Sago Mine: 208 Safety Violations in 2005

[Sandpiper]

This has probably already been posted, but in case anyone didn't know:



Monday, January 2, 2006; Posted: 10:28 p.m. EST (03:28 GMT)

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- A coal mine where 13 miners were trapped after an explosion Monday was cited 208 times over alleged safety violations in 2005, up from just 68 citations the year before.

Federal regulators' allegations against the Sago Mine included failure to dilute coal dust, which can lead to explosions, and failure to properly operate and maintain machinery, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

Ninety-six of the citations were considered "significant and substantial" by inspectors.

<snip>


http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/02/mine.citations.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest


If any good at all can come from this tragedy, maybe it can serve to wake working people up to the fact that management doesn't give a damn for them, their safety, or their lives. If improved safety hurts the bottom line, then safety will have to suffer.

[ohio_liberal]

1. also problems with wiring that could cause methane/coal dust fires

I'm hearing a lot of these families say that the workers knew the mine was unsafe and were looking for a way out of the job.

[Lindacooks]

2. Why am I not surprised?

That's the attitude of the vast majority of corporations in this country, if not around the world. Worker safety isn't as important as the bottom line. Then when the inevitable tragedy occurs, the corporations try to act and behave as if they are just as devastated as the families. Talk about crocodile tears.