Justice-owned plant faces fines for safety violations

A West Virginia mining operation owned by Gov. Jim Justice faces fines of more than $10,000 for six safety violations following a workers' fatal fall in Februar...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia mining operation owned by Gov. Jim Justice faces fines of more than $10,000 for six safety violations following a workers’ fatal fall in February.

The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training says 43-year-old Jason Kenneth Matthews of Bluefield, Virginia, fell from a ladder while attempting repairs inside the McDowell County coal preparation plant.

State inspectors cited failures to provide training records for Matthews and another miner and within 24 hours all accident details, plus failures to ensure employees wear safety harnesses, that all ladders are properly secured and that repairs aren’t performed with equipment running.

A company official told authorities conveyor belts needed to be moving to do the repair and Matthews didn’t use a fall-protection harness as he was trained.

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Congress Budget

    Speaker Johnson postpones vote on a bill to avoid a partial government shutdown

    Read more
    Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

    Postmaster general is confident about ability to process mail-in ballots

    Read more
    (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)An aerial view of the Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia.

    Navy recruiting rebounds, but it will miss its target to get sailors through boot camp

    Read more