“Violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process.”
– Massey CEO Don Blankenship
The Climate Ground Zero website has recently added a page of information for potential whistleblowers. This page is designed to provide a resource for miners and government employees who wish to protect their own safety and take action to ensure that coal companies are held accountable for their reckless lawbreaking. Coal companies have amassed thousands upon thousands of work safety and environmental regulations, endangering the health and safety of their own workers as well as local communities affected by the impact of illegal practices. The importance of whistle-blowing in combating these criminal acts cannot be overstated, and in the wake of the tragedy at Upper Big Branch, Congress is considering legislation that would improve protections for miners who blow the whistle on mine safety violations.
The new page contains contact information for state and federal agencies responsible for enforcing work safety and environmental regulations, as well as contact information for the state and federal organizations responsible for protecting employees from repercussions for reporting violations. Additionally, the page provides contact information for Climate Ground Zero media and legal volunteers who can help workers report violations to the media, file complaints, and pressure public officials to enforce the law. For more information, or to report a violation, contact: legal@climategroundzero.org.
I’d like to be the first to use this page…. Climate ground zero and coal river mountain watch are making my workplace unsafe because I cannot concentrate on my job when I have to constantly have to look over my shoulder to see if anyone is behind my piece of equipment incase I have to back up quickly….
Dear “you’ll never leave…”
Thank you for your complaint. Please be aware that OSHA, MSHA, EPA, OSMRE, et al, have been notified that Massey is making you work without rearview mirrors on your equipment or possibly deficient in training you how to use them.
In addition, your complaint is also evidence of lack of adequate emergency security and communications measures on your job site.
Inspectors and permit enforcement officers will be in touch with you early next week to address these pressing issues.
Thanks for your due dilligence.
You’ll, maybe you should be looking behind you before you back up anyway. Seems like a basic part of safety training.
LOL, yeah whatever. This whistleblower page is just like MSHA’s whistleblower page, nothing but bullshit and a promise that you’ll do something. You don’t always have time to look in the mirror, if you had a job running a piece of equipment you would know this. Also, did you all know that you aren’t supposed to be within 300 feet of moving equipment? And how exactly do we know where to send security when we don’t know where or when your next “attack on America’s workforce” is going to happen? When we see something suspicious we report it to security and they respond in a very timely manner. What I am talking about is when you all “sneak” up on an operator and get in a blindspot, which every piece of equipment has. What are you all gonna do when you get someone killed because of YOUR stupidity???? Oh, and btw, vernon got everything out without a lisp!!! I think you have found your calling vernon, because public speaking just isn’t your thing.
Not only do you ALWAYS look behind you, you are suppose to have a ground guide when backing up and large piece of equipment. Every silly willy knows that.
Guess I’ll be the second to use this site for what it was intended. Activists illegally entered Massey Energy’s Bee Tree surface mine Wed. endangering their lives as well as the miners trying to do their job. Where’s MSHA when their needed? Will be sure to foward their names to MSHA anyway .Colin Flood , Jimmy Tobias , Sophie Kern , Katie Huszcza.
Em, do you have a ground guide when you back your vehicle up? A ground guide is not required! BUT you are to stay atleast 300 foot away from moving equipment unless the operator knows you are there. And by knowing you are there I mean that you need to have radio communication, in-person verbal acknowledgement, or hand gesture acknowledgement.
WHAT IF the highwall miner would have started to tram when these activists where in the way? WHAT IF the loader operator hadn’t seen them and ran them over? WHAT IF the highwall would have slipped and covered them up?
AGAIN, machines have BLINDSPOTS, think about it!!!
Anyone that works in heavy equipment knows you are required by OSHA to have a ground guide when backing up. Or is this just another “rule” that the mining industry chooses to ignore? And you can “what if” all day….what if we stopped ripping the mountains apart and actually used the technology that is available for cleaner energy production….??? What if people took their blinders off and pulled their heads out of their butts and realized we have to stop destroying life for money?
Oh and by the way here is a copy and paste out of an OSHA guide for operating heavy equipment…
“Provide trained spotters or signal persons to alert operators to workers or pedestrians
in the blind spots of the equipment – including workers in trenches or manholes.”
That is for moving of equipment when in a heavily occupied area. Spotters arent required when working in a designated spot.