Department of Labor Inspections at 16 U.S. Mines Resulted in 247 Safety Violations.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) conducted inspections at 16 mines in 11 states in December 2023, resulting in 247 safety violations. These inspections were initiated after a 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia that claimed the lives of 29 miners. In total, MSHA identified 2,739 violations in 2023, including 764 significant and substantial violations and 56 unwarrantable failure findings. The inspections targeted mines with poor compliance history, previous accidents, injuries, and illnesses, and other compliance concerns. One of the mines inspected was the Excel #5 Mine in Varney, Kentucky, which had 20 violations, including nine significant and substantial violations and two unwarrantable failure findings. The most common violations found during the inspections were failure to remove combustible material and failure to maintain equipment in permissible condition. Other serious violations included inadequate workplace examinations and failure to adequately support roof and ribs. [Extracted from the article]