MSHA conducted impact inspections at mines in Alabama, California, Kentucky, Illinois, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

Monthly impact inspections began in force in April 2010 at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to their poor compliance history or particular compliance concerns.

MSHA inspectors have conducted 951 impact inspections and issued 14,422 citations, 1247 orders and 56 safeguards since these inspections began.

Earlier this year MSHA reported that the 16 coal mining deaths in the US in 2014 marked the lowest number ever recorded in a year and were four fewer than in 2013.

The preliminary 2014 fatal injury rate as recorded by the MSHA was lower than in 2013, at 0.0150 fatal injuries per 200,000 hours worked and the second lowest fatal rate recorded in mining history.