As a second example from the impact inspections, on April 14, an inspection party arrived at Vision Coal Inc.’s Mine #2 in Letcher County, Ky. Inspectors captured and monitored the phones to prevent advance notice of their arrival. The mine operator was issued 30 citations and seven orders.

The operator did not follow the approved roof control plan requiring the use of a sightline or other method of directional control to maintain the projected direction of mining in the underground sections of the mine. This practice exposed miners to serious injuries from roof and /or rib falls. The operator also did not follow the alternate borehole pattern drill plan. Failure to drill the required test holes exposes miners to hazards associated with the inundation of noxious gases and water on a regular basis.

The mine operator also was cited for failure to correct hazardous conditions found by the pre-shift mine examiner, as well as accumulations of loose coal along a conveyor belt in the mine. The operator had been cited 93 times in the last two years for violations of 30 Code of Federal Regulations 75.400, accumulation of combustible materials. If left uncorrected, the condition could have led to a mine fire.

This impact inspection was the second conducted at Vision Coal’s Mine #2.

Since April 2010, MSHA has conducted 259 impact inspections. These inspections have resulted in 4,610 citations, 442 orders and 14 safeguards.

Click here for a downloadable PDF of MSHA’s April 2011 Monthly Impact Inspection List.