MSHA Monthly Inspections: Helping Ensure the Safety of Every American Miner

To cap a rather good campaign in 2013, the US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has released the latest report about their impact inspections for the last month of the year. 

Photo from inside.mines.edu

MSHA’s Monthly Inspections: What’s In It?

This monthly inspection began in April 2010 after an explosion happened at the Upper Big Branch Mine. These accidents involve mines that are quite notorious for their poor compliance with the MSHA’s requirements. Through these inspections, the MSHA are able to detect various violations and thus recommend a course of action to the Labor Department to be able to eliminate these hazards. This in turn helps ensure the safety of the miners in the workplace.



MSHA’s December 2013 Inspection Results

Conducted on December 11, 2013, the MSHA made an impact inspection while in the day shift of Hanover Resources LLC’s Caymus Mine in Boone County West Virginia. According to their inspection, the MSHA has noticed seven “unwarrantable failure orders”, as well as six 104 (a) citations in the first-ever impact inspection at the mine.


Also, the MHSA has conducted another impact inspection this time it was held at the Veris Gold U.S.A. Inc’s Jerritt Canyon Mill in Elko County, Nevada. The Mill received 61 citations that included unsafe working habits for employees that have endangered their lives.


Need for Continuous Inspections

As a way to protect their employees while in the workplace, a mining operator should adhere to the MSHA directed safety guidelines to help ensure the health and well-being of their talents. Meeting these criteria also makes it easier and safer for employees to perform their jobs promoting workplace safety and the avoidance of accidents. With the tremendous, overwhelming amounts of danger that one may encounter while in a mining site, employees need these companies to adhere to the MHSA’s guidelines. This way the occurrence of accidents in the workplace can be minimized and workers would not end up getting hurt or killed.


In cases where one person gets hurt because of these violations an employee can sue their employer by seeking the help of a Los Angeles employment attorney and filing the right employment charges against them. That is why as workers, you should be made aware of what your rights are so you can protect yourself from abuse and get the things that you truly deserve, like fair treatment and pay, as well as a good working conditions conducive for productivity and success.

What actually is “Reasonable Accommodation”

Employment discrimination has been continuously occurring in spite of the implementation of different employment laws that cater to the interest and protection of employees. Taking into account reasonable accommodation, it is defined as allowing an employee with disability to perform specific function in the same manner as employees with disability.

Meanwhile, an employer carries the responsibility of making reasonable accommodations for the employee’s disability. In other words, an employer is the one who must make adjustments in order to fit the interest of the disabled employee.

Reasonable accommodations often include:

·   Restructuring the job or duties to allow the disabled employee to do the job

·   Permitting the disabled employee to have vacation for medical reasons

·   Providing the disabled employee with a qualified reader or interpreter

·   Changing the work schedule to suit the comfort of the disabled employee

·   Putting in special equipment to help the employee do his or her duties, such as wheelchairs and ramps

·   Allowing the disabled employee to take additional unpaid leave for medical purposes

·   Moving the disabled employee to a vacant position or to a temporary light-duty position

Proving that the Employer Committed Wrongful Termination

It may be still questionable if the United States is able to keep up to its words of being a nation that seeks to uphold equality among its people. Right now, inhumane acts still thrive in various parts of the country. One example is the wrongful termination California had been experiencing for years. Due to the at-will employment policy implemented within the state, there had been a lot of complaints made by employees who were distraught over the way their employers maltreated them.

The reckless actions of these people must be reported to authorities and be given its due punishment so that workers could receive their justice. Any employee who had a bad experience of either being humiliated or subjected to different acts as a result of the wrongful termination California employers had placed on them therefore has the right to file for a lawsuit.

                                                                                                                                         

Wrongful termination is depicted as the invalid dismissal of a worker from their position due to their gender, race, status or nationality. The whole goal of the lawsuit is to clearly show that the act done by the employer was due to the aforementioned reasons and not based on the actual performance of the employee. Some employers must realize that finding a job is not that easy these days and through their unjustifiable act, a lot of lives that seeks support from the laborer could be in jeopardy.

Basic Steps to Oppose Employment Discrimination

Employment discrimination is defined as an act of unfair or unfavorable treatment of any member of the company as to which then affects his or her job performance. Discrimination can be based on a person’s preference on gender, religion, natural origin, color, race, age, or disability.

The following are the important considerations if you feel that you are a subject of employment discrimination in your workplace. These will help you in any way as to how you should be reacting to such occurrence.

Let the offender know. There are times wherein the person who is doing something to you is not aware that you find his or her conduct offensive. Hence, you have to let him or her know about it. The next level of complaint shall take place if the offender does not stop even if apprehended by the victim.

Follow the company procedure. This is important if you want to pursue legal actions against the wrongdoer. If your employer has set particular processes as regards filing a complaint, then it is imperative to conform to it. However, if there is none, you have to raise the complaint to your immediate boss.

File an administrative charge. You will need the help of a government agency in the event that nothing happens to your protest within your office. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the human or civil rights enforcement agency is normally in charge with this type of claim. Such agencies will most likely investigate your claim and will strive to resolve it by negotiating with your employer.

In addition, you may also consult a lawyer and have your case evaluated. You may ask whether or not your situation will entitle you to bring the case to the court.

Meanwhile, employment discrimination can be, at least prevented if not stopped, if you do something to oppose it. Besides, the aforementioned processes are not too much for you to do and will not cause you any harm as long as you are not violating any legal matters.