MSHA’s Impact Inspections Unveil Grave Safety Violations at 25 U.S. Mines

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) conducted impact inspections at 25 mines in the United States in January and February 2023. The inspections targeted mines that required increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history, previous accidents, injuries, and illnesses, and other compliance concerns.

The inspections resulted in the issuance of 374 violations and two safeguards, including 113 significant and substantial violations and 13 unwarrantable failure findings. Violations are designated as an unwarrantable failure when an inspector finds aggravated conduct that constitutes more than ordinary negligence. MSHA conducted inspections at mines in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. During the inspections, inspectors found serious violations that demonstrated the importance of using all available tools to eliminate safety and health hazards that can cost miners their lives.

The MSHA is focused on identifying conditions that can lead to serious accidents, and it will continue to use every tool that Congress has given it to protect miners’ safety and health