The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections in December 2024 at 13 mines in Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia, and issued 119 violations.
Inspections in December largely targeted coal operations, but there was one inspection at a Heidelberg Materials facility.
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.”