The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced that federal inspectors issued 499 citations, 61 orders
and three safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 15
coal and 15 metal/nonmetal mine operations last month.
These
concentrated inspections, which began in force last April following the
explosion at Upper Big Branch Mine, target mines that merit increased
agency attention and enforcement due to their poor compliance history
or particular compliance concerns, including high numbers of violations
or closure orders; indications of operator tactics, such as advance
notification of inspections that prevent inspectors from observing
violations; frequent hazardous complaints or hotline calls; plan
compliance issues; inadequate workplace examinations; a high number of
accidents, injuries or illnesses; fatalities; and adverse conditions
such as increased methane liberation, faulty roof conditions and
inadequate ventilation.
During this most recent round of
impact inspections, MSHA coal inspectors issued 275 citations, 53
orders and three safeguards, while metal/nonmetal inspectors issued 224
citations and eight orders.
"We are continuing to find
serious threats to miners' safety and health," said Joseph A. Main,
assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "While some
operators are finally getting the message, others are not," he said,
referencing the Sept. 28 impact inspection at Elk Run Coal Co.'s Seng
Creek Powellton Mine, in which MSHA issued 11 closure orders when
inspectors found the mine operating without proper ventilation. Such
practices can lead to mine explosions and black lung disease.
The
Sapphire Coal Co., Advantage No.1 Mine in Letcher County, Ky., is an
example of a mine where violations were found. On Aug. 31 and Sept. 1,
MSHA inspectors conducted a targeted conveyor belt inspection at the
mine. After capturing the mine phone, inspectors issued 42 citations,
eight orders and one safeguard. Among the violations was an order
issued for the misalignment of a conveyor belt. This condition, if
uncorrected, could have led to a mine fire. Seven of the orders and
seven citations were issued for accumulations of combustible materials
which, if left unchecked and in concert with other conditions, could
potentially cause a mine fire or explosion.
On Sept. 9, an
inspection party arrived during the evening shift at Left Fork Mining
Co. Inc.'s Straight Creek #1 Mine in Bell County, Ky. They captured and
monitored the phones to ensure that no advance notification was relayed
to miners underground. (This mine was cited for notifying mining
personnel that MSHA inspectors were on site during a previous impact
inspection last April and subsequently received an injunction in
federal court.)
Inspectors issued 28 citations and 11
orders for violations of the operator's roof control plan, not
maintaining equipment, improper guarding, electrical infractions and
permissibility (which protects against mine explosions). Violations
also were issued for inadequate examinations, lack of ventilation
controls, not following the mine ventilation plan, accumulations of
combustible materials and other conditions. During the next regular
safety and health inspection at the mine on Oct. 14, MSHA found more
violations for accumulations along the conveyer belt, requiring the
belt to be shut down and effectively closing the mine to production.
The order was terminated after the mine operator cleaned and
rock-dusted the conveyor belt. Accumulations of combustible materials
and methane expose miners to an increased risk to a potential explosion
or mine fire.
"Mine operators are obligated to address all
the problems that MSHA inspectors identify, yet some continue to
violate standards and place miners at risk," said Main. "We will
continue to target them and other operations that ignore fundamental
safety and health laws. At the same time, we are beginning to see signs
of improvement at some mines, an indication that these impact
inspections are making a difference."