Mining

Mine safety challenges are unique in comparison to other industries. Miners and others working in these situations faced serious hazards on a daily basis. Razer Safety and Health is uniquely qualified to assist your organization. Chester Razer began his career in mining and later was a federal mine inspector. Chester Razer holds a Masters Degree in Mining Engineering.

If your company performs work at quarries or mines you are required by MSHA to establish and maintain a safety program, mine safety training program and a hazard assessment under MSHA guidelines.

Razer Safety and Health has the experience to help you:

• Establish and maintain a safe working environment
• Maintain MSHA compliance
• Lower your costs

As a former federal mine inspector, Chester Razer understands MSHA requirements and has developed effective methods to prevent injuries and reduce costs. While with MSHA, Razer inspected surface and underground coal mines, as well as quarries. In addition, he served as a MSHA special investigator.

We offer a full range of services to help you comply with MSHA requirements and as a result reduce your costs.

• Expert advice, reports and testimony
• Safety program development
• Site assessment (mock MSHA inspection)
• Third-party company evaluation on overall safety structure and performance
• Accident investigations
• Authorized to train under Part 46 and Part 48

Most Frequently Cited Standards by Mine Type

In an effort to assist mining operations in their compliance efforts, MSHA is providing a list of the "Most Frequently Cited Standards" by mine type. https://arlweb.msha.gov/stats/top20viols/top20home.asp

Mine Data Retrieval System: Get violation, accident and inspection data for any mine or contractor

Part 75 Exam Rule Calculator  https://arlweb.msha.gov/drs/Part75ExamRule-calculator.asp
The Part 75 Exam Rule Calculator allows mine operators, miners and others to calculate a mine's violation rate for nine key health and safety standards for underground coal mines, as identified in MSHA's Part 75 Exam Rule requiring examinations and recordkeeping by mine operators. The standards address ventilation, methane, roof control, combustible materials, rock dust, guarding, and other safeguards.

Breaking News: Coal Groups worry CEOs at risk of liability for violations

The Illinois, Ohio, and West Virginia Coal Associations are expressing concerns about repercussions of Don Blankenship's conviction. The Associations are concerned that this case can open the door for safety citations being used to hold anyone working at a coal company liable for criminal conspiracy charges. Read more here

 

On December 17, 2015, the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Labor (DOL) announced a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) to increase the frequency and effectiveness of criminal prosecutions of so-called worker endangerment statutes.  The MOU transfers the prosecution of violations of some statutes – the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, the Mine Safety and Health (MSH) Act, and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) – from the DOJ Criminal Division’s Fraud Section to the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resource Division’s Environmental Crimes Section.  The memorandum says that the DOJ has trained “hundreds” of inspectors to recognize and document prosecutable offenses, and that it would be providing a designated Criminal Coordinator from the DOL to work with local U.S. district attorneys on prosecuting these crimes. Please see MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDlNG BETWEEN THE U.S. DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR AND JUSTICE ON CRIMlNAL PROSECUTIONS