"This company was well aware of what it needed to do to protect its workers from a well-known hazard but failed to provide that protection," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels.
Seven people, some of whom are local, are scheduled to testify about the recommendations to the board during its meeting in Institute, W.Va., where the 2008 explosion occurred.
The company was issued two willful citations with $42,000 in fines and seven serious citations with $10,500 in fines.
Of the 71 mining fatalities reported, 23 of those victims were killed in surface mining accidents, while 48 miners died in underground mining accidents, 29 of whom were killed in the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in April.
May 2 is the new deadline, which gives stakeholders two additional months to submit comments.
Several organizations are working with TRANSCAER, the voluntary national program helping responders and communities prepare for hazmat transportation incidents, as it begins a yearlong training effort in Stockton, Calif.
Bidding to help more than 9,600 sand, gravel, and crushed stone mines in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, “Safety Pro in a Box” includes modules on various hazards.
OSHA's investigation found that two employees working on the ammonia system narrowly escaped serious injury when an uncontrolled release occurred during maintenance operations.
Avalung backpacks sold in specialty outdoor and ski shops in 2010 may be defective and should be returned for inspection and possible replacement, according to manufacturer Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.
Larger, color warnings, easier-to-understand information about toxics in the smoke, and a phone number and URL to reach smoking cessation services will be included.
The agency has finished a draft Current Intelligence Bulletin containing an assessment of the toxicological data and recommendations for safe handling of the materials.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced recently that it successfully obtained a court order that imposes a number of requirements on Sullivan Granite Co. LLC, which operates Brown's Meadow Quarry in Franklin, Maine.
"We want to ensure that miners are protected from overexposure to harmful contaminants and mine operators have required safety and health programs in place to meet that objective," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.
Semiannual agendas published Monday in the Federal Register are later than usual. Those from the Labor Department's units are sparse.
Evaluating the equipment, engineering controls, and grinding methods currently used for manual concrete surface grinding, a study published in JOEH says current methods to control dust aren't sufficiently protective.
Heart disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death, still accounted for nearly half (48 percent) of all deaths in 2008.
The new education campaign urges firefighters to take personal responsibility for their health and safety by recognizing the occupational hazards of carbon monoxide exposure and wearing protective masks during both active fire and overhaul operations to prevent unnecessary risks.
The proposal published by the Federal Railroad Administration is unworkable as written because it would require performance that currently approved escape respirators aren't tested for, ISEA and others said in their comments.
OSHA filed 28 citations in all against U.S. Minerals LLC of Dyer, Ind. and said violations have been found at four of its facilities.
Individuals and the government bear about all of the costs, according to the study.