MSHA has released an alert that briefly summarizes six coal mine fatalities that have occurred over the past 25 days and offers best practices to avoid accidents that involve surface and underground machinery, powered haulage, hoisting and exploding vessels under pressure.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has ordered coal operators to conduct a one-hour stand-down for safety following the death of four miners in two weeks in the state.

In an executive order this afternoon, Tomblin directed that the state’s coal producers, within the next 24 hours, halt production to review safety laws and best practices.  The move comes on the heels of the most recent mine fatality, which occurred last night in Raleigh County.  Three others have died since Feb. 6.

A West Virginia man has become the second person to die at the same coal mine this year and the fourth to perish in the Mountain State within the past two weeks.

John Myles, 44, of Hilltop died after an accident at approximately 8 p.m. Tuesday at Affinity Coal Co., LLC’s Affinity Mine in Raleigh County, the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training reported this morning. 

The attorney work-product privilege does not apply in instances where there is no evidence that witness statements in Mine Act cases have been prepared in anticipation of litigation.

The decision Feb. 5 by Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey Tureck means that MSHA must turn over to counsel for a coal operator notes of interviews its personnel conducted of miners in connection with an alleged violation, along with interview notes with miners and a report of an interview with an official who is under an associated Sec. 110(c) investigation.

House Democrats have re-introduced legislation aimed at controlling combustible dust.

In a joint statement released Thursday, three lawmakers said that H.R. 691, the Worker Protection Combustible Dust Explosions and Fires Act, would require OSHA to issue interim protections to prevent combustible dusts, like coal, sugar, or metals dust, from building up in industrial facilities to hazardous levels and explode.

A West Virginia miner severely injured in an accident Tuesday evening has died from his injuries.

Glenn L. Clutter, 51, of Baxter died this afternoon, according to Lynn Seay, a spokesman for Consol Energy.  Clutter was employed at the company’s Loveridge #22 mine near Mannington in the northern part of the state.  He suffered severe head trauma when he was struck by a metal bar he was using to try and re-rail a haulage car and had been on life support at an area hospital.

A West Virginia miner was seriously injured Tuesday night at an underground coal mine near Fairview in Marion County.

The accident at Consolidation Coal Co.’s Loveridge #22 Mine left Glen L. Clutter, 51, of Baxter, in critical condition with severe head trauma.  Hoy Murphy, spokesman for the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training, said the victim was attempting to put a loaded supply car back on the track at about 9:30 p.m. when a slate bar he was using kicked out and hit him in the head.

Subcommittee assignments on workplace safety have been set for the new congressional term.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, which is controlled by Republicans, Tim Walberg (MI) returns as chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.   His counterpart on the Democratic side is Joe Courtney (CT).

The West Virginia Supreme Court has cleared the way for a lawsuit to proceed against MSHA that was filed by widows of two miners killed in an underground coal mine fire seven years ago.

In a ruling last week, the court answered yes to the question another court had asked it to address; namely, whether or not a private party conducting inspections of a mine and mine operator for compliance with mine safety regulations is liable for the wrongful death of a miner resulting from the private party’s negligent inspection.