ARLINGTON, Va. — The Pattern of Violations reforms put in place by the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration have been "real game changers" in protecting miners and promoting a culture focused on safety and health in mines across the nation, Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, said today.

High violation rates drop, fewest mines identified in screening for chronic violators

ARLINGTON, Va. — In the wake of a deadly day in mining in which three miners lost their lives in separate incidents in Nevada, North Dakota and Virginia on Aug. 3, the Mine Safety and Health Administration is stepping up enforcement efforts and intensifying outreach and education nationwide.

Deadly 24-hour period prompts closer scrutiny of mining deaths

ARLINGTON, Va. – In the wake of a deadly day in mining in which three miners lost their lives in separate incidents in Nevada, North Dakota and Virginia on Aug. 3, the Mine Safety and Health Administration is stepping up enforcement efforts and intensifying outreach and education nationwide.

Who: Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that federal inspectors issued 139 citations, three orders and one safeguard during special impact inspections in June at 10 coal mines and five metal and nonmetal mines.

Where: MSHA conducted impact inspections at mines in Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main today issued the following statement on the passing of black lung research physician Dr. Donald Rasmussen:

"The coal mining community has lost one of its most passionate advocates with the passing of Dr. Donald Rasmussen yesterday. Treating coal miners afflicted with black lung disease became his life's mission. In fact, in a career spanning more than five decades, he tested tens of thousands of mine workers.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Along with enforcement and technical assistance, education and training is an essential component of the Mine Safety and Health Administration's mission. To assist mine operators and contractors in complying with federal regulations to report accidents, illnesses and injuries, MSHA has created a new interactive, online training tool.

ARLINGTON, Va. — In the first six months of 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration recorded the deaths of 18 miners in mining industry accidents in its national mid-year summary released today. The toll represents a decrease of five metal and nonmetal deaths from the same period in 2014.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today the availability of $1 million for training or training materials to support mine rescue or mine emergency preparedness in underground mines. MSHA will evaluate applications and then award Brookwood-Sago mine safety grants in individual grants of at least $50,000 and up to $250,000.

Who: Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that federal inspectors issued 176 citations during special impact inspections in May at 10 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines.

Where: MSHA conducted impact inspections at mines in Alabama, California, Kentucky, Illinois, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

Participant: Mine Safety and Health Administration

Description: The Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 107 citations and one order during special impact inspections conducted at 17 coal mines and one metal and nonmetal mine in April.

ARLINGTON, Va. — In the mining industry, death doesn't discriminate between young and old. In February 2014, 24-year-old Arthur Gelentser III died after he was crushed by a continuous mining machine in an underground Virginia coal mine. In November of that year, 67-year-old James Crane was killed when his dump truck tumbled backward 30 feet off an embankment at a sandstone mine in Pennsylvania.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 188 citations and two orders as a result of special impact inspections conducted at 13 coal mines and seven metal and nonmetal mines in March.

Begun in force in April 2010, the monthly inspections involve mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to their poor compliance history or particular compliance concerns. The following are the details of one mine's inspection:

ARLINGTON, Va. — Eight months after implementation of the final rule to prevent black lung disease by lowering miners' exposure to harmful coal dust, sampling by mine operators and Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors indicates that compliance with the rule's tougher requirements is highly achievable.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today released preliminary data for calendar year 2014 and updated its Mine Safety and Health at a Glance Web 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.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 195 citations and 15 orders during special impact inspections conducted at 12 coal mines and five metal and nonmetal mines in February.

Begun in force in April 2010, the monthly inspections involve mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to their poor compliance history or particular compliance concerns. The following are the details of one mine's inspection:

ARLINGTON, Va. — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main told members at the annual convention of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association in Baltimore today that mining industry improvements in the past five years have laid the foundation for better protections for miners. "We are seeing significant reductions in chronic violators, improved industry compliance, and successful implementation of standards in metal and nonmetal mining," he said.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 176 citations, eight orders and one safeguard during special impact inspections conducted at 13 coal mines and three metal and nonmetal mines in January.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration launched two new online tools today to assist operators, miners, MSHA and others in tracking violations of standards commonly associated with mining deaths and frequently found by federal mine inspectors in examinations of underground coal mines. The latest tools enhance other web-based methods MSHA offers the mining industry to operate more safely.

Who: Mine Safety and Health Administration

What: Public Hearing on Proposed Rule for Criteria and Procedures for Assessment of Civil Penalties

When: Thursday, Feb. 5 at 9 a.m. CST

Where: Sheraton Birmingham Hotel 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard North Birmingham, Alabama 35203 205-324-5000