A recent ISHN webinar highlighted the often-overlooked hazard of combustible dust, with expert Mark Hanson detailing the devastating consequences of ignoring this workplace threat.

A combustible dust standard is unlikely to be issued this year because of the complexity of the hazard and OSHA's full regulatory agenda, according to an article by Brian Dabbs in Bloomburg BNA.

A group of House Democrats introduced legislation this week that aims to protect workers from combustible dust – a fire and explosion threat that has killed or injured hundreds in recent decades.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has launched its annual "Winter Alert" campaign to call attention to the numerous hazards colder weather typically brings to mining operations around the nation.

While many workers have to take steps to avoid frostbite and hypothermia during the winter, miners face an even greater danger: explosions. Statistics show that coal-mine explosions occur most often during the colder months, October through March.

These questions were submitted from the audience at ISHN’s Sept. 28 webinar on combustible dust lessons learned from CSB investigations.

Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have developed a real-time dust explosibility measuring instrument to provide instant feedback to miners on the potential for dust accumulations and the effectiveness of their rock dusting practices.