The Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections at 15 mines in 10 states in January, issuing 188 violations. Since 2023, the agency has identified 2,927 violations, including 827 significant and substantial and 57 unwarrantable failure findings during its impact inspections.
Of the violations MSHA identified in January, 63 were evaluated as S&S and one had unwarrantable failure findings. The agency completed the inspections at mines in Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
“Because of these impact inspections, MSHA was able to identify powered haulage, highwall, inadequate training and other hazards that endangered miners and require corrective actions to protect miners’ safety and health,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson.
“MSHA’s new written safety program for surface mobile equipment rule is aimed at protecting miners from machinery and powered haulage accidents. The powered haulage violations cited during these impact inspections and the two fatalities that have occurred this year so far reinforce the urgency for the entire mining community that it must continue to focus on hazard identification and powered haulage and machinery accident prevention,” Williamson added.
MSHA began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 miners. The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries and illnesses; and other compliance concerns.
Source: Department of Labor