Speaking at a miner safety conference today at a Moon Township hotel,the chief of Mine Safety and Health Administration said initiatives to improve inspections and enforcement are making the industry safer.

At a seminar sponsored by the Penn State University Miner Safety Program, Joseph A. Main said the administration has logged fewer violations since the implementation of initiatives to focus more on problem mines, better train inspectors and crack down on the illegal practice of giving mines advance notice of inspections that were put into place following the Upper Big Branch Mine accident that killed 29 miners in 2010.

But Mr. Main said legislation is still needed to give the administration better tools to crack down on problem mines. In an

interview, he said he would like to see legislation to protect miners who speak out about safety problems and stiffer penalties for those who provide advance notice of inspection.

"If you look at the impact inspection program ... some of the

conditions we're finding point to a need for more tools in MSHA's tool bag," he said.

He pointed to an inspection recently done at a mine in Kentucky, where officials found ventilation devices that had not been deployed.

Last week, family members of Upper Big Branch victims travelled to Washington, D.C. to lobby legislators to pass a more stringent mine safety law. Unlike past mining disasters, which provoked swift

legislative response, there have been no mine safety laws passed in the wake of the Upper Big Branch disaster.

First Published: June 13, 2012, 2:15 p.m.
Updated: June 13, 2012, 2:17 p.m.