1. thepumphandle
  2. Miner Electrocuted at Aracoma Mine

Miner Electrocuted at Aracoma Mine

By sb admin on May 19, 2008.

Nathan Dove, an underground coal miner, was electrocuted on Friday night at Massey Energy's Aracoma/Alma mine in Melville, Logan County, WV.  Mr. Dove was 24 years old. 

This is the same mine which was given a safety award by MSHA about a month ago (see "Safety Awards Gone Bad" ) and in January 2006, was the place of death for Mr. Don Bragg, 33 and Mr. Ellery Hatfield, 46.  No information about the incident which killed Mr. Dove is provided yet on Massey's, MSHA's or the State's webpages.

In my post, "Safety Awards Gone Bad", I reminded readers that just one year ago, MSHA issued a record-setting $1.5 million penalty against Massey for its âreckless disregard for safetyâ in the disaster which killed Bragg and Hatfield.  Between January 1, 2006 and April 1, 2008, this mine has been cited for nearly 1,200 violations of MSHA health and safety standards, with 665 of them designated âserious and substantial.â  Moreover, this Massey operation has been assessed more than $2,226,000 in monetary penalties, and theyâve only paid $35,651.  The vast majority of the violations are being contested, including the dozens of penalties associated with the Aracoma Alma disaster which are classified as âreckless disregardâ for minersâ safety. 

Upon receiving MSHA's safety award, Massey Energy's CEO Donald Blankenship said:

âSafety is our top priority at Massey, and we are pleased that MSHA has again recognized our membersâ unwavering commitment to working safely everyday.  Our Aracoma members had a very difficult year after the tragedy in 2006, but they responded by pulling together to create a culture of safety.â

This statement is BIG on "member's" responsibility for safety, but fails to mention anything about the company's obligation.  I hope this isn't a hint about how Massey will spin the circumstances of the coal miner's death.  A "culture of safety" seems to only go so far, especially when a  worker is injured seriously or killed.   Let's pray that "blame the victim" doesn't rear its ugly head.   

 

Tags
Uncategorized

More like this

Safety Awards Gone Bad
Pork plant in illness probe wins worker safety award Safety award to Massey mine where two miners were killed   First, I thought these were bad April Fools' jokes or maybe an article from the ONION.  But no, these headlines are no joke.  A pork packing house in Austin, MN, a…
Aracoma Coal Miners "Died Over Money"
A wrongful-death lawsuit related to Massey Energy's Aracoma Alma coal mine commenced yesterday in West Virginia courthouse.  Mr. Donald Bragg, 33, and Mr. Elvis Hatfield, 46, died in a mine fire on January 19, 2006.  According to an Associated Press account (here) the widows' attorney Bruce…
$1.5 Million Fine to Massey Energy for Miners' Deaths
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced a record $1.5 million penalty against Massey Energy Company for violations related to the January 19, 2006 deaths of Ellery Hatfield, 46 and Don Bragg, 33 at the Aracoma Alma #1 Mine in Stollings, WV.  The investigators, led by MSHA…
$60 Penalty for Sago Mine Operator?
When MSHA issued its 190-page report last week on the January 2006 Sago Mine disaster, most of the press focused on the agency's conclusion that a lightning strike was the "most likely ignition source" for the explosion.  Readers should not forget however, that 29 coal miners were underground at…