BECKLEY, W.Va. — Gary Quarles, the father of Upper Big Branch Disaster victim Gary Wayne Quarles, just told the House Labor Committee that federal regulators failed the miners killed in the April 5 disaster:
MSHA inspectors at Massey did little to protect miners … We absolutely looked to MSHA for leadership, particularly on safety issues, but MSHA has let us down many times.
Quarles also told lawmakers that Massey routinely tipped workers off about impending inspections, and would hurry to fix problems when MSHA showed up at one of its mines:
When the word goes out, all effort is made to correct any deficiencies or direct the inspector’s attention away from any deficiencies.
… When MSHA is not present, there is no thought of doing anything other than producing coal. The miners are not allowed to hang curtains or conduct any other safety operations if they would interfere with or delay the production of coal.
Mr. Quarles complete statement is online here.
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Yep.
But of course WHY did they let them down?
One need to look no farther than the reaction of our congresscritters, the public, and the miners to the EPA’s actions around the Spruce Mine.
If MSHA had started conducting spontaneous reviews and really cracking down on safety issues you can be sure the very same miners and relatives who are condeming their inaction now would have been marching in the streets shilling for the mining companies and telling them to back off because they are going to hurt jobs.
Really you can’t have it two ways. The sooner the public realizes this the better.
Good points, coal sculpture. And the same dilemma arises over legislation designed to fight climate change. The perceived threat to coal jobs has been used to keep America from the absolutely necessary reduction of CO2 emissions. It’s a tragic situation whenever it happens.
It’s no accident Blankenship is a vocal leader of climate change denial, and he organizes his employees to oppose all progress. Aided by greedy lawyers and cynical politicians, of course. It’s sad — but we can’t give up. Too much is at stake.
My sympathy to Mr. Quarles in the loss of his son, in the UBB explosion.
As to the MSHA being indifferent :” the more things change, the more they remain the same ” Tipping off the coming of mine inspections, has been going on for many years.
I wonder if Mr Quarles understands that neither the regulator nor their inspectorate is responsible for safety at massey’s mines? They are just responsible for enforcing the legislation as far as is possible. Massey’s record of avoidance, defiance and deceit on safety issues are not just contributing factors, they are the reasons his son died in the Upper Big Branch disaster.
The message that I’m getting from Mr Quarel’s testimony is that he believes that somehow mine safety is MSHA’s responsibility, not the employer/controller of the worksite – Massey Energy.
It seems like there has been long term brainwashing of the coal mining communities as to where the actual duty of care lies. With the employer/owner of the mine, not with the regulatory authority. Do people think that you can have an mines inspector stationed at every mine on every shift? Obviously not. The mine operator must do all that can be done to ensure the safety and health of their employees – and this duty was clearly not a priority for Massey Energy.
And why, if there were routinely tip-offs about impending inspections, did employees not report to MSHA that ‘cosmetic’ improvements were being carried out in anticipation of inspections – or did they?
Maybe there needs to be education for all workers at these workplaces about
1. the hazards and risks and the means available to eliminate or control these risks and
2. that the employer has the absolute duty to control these well known and conrollable risks.
My heart goes out to the breaved families of the 29 miners, but that community must realize that they are being manipulated and misinformed by Massey.
Gary is perfectly aware that safety falls on the company along with MSHA to enforce it.