Higher fines would improve U.S. mine safety: expert

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Tougher fines for safety violations might force U.S. coal mine operators to do more to prevent accidents, a mining industry expert said on Tuesday.

“Higher fines would make a difference,” said Walter Licht, a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in labor and mining history.

“Two things will help safety — new technology with fewer men underground and vigilance on inspection,” he said.
His comments came as the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) said it had issued 33 citations this year and 176 since early 2005 against the owners of the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah where six miners have been trapped since Monday.

The government introduced new safety rules, such as mine seals and communications equipment, after the Sago mine explosion that killed 12 men in West Virginia last year, but some critics feel fines for violations are not high enough.

“It’s a slap on the wrist, some of the fines are pitiful, $200 or $500,” said Licht “They are easily absorbed.

“But I don’t necessarily believe there is a disconnect between safety and high productivity,” he said of coal producers who say tighter rules will push up their costs.

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