Breaking! Shameless! MASSEY mines cited for more than 60 safety violations SINCE the blast.

[elehhhhna]

No link yet, on MSNBC now.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. IIFC, they's had several -

the day of the blast itself. Just shows to go you how utterly usless much of our regulations and enforement are. :(

[4lbs]

2. The problem is that there is no real enforcement of the violations in a non-union mine.

Other than paying a small fine, that's it.

Massey (and Blankenship) have determined it's cheaper just to pay the fines (after a long period of contesting them) than to enact the safety fixes required.

What's needed is a huge, severe fine, for each miner that is killed. For example, a $4 million fine for each miner killed. The family would receive $3 million of that, tax-free, and the other $1 million used to make fixes to the mine involved. This fine would not be able to be contested like the others.

If that was in place, Massey would have faced a $116 million fine for those 29 dead miners.
By comparison, Massey has only paid several million in fines over the last 8 years, and is contesting another several million or so.

[justanaverageguy]

3. What sort of violations?

I will withhold judgment until that becomes available.

I got written up recently because the inspector didn't like the location of the first aid kit. Not exactly a major violation. If it is 60 of those sort of violations then no big deal.

Also keep in mind a company can get cited for violations that are completely the fault of the employee. I've seen companies cited for employees not wearing the proper safety gear and the gear was in the employee's truck. Not exactly the fault of the company.

[Hutzpa]

5. .

:freak:

[dflprincess]

6. Yeah, that must be it

Massey was written up because 60 workers didn't put their hardhats on.

Jesus.... :banghead:

[justanaverageguy]

11. ok

Really? Then what were they written up for on these 60 violations?

[elehhhhna]

7. oh. kay. nice anecdotal info, but come on. how many people died

at your job this year?

[justanaverageguy]

12. None. nt

[Webster Green]

8. The company has a long history of violations like inadequate ventilation.

Google is your friend. Sorry I don't feel like looking for links right now.

If you do sniff it out a little, you'll discover what a fucking asshole this guy is.

I would think he would have to be locked up for his own protection.

If any of my kin died in one of his hellholes, I would be gunning for him.

[justanaverageguy]

14. I'm sure the guy is an asshole

I don't know squat about him except what I've seen on this board. I know even less about the mining industry. My point was that just because a company, particularly a very large company, was cited with 60 violations doesn't necessarily raise my ire until such time I know what the violations are. Any picky OSHA inspector can go onto any decent size construction site anywhere in America and walk away with 60 safety violations (yes even the ones that are all union sites). That doesn't in and of itself make the jobsite a deathtrap, it depends on what the violations are. Some are very serious, some are very minor.

[Webster Green]

18. True enough.

These were real serious.

[justanaverageguy]

21. Then yes...He's an asshole. nt.

[elehhhhna]

19. all true. minng happens to be very dangerous.

underground and all.

[sabrina 1]

10. Here's some more information. Looks like the

violations are pretty serious according to the headline:

Serious Problems Found At Massey Mines Since Blast

"We're just going about our regular business," Stricklin said. "I didn't give any instructions to go and look at Massey mines."

Still, Stricklin sharply criticized the company for violations found in the last 10 days.

The violations include conveyer belt problems at Massey's Aracoma Alma No. 1 mine in West Virginia, where a belt fire killed two men in 2006.

"I'm very disappointed," Stricklin said. "You would think that personnnel associated with Massey would be really more careful."

The company's Solid Energy No. 1 mine in Kentucky was cited for allowing coal dust to pile up on three occasions since the explosion.

"That's very troubling," Stricklin said. "Pitiful."

Mines are required to keep methane well below explosive levels with sophisticated ventilation systems and control coal dust by keeping it from piling up and covering it with noncombustible material.

Massey had no immediate response Friday.

I'd say those two violations are pretty serious considering the 2006 fire that killed two miners, and the latest blast.

[Ikonoklast]

13. Those are still violations.

The employee needs to be told, BY MANAGEMENT, to either get his safety gear on, or go home.

Any employee ignoring safety rules is a danger to ALL, and it is the responsibility of management to see that it doesn't happen.

[justanaverageguy]

15. As the owner and therefore "MANAGEMENT" I have told them,

They have signed their signature to safety books, they have gone through safety training, they are well aware of the rules. Still, and I know you'll find this hard to believe, the employee still does what he wants to do despite all of the above. I have crews working anywhere in about a 250 mile radius. I can't be everywhere at once. Don't get me wrong, I'm good, but I ain't that good!!!

And of course I'm pretty sure that if I came on this board and posted that I fired a guy for not wearing his hard hat, or his steel toe work boots (because that's my safety policy) I'd pretty much be deemed an asshole.

[Ikonoklast]

17. I've fired people for violating safety rules.

They put others in danger; were written up, disciplined, and still didn't get with the program.

Terminated.

Too bad for them. They knew the rules, and still broke them.


I won't apologize for that. I was management at one time, and sometimes that means firing people.

[elehhhhna]

20. we're talking deathtrap type violations

your goober subs mostly fall off low buildings, correct?

& welcome to du

[Hutzpa]

4. Would like to see him mouthing off now

dressed in the American flag.

Challenging the Feds, he must have thought GW was still in power.

Regulate him to eternity.

Dumb prick.

[Dappleganger]

9. Why aren't those unions doing their jobs!!

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[amborin]

16. k and r