MSHA Says No Mines are Eligible for a Patterns of Violations Notice
For the first time since 2010, none of the mines meets the criteria.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration has announced that none of the nation's 13,000 mining operations meet the criteria for a Pattern of Violations notice. This is the first time since the reforms started in 2010 that this has happened.
The POV is reserved for mines that pose the greatest risk to the health and safety of miners.
"The Pattern of Violations regulation is a law that works to rein in chronic violators and protect miners," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "It is achieving its purpose to improve mine operators' compliance with safety and health standards and enable them to monitor their own compliance."
There were 51 mines initially identified as meeting the criteria for a POV notice. Last year, there was only one.