A Utah mine was cited for 14 violations, including six deemed significant and substantial due to several hazardous conditions.
The Gentry Mine No. 3 in Emery, Utah was inspected Feb. 12, 2024 under the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) monthly impact inspections.
MSHA considers violations that are significant and substantial, or S&S, as those that are “reasonably likely to cause a reasonably serious injury or illness.”
During the inspection, MSHA investigators found that the mine:
- failed to maintain essential firefighting equipment, which exposed miners to smoke and fire hazards
- allowed excessive amounts of coal accumulation at a belt drive where firefighting equipment failed to operate
- didn’t support roof and ribs adequately, exposing miners to roof collapses and struck-by hazards
- failed to record methane measurements, and
- didn’t use safeguards to block mobile equipment against hazardous motion.
February impact inspections find 207 violations at targeted mines
The inspection at the Gentry Mine No. 3 was conducted under MSHA’s February 2024 impact inspections, which the agency says target “mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries and illnesses; and other compliance concerns.”
Impact inspections conducted in February targeted 13 mines in nine states. MSHA identified 207 violations at these mines with 58 classified as S&S and two as unwarrantable failures.
Unwarrantable failures are violations that involve aggravated conduct that involve more than ordinary negligence.
The mines targeted for the February inspections were located in Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.
Since 2023, MSHA’s impact inspections have identified 3,134 violations, including 885 classified as S&S and 59 considered unwarrantable failures.