MSHA Issues Fourth POV Notice to Fork Creek No. 1 Mine
The mine operator allegedly failed to report miner injuries equaling 239 days of lost time.
MSHA has issued the fourth POV notice under its revised rule to Fork Creek No. 1 Mine, Coal River Mining LLC's mine in Lincoln County, W.Va., according to the DOL agency. The mine has been put on notice of a pattern of violations of mandatory health or safety standard under Section 104(e) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. Management was not reporting injuries that occurred at the mine.
The fourth POV notice was issued because the mine operator failed to report miner injuries that are equivalent to 239 days of lost time during the review period, according to MSHA. In addition, from September 2012 to August 2013, MSHA found 158 hazards. These included 21 for ventilation hazards, 21 for explosion hazards, and 14 for roof and rib hazards.
The Mine Act ensures that MSHA identifies mines that are repeatedly cited for significant and substantial violations and disregard the health and safety of miners. As part of its revised rule that took effect in March, MSHA issued the first three POV notices to the mine in late October. The POV notice is MSHA's "toughest" notice and is usually given only to mines that exhibit the greatest amount of rule breaking and risk to their workers.