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									Safety and Health
									Safety and Health Initiatives

	Pillar Collapse Initiative

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		MSHA’s Enhanced Enforcement Program

                    
            Miner Health Matters

                    
            Silica Enforcement Initiative

                    
            Take Time, Save Lives

                    
            Pillar Collapse Initiative

                    
            Powered Haulage Safety Initiative

                    
            Fire Suppression System InitiativeSince October 2020, four massive pillar collapses have occurred in limestone mines. Each was accompanied by a powerful air blast and the formation of a large surface sinkhole.  Fortunately they did not result in any injuries.  Another massive pillar collapse occurred in 2015, and in that instance three miners were seriously injured by the air blast.  All of these collapses occurred where floor mining, or benching, had substantially increased the height of the pillars.  Three of them occurred in “legacy” areas where mining was completed many years ago.
MSHA has resources available to raise awareness and avoid these accidents at underground mines, particularly limestone mines, that can result in areas where benching has occurred.  Please use resources on this page to help you avoid the dangers of pillar collapses.For questions regarding this initiative, or to register for one of the upcoming MSHA Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminars below, please contact PillarInitiative@dol.gov.  Seminars are being scheduled in coordination with MSHA Enforcement District offices.  If a seminar for your District has not been scheduled, please check back or email us.  When registering, please provide your full name, company or organization, phone number, and the date of the seminar you would like to attend.
**Upcoming Presentations/Seminars**
None scheduled.
**Past Events**
Mine Xchange: SME Annual Conference and Expohttps://www.smeannualconference.com/**Where**: Denver, CO**When:** February 26-March 1, 2023
33rd Central Pennsylvania Geotechnical Conferencehttps://central-pa-asce-geotech.org/**Where**: Hershey, PA**When**: April 5 – April 7, 2023
Southeast Mine Safety and Health Conferencehttps://southeastmineconf.org/**Where**: Hoover, AL**When**: November 2-November 4, 2022
Kentucky Professional Engineers in Mining SeminarUniversity of Kentucky/SME**Where**: Lexington, KY**When**: August 19, 2022
International Conference on Ground Control in MiningSME ICGCM **Where**: Canonsburg, PA**When**: July 26, 2022
National Lime Association Annual ConferenceNational Lime Association**Where**: Nashville, TN**When**: June 14, 2022
Metallurgical Coal Producers AssociationProfessional Engineers in Mining Seminar**Where**: Russell County Conference Center**When**: March 31, 2022
Vincennes District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: January 20, 2022
Barbourville District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: January 18, 2022
Norton District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: January 12, 2022
Dallas and Birmingham Districts Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: January 11, 2022
Duluth District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: December 16, 2021
Madisonville District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: December 15, 2021
2021 Underground Stone Safety Seminar**Where**:  Louisville Marriott Downtown, Louisville, KY **When**: December 7 - 8, 2021
Warrendale District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: November 18, 2021
Morgantown District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: November 16, 2021
Mt. Pleasant District Stone Mine Pillar Collapse Seminar**Where**: Virtual, via Microsoft Teams**When**: November 9, 2021

									Dangers of Stone Mine Massive Pillar Collapses:Presentations:CORESAFETY TV (MARCH 2022): Four Pillar Collapses in 18 Months Spur New MSHA Initiative:Quick LinksStone Mine Pillar Stability and DesignAssessing Pillar Collapse and Airblast Hazards in Underground Stone MinesTechnical Papers:Rumbaugh et al. 2022 – 42nd ICGCM Massive Pillar Collapses in U.S. Underground Limestone Mines: 2015–2021Mark and Rumbaugh 2022 – 42nd ICGCM International Experience with Airblasts and its Relevance to Underground Stone MinesEsterhuizen 2011 - IC 9526 Pillar Span GuidelinesEsterhuizen 2019 - A Case Study of the Collapse of Slender PillarsPhillipson 2012 – 31ST ICGCM Massive Pillar Collapse Case StudySafety Alerts:Stone Mine Massive Pillar CollapsesSoftware:NIOSH S-Pillar - Software for Stone Mine Pillar DesignScroll to Top

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