Federal Eye: Eye Opener: Audit faults mine inspector training

Happy Tuesday! A new government audit faults the federal government’s
mine inspection agency for poorly retraining veteran mine safety
inspectors in recent years. The watchdog
report was published just days before a
West Virginia mine explosion Monday that left at least 25 mine workers
dead.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration hired more than 350 new inspectors in fiscal years
2007 and 2008, increasing its total inspection force by 26 percent. But
56 percent of veteran inspectors failed to attend required retraining
courses during a two-year training cycle that started in 2006, according
to the audit.

At least three inspectors had failed to attend retraining courses since the inception of the agency’s new training policies in 1998. The
agency failed to track and ensure completion of retraining courses and
did not punish inspectors who failed to attend courses, according to the
report
by the Labor Department Inspector General. MSHA is part of the Labor
Department.

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