MSHA Identifies 239 Violations During Impact Inspections in July 2024

MSHA Identifies 239 Violations During Impact Inspections in July 2024

The agency inspected 16 mines, identifying 70 significant and substantial violations as well as 11 unwarrantable failures.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) concluded a series of inspections in July 2024, targeting 16 mines across 10 states with a total of 239 violations, including 70 significant and substantial (S&S) violations and three unwarrantable failure findings.

According to a recent release, these impact inspections were introduced after the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine explosion in West Virginia, which claimed 29 lives. Since 2023, the agency has identified 4,314 violations, including 1,189 S&S violations and 82 unwarrantable failure findings. An S&S violation is one that could significantly contribute to a safety or health hazard, while unwarrantable failure findings indicate aggravated conduct beyond ordinary negligence.

Impact inspections focus on mines with poor compliance histories, previous accidents and other compliance concerns. In July 2024, inspections were conducted in Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

“July impact inspections resulted in a troubling number of unwarrantable failure findings, representing serious safety and health hazards that operators knew put miners at risk and should have corrected,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “Impact inspections remain an important tool to hold operators accountable and eliminate hazards such as combustible materials near belts, hazards that history shows can unfortunately cause mine fires and lost lives.”

MSHA’s monthly impact inspections results, including those for July 2024, are available online.

About the Author

Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.

Product Showcase

  • Safety Shower Test Cart

    The Safety Shower Test Cart speeds up and simplifies emergency shower tests, ensures you stay in compliance with OSHA regulations, and significantly reduces testing costs. With 7 unique features, the cart makes testing easy, effective, and efficient. You can test water clarity, flow, temperature, and spread—all at the same time! Most safety shower testing kits create a mess, take too much time to use, and don't fully help you stay in compliance with OSHA & ANSI standards. Transform the way you test emergency showers with Green Gobbler Safety. Read More

  • Glove Guard® Clip

    Safety should never be compromised, especially when it comes to proper glove usage. The Glove Guard® clip enhances safety by encouraging employees to keep their gloves with them at all times. This reduces the risk of accidents and injuries on the job. By ensuring everyone has their gloves readily available, we help promote a culture of safety and efficiency. The Glove Guard® clip is designed to withstand the toughest work environments. Constructed from robust materials made in the USA, it can endure extreme conditions, including harsh weather, and rigorous activities. Read More

  • SwabTek® Cannabis Test Kit

    The SwabTek® Cannabis Test Kit is a single-use spot test designed for use in screening for cannabis compounds in any sample type or on any surface. The test is capable of identifying the presumed presence of cannabinoids in very small quantities, with a level of detection as little as 6 μg in mass. Learn more about the SwabTek® Cannabis Test Kit and the rest of SwabTek surface drug testing solutions through the webinar titled "Everything You Want To Know About Surface Testing" Read More

Featured

Artificial Intelligence