MSHA Finds 286 Violations During October 2024 Impact Inspections
The agency conducted inspections at 15 mines, including 95 significant and substantial violations and 12 unwarrantable failures.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Dec 09, 2024
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed a series of targeted inspections at 15 mines in October 2024. Overall, the agency found 286 violations, including 95 significant and substantial (S&S) violations and 12 unwarranted failures.
MSHA’s impact inspections launched after the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in West Virginia claimed 29 lives. Since 2023, the agency has found 4,965 violations, including 1,380 S&S. These are likely to result in serious injuries or illnesses, while unwarrantable failures involve aggravated conduct beyond ordinary negligence.
“Miners have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment, which can only be achieved when safety and health is a core organizational value with commitments to identifying and eliminating hazards, devoting sufficient resources, ensuring transparent communication and encouraging active miner participation,” MSHA Assistant Secretary Chris Williamson said in a statement. “Impact inspections and enhanced enforcement are valuable tools this administration has used to prioritize miners’ safety and health.”
The October 2024 inspections included mines in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming. MSHA’s findings highlight the ongoing need for stringent enforcement and proactive safety improvements in the mining industry.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.