Coal Mine Safety

COAL MINE SAFETY......Page 3
CONTENTS......Page 7
PREFACE......Page 9
MINE SAFETY: BETTER OVERSIGHT AND COORDINATION BY MSHA AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES COULD IMPROVE SAFETY FOR UNDERGROUND COAL MINERS
......Page 11
RESULTS IN BRIEF......Page 13
BACKGROUND......Page 16
UNDERGROUND COAL MINES FACE CHALLENGES IN PREPARING MINE WORKERS AND RESCUE TEAMS FOR EMERGENCIES......Page 19
MSHA REVIEWS MINES’ TRAINING PLANS AND INSPECTS  TRAINING RECORDS BUT DOES NOT ADEQUATELY  MONITOR INSTRUCTORS OR TRAINING......Page 24
MSHA AND NIOSH LACK A FORMAL AGREEMENT  TO GUIDE MINE SAFETY COORDINATION......Page 25
MOST PENALTIES ASSESSED BY MSHA ARE PAID  WITHOUT OPPOSITION, BUT MANY OF THOSE APPEALED  ARE REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY......Page 31
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION......Page 36
AGENCY COMMENTS......Page 37
APPENDIX I: SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY......Page 39
APPENDIX II: SURVEY OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES......Page 43
APPENDIX III:  COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF 
LABOR......Page 63
APPENDIX IV: COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT  OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES......Page 68
APPENDIX V. COMMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL MINE SAFETY  AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION......Page 69
APPENDIX VI: GAO CONTACT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
......Page 71
REFERENCES......Page 73
MINE SAFETY: ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AND OVERSIGHT OF MINES’ EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS WOULD IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINERS......Page 77
RESULTS IN BRIEF......Page 79
BACKGROUND......Page 81
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MSHA’S APPROVAL PROCESS WAS HAMPERED BY SEVERAL FACTORS THAT DELAYED APPROVAL AND RESULTED IN VARIATIONS IN THE PLANS......Page 85
WHILE MOST PLAN COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN  IMPLEMENTED, TWO KEY COMPONENTS HAVE NOT......Page 90
WHILE MSHA’S DISTRICT OFFICES HAVE ENFORCED MINES’ IMPLEMENTATION OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS, MSHA HEADQUARTERS HAS PROVIDED LIMITED OVERSIGHT OF ENFORCEMENT AND PLAN QUALITY......Page 96
CONCLUSIONS......Page 102
AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR EVALUATION......Page 103
APPENDIX I: SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY......Page 105
APPENDIX II: CITATIONS ISSUED BY MSHA RELATED TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF MINES’ EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS......Page 109
APPENDIX III: COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR......Page 112
APPENDIX IV. COMMENTS FROM THE  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES......Page 118
APPENDIX V: GAO CONTACT AND STAFF ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 119
REFERENCES......Page 120
COAL MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY  IN THE UNITED STATES......Page 125
CRANDALL CANYON MINE DISASTER......Page 126
ASSESSMENT OF CIVIL PENALTIES......Page 127
PATTERN OF VIOLATIONS......Page 129
CLOSURE ORDERS......Page 130
BELT FLAMMABILITY......Page 131
COMMUNICATION/TRACKING DEVICES......Page 132
REGULATIONS......Page 133
PROGRAM FUNDING......Page 134
SUPPLEMENTAL MINER ACT (S-MINER)......Page 135
CONCLUSION......Page 138
INTRODUCTION......Page 139
NIOSH MANDATES UNDER THE MINER ACT......Page 140
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS......Page 141
CONCLUSION......Page 144
REFERENCES......Page 145
STATEMENT OF RICHARD E. STICKLER ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF LABOR MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE SAFETY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT, LABOR AND PENSIONS UNITED STATES SENATE JUNE 19, 2008......Page 147
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MINER ACT......Page 149
POST CRANDALL CANYON GROUND CONTROL ACTION......Page 154
COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEMENT......Page 156
ASSESSMENTS......Page 158
CONCLUSION......Page 159
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS......Page 161
MSHA ACTIONS TO IMPROVE MINE SAFETY......Page 162
EMERGENCY MINE EVACUATION......Page 163
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS......Page 164
POST-ACCIDENT COMMUNICATIONS  AND POST-ACCIDENT TRACKING......Page 165
CIVIL PENALTIES......Page 166
SEALING OF ABANDONED AREAS IN  UNDERGROUND COAL MINES......Page 167
RECRUITMENT......Page 168
CONCLUSION......Page 169
MINER ACT......Page 171
VOLUNTARY ACTIONS......Page 172
CREATING A CULTURE OF PREVENTION......Page 173
CONCLUSION......Page 174
ABSTRACT......Page 175
WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY......Page 176
HEALTH......Page 178
THE REGULATORY REGIME......Page 179
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY......Page 181
REFERENCES......Page 185
ABSTRACT......Page 189
THE RECORD — PAST AND PRESENT......Page 190
REGULATORY REGIME......Page 191
LEGISLATION......Page 192
REFERENCES......Page 193
INDEX......Page 195