Illinois Coal Mine Operator Cited After Employees Not Evacuated During Fire
MSHA cited the company for 14 citations and proposed over $1,000,000 in penalties.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jun 22, 2022
A coal mine operator in Illinois was cited for 14 citations by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), which also proposed over $1,00,000 in penalties.
According to a press release, at M-Class Mining LLC in Macedonia, Illinois, a fire broke out underground on August 13, 2021. The next day, MSHA received an anonymous complaint and started an investigation.
The agency found that workers were not evacuated from the mine when the fire occurred. It also found the company did not notify MSHA of the fire. By law, MSHA has to be notified within 15 minutes of the fire.
“M-Class Mining LLC deliberately jeopardized the lives of the very miners it was responsible for protecting, and violated numerous important safety and health standards in the process,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson in the press release. “The fact that this operator continued business as usual while miners underground had no idea there was an ongoing fire hazard more than justifies the civil penalties that we propose.”
MSHA cited M-Class Mining LLC for 14 citations, including two flagrant. MSHA proposed $1,165,396 in penalties.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.