, numerous children and adults are injured or killed while engaging in recreational pursuits at active and abandoned mine sites across the country.
OSHA found that employees installing a new sewer line were exposed to engulfment hazards while working in an 8-foot-deep trench without any protective system in place.
At the work site, welding equipment ignited flammable gases and caused a flash fire resulting in second and third degree burns to the face and head of the welder working inside the steel pipeline.
Besides infection and allergic reactions, excessive mold growth indoors can result in offensive, musty odors from the gases released by certain molds as they grow and die.
OSHA has cited PolyChem Services Inc. for one safety and five health violations after a worker received second- and third-degree burns at the plant in November 2010.
The industry's major names are here in Portland and, from the looks of things so far, they brought their best with them.
At least 26 U.S. workers were killed in grain entrapments last year, and the number of entrapments is increasing, according to researchers at Purdue University.
An employee of contractor Mollenberg-Betz Inc. was performing welding atop a 10,000 gallon slurry tank when hot sparks ignited flammable vapors inside the tank, causing an explosion that killed him and injured another Mollenberg-Betz employee.
Federal inspectors issued 20 withdrawal orders and five citations to Randolph Mine in Boone County, W.Va., during an impact inspection conducted in April, and the company quickly announced three days of safety stand downs.
MSHA will conduct four public hearings on two proposed rules: "Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines" and "Pattern of Violations." Each hearing will cover the major issues raised by public input in response to the proposed rules.