MSHA to increase enforcement following fatalities

MSHA, following a string of industry fatalities, is encouraging inspectors to do more to keep miners out of hazardous situations, NSSGA reports.

According to the association, MSHA Administrator Neal Merrifield indicated he has directed agency inspectors to look for miners working in hazardous situations, issue a 107-A order citing imminent danger and withdraw the miners. Merrifield expressed concern that many of the recent fatalities appear to be the result of ill-advised actions.

In addition to his directive, Merrifield is asking NSSGA for help. One step NSSGA says it has taken is to increase circulation of MSHA’s best practices tied to all fatalities occurring to operator personnel in the aggregates industry.

Eleven miners died in the aggregates industry last year, according to NSSGA, compared with seven 2012 deaths. Five industry fatalities have happened so far in 2014, the association adds.