MSHA issues 119 violations in December

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections in December 2024 at 13 mines in Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia, and issued 119 violations with 32 being evaluated as significant and substantial and two had unwarrantable failure findings.

In 2023 and 2024, MSHA conducted 343 impact inspections and identified 5,246 violations, including 1,456 S&S and 102 unwarrantable failure findings at 300 mines. 

“MSHA’s December 2024 impact inspections identified slip, trip and fall hazards that put miners at unnecessary risk, especially when extra caution is needed during winter months. Mine operators must conduct adequate examinations proactively to identify and eliminate hazards promptly,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. 

“Impact inspections remain a critical enforcement tool that MSHA can use to prioritize miners’ safety and health.”   

The CE #2 coal preparation plant operated by Clintwood JOD in Pike County, Ky., was one of the mines inspected last month after a previous investigation found hazardous conditions. Inspectors cited 31 violations of mandatory safety and health standards, including 17 S&S and two unwarrantable failure findings.  

Specifically, inspectors found the following conditions:  

  • Inadequate on-shift examinations were conducted. Additionally, numerous surface installation hazards were observed, including deteriorated structures and loose insulating panels.
  • Hazardous conditions that were documented on examination records but not corrected until the inspection. Additionally, inspectors also found hazardous conditions that should have been documented during examinations but were not. These conditions needlessly exposed miners to hazards that could lead to serious injuries.
  • Moving machine parts located on the third floor were not guarded, creating an entanglement hazard for miners working in this area. 

MSHA began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 miners. 

Source: MSHA

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