P&Q Editors Blog
Competitive fires
January 5, 2012
By: Pit & Quarry Staff
Martin Marietta Materials' takeover bid for Vulcan Materials has strengthened the competitive fire between the nation's two largest aggregate producers. And understandably so. The companies have been going at each other pretty good lately, since Martin Marietta announced its intentions on Dec. 12 to acquire Vulcan via an all-stock transaction valued at a reported $4.7 billion. Martin Marietta says a merger would work, creating a global leader in construction aggregates. Vulcan says it's a bad idea. To get a feel for where things stand between them, you only need to look at special web pages created by both companies that provide information on Martin Marietta's takeover attempt. Martin Marietta's information can be found at www.aggregatesleader.com. How about Vulcan's? www.realaggregatesleader.com. Say no more. – Brian Richesson
Safety reminders
January 3, 2012
By: Pit & Quarry Staff
Safety concerns with bulldozers and highwalls make up MSHA's latest safety alerts. A string of deaths in the mining industry linked to bulldozers and highwalls led MSHA to warn the community about potential dangers and to remind it about best practices. Meanwhile, a look at 2011 fatality statistics in the metal/nonmetal sector reveals 16 total deaths – 11 occurring at surface mines and five underground. The leading causes of these deaths were powered haulage (four) and machinery and slip/fall of person, with three each. The 16 deaths in metal/nonmetal are down from 23 in 2010. – Brian Richesson
Reading material
November 29, 2011
By: Pit & Quarry Staff
The U.S. Geological Survey now offers comprehensive data on 2010 crushed stone production in its Minerals Yearbook. The report, authored by Jason Christopher Willett, contains plenty of facts and figures, including total production (1.16 billion metric tons), total value of crushed stone ($11.2 billion) and average unit price comparisons (down slightly from 2009 but 21 percent higher than 2006). Production for consumption was the lowest since 1993, and total value the lowest since 2004, Willett writes. That's just the beginning. Have a look and see what information you can take away that just might help your operation or grow your industry knowledge. – Brian Richesson
Four dead in four days
November 21, 2011
By: Pit & Quarry Staff
Four miners killed in four days. That's the bold headline in a MSHA safety alert poster, which includes a checklist of best practices on how the mining community can avoid these tragedies. While these deaths in the last four days of October did not occur at aggregate operations, they still serve as a reminder of the dangers all miners face on a daily basis. In fact, of the four deaths that occurred at metal/nonmetal mines in the third quarter of this year, ending Sept. 30, three did happen at aggregate operations. One miner was killed at a sand and gravel operation when he accessed an elevated platform near an unguarded head pulley and became entangled in the operating conveyor system. Another miner was killed at a portable sand and gravel operation when he opened the 480-volt feeder box at the motor control center, started to remove the leads and received a fatal shock. And yet another miner was killed at a sand and gravel operation when he was changing a screen in the plant and fell about 56 ft. He was standing on a steel rail that had been placed between the midrail of the protective rail surrounding the screen deck work platform and the screen structure. Take some time to review MSHA's preventative recommendations regarding fatal accidents. – Brian Richesson
Industry gathering place
October 5, 2011
By: Pit & Quarry Staff
The economy, MSHA, the highway bill and frac sand were among the topics at the forefront of the Pit & Quarry Roundtable, held Sept. 30 in the Chicago area. About 40 attendees, making up aggregate producers, manufacturers and service providers, participated in the annual event. As always, members of our industry offered valuable insight into the factors impacting aggregate operations across the nation. In upcoming issues, we will print a portion of that dialogue from your peers and equipment suppliers. Will you agree with them? You won't want to miss what they had to say. – Brian Richesson
