Melanie Ostrosky: Medical Services Manager in the Birmingham Office

When did you start working here? What's your current job title? I joined the American Mining team in February 2006, as a nurse case manager in the Determined Unit of the Claims Department. We recently have expanded our Unit, initiating active, on-site case management in the Birmingham area, in addition to telephonic case management. Due to our expansion, I was asked to lead our Unit as Medical Services Manager.

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MSHA: Miners Safer Now Than One Year Ago

Stronger seals, more breathable air and larger civil penalties improve safety

The U.S. Dept. of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued a bulletin banning construction of any new alternative seals one year ago. Now, underground seals are required to be much stronger than one year ago and MSHA has worked toward implementing the new Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act.
Since the MINER Act was signed into law last June, MSHA has worked to:

• Implement the new law by establishing new maximum penalties for violations.
• Issued an ETS to increase seal strength in underground coal mines and requiring environments behind older seals to be monitored and maintained.
• Required more self-contained rescuers (SCSRs) in every underground coal mine.
• Required fire resistant lifelines in all underground coal mines
• Mandated additional safety training and SCSR training at all underground coal mines.
• Required redundant underground to surface communications systems in underground coal mines.
• Required all underground coal mines to submit emergency response plans that include post-accident breathable air for trapped miners.

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