By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Federal mine safety regulators have proposed a new rule to cut down on a category of accidents that has resulted in 12 deaths in West Virginia mines since 2016.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s newly proposed rule would require mine operators employing six or more miners to develop a written safety program for mobile and powered haulage equipment at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines.
Agency officials touted the rule in a quarterly public conference call with stakeholders last week — eight months after the agency says a fatal accident in a Logan County mine occurred because the mine operator failed to have procedures in place to assure safe underground haulage.
“We’re still having a disproportionate share of fatalities in the powered haulage area,” Patricia Silvey, the agency’s deputy assistant secretary for operations, said during last week’s conference call. “And if you look at some of the fatalities — many of which are preventable — that’s what we’ve gotta work on.”
Mine Safety and Health Administration officials presented a pie chart showing that five of 12 mine accidents resulting in fatalities from June 9 through Sept. 21 were powered haulage accidents…