Overall, the agency completed inspections of 10 coal mines and three metal/nonmetal operations during the month of December, and issued a total of 321 citations and orders.
There were 174 citations and 19 orders issued in coal, and 112 citations and 16 orders in metal/nonmetal.
In November, federal inspectors issued 315 citations, orders and safeguards at 10 coal operations and six metal/nonmetal complexes, with 200 citations, 50 orders and one safeguard in coal and 62 citations and two orders in metal/nonmetal.
One of MSHA’s most recent impact inspections was conducted in Floyd County, Kentucky, with highly concerning results.
Federal officials arrived at Coal Creek Mining’s No. 2 operation on the night shift between December 8 and December 9. The officials issued 32 citations and 12 orders and subsequently shut down the mine.
One imminent danger order was given to the operator when inspectors discovered a coal pile five feet high and 10 feet in diameter on fire at the surface, about 23 feet from an explosives storage magazine.
The storage magazine, which was loaded with two cases of explosives, had not been protected against authorized entry. In fact, a key was lying on top of the magazine that was clearly marked for its use.
MSHA also found a five-gallon oil bucket with burning coal near the mine’s intake portals. The mine’s other violations included loosed coal accumulations at depths of up to 30 inches under conveyor belts and drives and near ignition sources; inadequate rock dusting float coal dust accumulation on top of previously rock-dusted surfaces in the belt entry and neighboring crosscuts; and float coal dust on the mine floor, roof, ribs, conveyor belt structure and mining equipment.
“An unwarrantable failure order was issued for failing to follow the approved ventilation plan that required the operator to keep roadways in the mine damp to suppress dust,” MSHA said, noting that a fine dust between two and four inches deep was found along the entire roadway entry as well as section section-haulage entries.
“More unwarrantable failure orders were issued for inadequate workplace hazard examinations, including on-shift conveyor belt examinations, weekly return air course examinations and weekly electrical equipment examinations. Following the December impact inspection, the operator was issued two 104(b) orders for failing to completely correct and abate hazards within the required time frame.”
MSHA did not indicate Wednesday if the mine is still idled.
“It is troubling that, after all this time, MSHA inspectors continue to find such serious hazards and some mine operators allow such conditions to exist,” assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health Joseph Main said.
“We will continue to use all the enforcement tools at our disposal to combat noncompliance.”
The agency’s special impact inspections began in force in April 2010 following the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine where 29 workers were killed.
The push involved mines that merit increased attention and enforcement by the agency due to a 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 hazard 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.
Since April 2010, MSHA has conducted 387 impact inspections, which have resulted in 6931 citations, 701 orders and 23 safeguards.
Click here (please link other PDF attachment here) for a spreadsheet with the results of the December impact inspections.
