Mining deaths down 30 percent to reach record low
The U.S. Labor Department reported an all-time low for mining-related deaths during the organization’s 2015-2016 fiscal year, which ended in September. A total of 24 deaths were attributed to mining activities during the time period, down 30 percent from the previous year in which 38 miners died and down from 74 deaths in 2006. Injuries also are at an all time low, with just 6,5000 reported injuries last year.
Improvements are attributed to the National Mining Association’s CORESafety program, which was introduced in 2011. Approximately 181,000 people are employed in mining, including coal, metal and non-metal mining.
Applied Risk warns of MOXA security risks
Industrial control systems security company Applied Risk reported detected vulnerabilities in the MOXA E1242 Ethernet remote I/O series due to code injection within the device’s web application, weak password issues and other security risks including those that allow bad instrumentation commands to transfer to devices. The application is used in more than 30 million facilities, including those oil and gas and manufacturing, in more than 70 countries. MOXA has released a firmware update in response to Applied Risk’s findings.
ASTM to revise standards on oxygen systems
ASTM International met in Orlando in October to develop a new standard guide for oxygen fire risk analysis and revise a key Standard G86 on mechanical impact ignition of nonmetals. The committee on "compatibility and sensitivity of materials in oxygen-enriched atmospheres" aimed to increase oxygen safety across industries. The committee is chaired by Elliot Foryth, WHA International Inc.’s senior oxygen safety and forensic engineer.
TIMET required to improve chemical safety
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required Titanium Metals Corporation (TIMET) to invest in overall chemical safety and an emergency preparedness program for its Henderson, Nevada, facility as part of a settlement with the company. TIMET also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $500,000. The settlement comes after a March 2015 inspection by EPA found the facility in violation of federal chemical safety and release reporting requirements in addition to violations of the Clean Air Act’s Chemical Accident Prevention regulations.
