By Brent I. Clark, Kerry M. Mohan, and Craig B. Simonsen

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recently sent three mining operations notices of a pattern of violations (POV) of health or safety standards under section 104(e) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act).  The MSHA POV screening this year was the first one conducted since MSHA’s revised pattern of violations rule (78 Fed. Reg. 5056 (Jan. 23, 2013)) went into effect on March 25, 2013.

Under the Mine Act, MSHA is authorized to issue a POV notice to mine operators that demonstrate a disregard for the health and safety of miners through a “pattern of significant and substantial” (S&S) violations and employee injuries. A POV notice is reserved for the mines “that pose the greatest risk to the safety of miners.” MSHA defines a significant and substantial violation as one that is reasonably likely to result in a reasonably serious injury or illness.

The Mine Act requires mines that receive POV notices to be issued withdrawal orders –effectively ceasing their mining operations – for all S&S violations. After no mine was placed on POV for the first 33 years after the Mine Act went into effect, these POV notices mark MSHA’s significantly enhanced and aggressive enforcement activities.

Joseph A. Main, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, indicated “MSHA’s new POV rule, which we will vigorously enforce, enhances protections for miners and shifts the responsibility for monitoring compliance and taking action to prevent POV enforcement actions to the operator.” Among other things, the new rule shifted responsibility for monitoring compliance to the mine operator, and mandated that operators submit corrective action programs to proactively address issues that could lead to a POV.

Mine operators under this new age of MSHA enforcement need be ever vigilant in monitoring its compliance status and ensuring employees are properly trained to reduce injury rates.