The Roles of Government in Protecting and Promoting Occupational and Environmental Health

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Wagner ◽  
Emily A. Spieler
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Health ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Standards And Regulations ◽  
Regulatory Interventions ◽  
The Government ◽  
The U.S

This chapter discusses the roles of government in promoting occupational and environmental health, with a focus on the U.S. federal government. Governmental interventions, as described here, can range from non-regulatory interventions, such as dissemination of information or generation and communication of information, to establishing regulatory requirements through the promulgation and enforcement of standards and regulations. The chapter describes the U.S. laws and roles of the administrative agencies responsible for occupational and environmental health, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Noting the budgetary and political constraints on these federal agencies, the chapter goes on to discuss briefly the role of the public and the states. The government also plays a role when preventive efforts fail, and the chapter provides a brief summary of programs designed to provide compensation to injured workers.

Analysis of Shoulder Sprains and Strains in Mining

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1371-1375
Author(s):  
Madison Larsen ◽  
Ashley Whitson ◽  
Jonisha Pollard ◽  
Mahiyar Nasarwanji
Keyword(s):  
Material Handling ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Sprains And Strains ◽  
Shoulder Injuries ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The U.S

Material handling injuries reported to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) result in nearly 70,000 days of work lost each year. Several mitigation efforts for these injuries focus on the back, but shoulder injuries account for four times the days lost. Nonfatal incidents reported to MSHA from 2013 through 2017 were limited to shoulder sprains and strains and were analyzed to determine what contributed the most to these injuries. Injuries were coded based on the task performed, motions involved, and the tools used. The analysis indicated that auto maintenance and tasks involving loading/unloading supplies led to the highest number of injuries. Many of these injuries were related to operating equipment or the use of specific tools. The injuries often involved lifting/lowering or pulling/pushing movements. These findings suggest future mitigation strategies for the risk of shoulder sprains and strains should focus on auto maintenance and tasks involving loading/unloading supplies.

scholarly journals Letter to the Editor: License Portability for Occupational Audiologists is Essential

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-82
Author(s):  
George R. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Individual State ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Hearing Conservation ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
National Organizations ◽  
State Programs ◽  
The Cost

Occupational audiologists have a crisis in their profession and need advocates. These audiologists are primarily responsible for industrial hearing conservation programs and their compliance with multiple regulations, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Federal Railroad Administration.  Occupational hearing programs, for the most part, are multi-state programs as companies and corporations are national organizations. Also, companies may contract services across state lines as local services may not be desired or available. Individual state telepractice regulations require audiologists who are professionally supervising these programs via the internet and phone, to secure licensure in each state. For this licensure redundancy, the cost in time and tracking are enormous.  It is imperative that the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), secure multistate licensure for speech-language pathologists and audiologists. For the profession of occupational audiology, it is essential.Keywords: Licensure, Occupational audiologists, Telehealth, Telepractice

Badge-Type Noise Dosimeters Used in the Mining Industry

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Homer
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Error ◽  
Measurement Accuracy ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Type Versus ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Laboratory Measurements ◽  
Type Design ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Influence Measurement

Currently, a number of manufacturers have developed and made commercially available badge-type (cordless) noise dosimeters. Previous studies conducted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) revealed that microphone size and placement/orientation significantly influence measurement error. The badge-type design houses the microphone within a significantly larger casing than does the traditional corded-type dosimeter. This presents concern that badge-type designs may significantly inhibit measurement accuracy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the casing of various badge-type dosimeters in order to discern conditions and assess the extent to which the badge-type design contributes toward measurement error in comparison with the traditionally used corded dosimeter. For this, a series of laboratory measurements were conducted employing various commercially available badge-type casings and corded counterparts. Corresponding results are summarized and extended to conclusions regarding the effect of microphone casing design, badge-type versus corded, on measurement accuracy for personal noise dosimetry.

scholarly journals Underground Mine Refuge Alternatives Heat Mitigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lincan Yan ◽  
David Yantek ◽  
Timothy Lutz ◽  
Jeffrey Yonkey ◽  
Justin Srednicki
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Apparent Temperature ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Adverse Conditions ◽  
Air Supply ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Abstract In case of an emergency in an underground coal mine, miners who fail to escape from the mine can enter a refuge alternative (RA) for protection from adverse conditions, such as high carbon monoxide levels. One of the main concerns with the use of both portable and built-in-place (BIP) RAs, especially for hot or deep mines, is the interior temperature rise due to the occupants' metabolic heat and the heat released by devices such as the carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubbing system. The humidity within the RA will also increase through occupants' respiration and perspiration and from the chemical reaction within the CO2 scrubbing system. Heat and humidity buildup can subject the occupants to hazardous thermal conditions. To protect RA occupants, Mine Safety and Health Administration regulations mandate a maximum apparent temperature of 95 °F within an occupied RA. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) tested both an air-conditioned borehole air supply (BAS) and a cryogenic air supply for RAs in the NIOSH Experimental Mine in Bruceton, PA. The BAS was tested on a 60-person BIP RA, while the cryogenic air supply was tested on a 30-person BIP RA and a portable 23-person tent-type RA. Multiple tests were conducted with both air supplies to assess their ability to cool RAs. The test results show that the BAS and the cryogenic air supply were able to maintain the apparent temperature within the tested RAs under the 95 °F limit. The BAS and the cryogenic air supply are potential RA heat mitigation strategies that mines could use to prevent heat/humidity buildup within RAs.

scholarly journals Implementación de las normas ATEX en el contexto de la actividad minera en Colombia

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (45) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Mishell Jaramillo-Urrego ◽  
Jorge Martín Molina-Escobar ◽  
Javier García-Torrent ◽  
Ljiljana Medic-Pejic
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Safety Regulations ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Safety Code ◽  
Technical Content ◽  
International Mine ◽  
Mining Safety ◽  
Mandatory Adoption

Mining in Colombia is regulated by the Mining Safety Code and although it had not been updated since 1987, the references of safety that has owned were based on international standards. However, these do not have a mandatory adoption and Decree 1886/15, despite its strong component in occupational safety and health, continues to show a rough technical content that could consent the extension of mining disasters associated with explosions in Colombia. The article specifies the international mine safety regulations and shows a critical analysis before the absence of its applicability in the country. Although the national outlook is discouraging because of the lack of rigor from governmental entities in enforcement, mining in other countries has reported improvements in safety by implementing standards that ensure quality operations and procedures, machinery and human resources, decreasing mining disasters.

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