US Department of Labor conducted 13 impact inspections in December 2024 at mines with histories of repeated safety, health violations

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections in December 2024 at 13 mines in Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia, and issued 119 violations. 

The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement because of poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries and illnesses; and other compliance concerns. The agency began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 miners. 

Of the 119 violations MSHA identified during December 2024 impact inspections, 32 were evaluated by inspectors as significant and substantial and two had unwarrantable failure findings. In 2023 and 2024, MSHA conducted 343 impact inspections and identified 5,246 violations, including 1,456 S&S and 102 unwarrantable failure findings at 300 mines. An S&S violation is one that could contribute in a significant and substantial way to the cause and effect of a safety or health hazard. Violations designated as unwarrantable failures occur when an inspector finds aggravated conduct that constitutes more than ordinary negligence.  

“MSHA’s December 2024 impact inspections identified slip, trip and fall hazards that put miners at unnecessary risk, especially when extra caution is needed during winter months. Mine operators must conduct adequate examinations proactively to identify and eliminate hazards promptly,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “Impact inspections remain a critical enforcement tool that MSHA can use to prioritize miners’ safety and health.”   

One of the mines selected for an impact inspection in December 2024 was the CE #2 coal preparation plant operated by Clintwood JOD LLC in Pike County, Kentucky. After a recent hazardous conditions complaint and following an MSHA investigation that found hazardous conditions, the agency conducted an impact inspection there on Dec. 11, 2024, and cited 31 violations of mandatory safety and health standards, including 17 S&S and two unwarrantable failure findings. 

Specifically, inspectors found the following conditions existed at the mine:  

• Inadequate on-shift examinations were conducted. For example, spilled material was present throughout the facility, particularly on the steps between the first and second floors and on the walkway of the plant feed belt, creating slip, trip and fall hazards. MSHA reminds operators of the importance of addressing these hazards, particularly during winter months. Additionally, numerous surface installation hazards were observed, including deteriorated structures and loose insulating panels. 
• Hazardous conditions that were documented on examination records but not corrected until the inspection. For example, slippage in the plant had been recorded in the on-shift examination book 12 days prior to the impact inspection and gone uncorrected. Additionally, inspectors also found hazardous conditions that should have been documented during examinations but were not. These conditions needlessly exposed miners to hazards that could lead to serious injuries. 
• Moving machine parts located on the third floor were not guarded, creating an entanglement hazard for miners working in this area.