Mine Tragedy Makes No Sense
Just a simple blog post to say what an absolutely horrible, meaningless tragedy the most recent mining accident in West Virginia. The death toll now stands at 25.
My brother, Mickey L. Travis, was killed in a mining accident in 2002. (See here for the Mine Safety Health Administration report and here for a letter to the editor I wrote that was published in USA Today).
I tend to think lab safety and mining safety are connected. The laboratory comes with its own set of hazards, to be certain. (To the naysayers who think our government shouldn't be involved in much of anything, I think you'd have a tough time convincing me otherwise when it comes to workplace safety, but I digress ...)
This Boston.com article (here) talks about how mine companies continue to dodge safety regulations, costing lives with little regard. Another article from the Houston Chronicle says this: "The record of mine owner Massey Energy might be, as company executives claim, better than average. But that's not saying much. Operators can continue to run a potentially unsafe mine long after inspectors have put up red flags, which is something Congress should address." (See here).
This lack of regard for safety and blatant managerial arrogance continues to break my heart.