MSHA Reports Second, Third Fatalities of 2022

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that on Jan. 7, a 35-year-old continuous mining machine (CMM) operator was fatally injured when he was pinned between the remote controlled CMM and the coal rib; and on Jan. 11, a 32-year-old miner died while driving on a mine road when a tree fell from a highwall onto the cab of…

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Vaccination pilot program targets miners in Kentucky, Arizona

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a new program designed to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among miners in Kentucky and Arizona. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that vaccination rates are below 60% in the two states where a substantial number of mining operations exist. Read full story from North American Mining.

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Increase in MSHA Penalties

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…

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