In order to reduce the chances of a similar tragedy, all the stakeholders (including top management, the government, and unions) should unite their efforts in the pursuit of the common goal.
First and foremost, due to the unique dangers of the operations, the company must provide enhanced safety education to its employees on an obligatory basis. It must ensure that the organization meets all the security standards of the industry. Each mine must have an approved program of training in health issues with a particular number of hours for those who have no experience and those who have been working in mines for a number of years. Miners who want to be assigned to a new position must be obliged to take additional training.
Since the corporation is huge and makes large profits, it is not a problem for its CEO to invest in high-tech tools needed for training, such as various virtual reality simulators that allow acting emergencies, thereby preparing workers for them.
As far as the government’s actions are concerned, first and foremost, it must oblige people who are in charge of blasting operations to obtain a special license for the use of explosives. Since the technology is progressing rapidly, this license cannot be given for the whole lifetime; it must be refreshed every year if the worker is willing to proceed with the blaster’s career. Also, there should be specific courses for mining machinery operations and maintenance in order to ensure that no accident happens due to the failure of the equipment.
The government is the key stakeholder to ensure that efficient safety regulations are put in place to control the industry. Health and safety standards must be closely monitored regardless of the position of the company in the market and its usefulness to the region. Local regulations should be reinforced at the state and federal levels to guarantee that there is no way to keep two sets of books, concealing safety problems and illegal mining operations as Massey does.
It is also the task of the government to make companies invest in new technologies that reduce risks of injury and fatality rates. The case of Massey Energy proves that by neglecting technology updates, a mining company may put at risk people’s lives. That is why it is not enough to encourage sustainability and innovation–they should be made mandatory requirements to the industry. For instance, personal protective equipment is necessary for all workers operating in mines. They must have high-quality radio communication devices to be able to report emergency situations and safety lamps that cannot explode and aggravate the danger. Exploitation infrastructure (gas management, fire alarm, ventilation, etc.) must be improved as well as the technology of blasting. Electronic detonators are must safer than water-based emulsion explosives since there is a system of verifications for the miner to know about all potential problems before firing.
There are much fewer workers, and units can contribute to the improvement of the situation. Nevertheless, they can insist upon replacing operators with machines for the most hazardous operations. Robotized drilling is now widely accepted in a number of mines. Yet, their major role is to prevent concealing accidents from the public. Companies will never improve safety standards as long as no one knows about their activities. Unions must achieve press freedom to inform the population about all the problems that miners have to encounter. Otherwise, the passage of stricter regulation will never be prompted.