Sago Mine violations and citations

According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration:

Sago Mine had 208 alleged violations of federal mine rules in 2005, a number higher than normal for a mine of its size.

The 208 violations included 18 orders shutting down parts of the mine until alleged violations were corrected, but none serious enough to shutter the entire operation.

89 citations and orders, or nearly 43 percent, assessed the lowest possible penalty of $60 each, and none exceeded $1,000.

96 citations were rated ''significant and substantial."

The mine's injury rate among employees per hours worked of 17.4 in 2005 is nearly three times higher than the national average of 6.54.

International Coal Group Inc., the owner, says it inherited many of the safety problems when it purchased the mine and has been working to correct the violations.

According to Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration records:

International Steel Group Inc. employees filed 665 claims for mostly minor work-related injuries during the company's existence, a number steel unions say is far less than under previous ownership.

There were four complaints filed against the company stemming from inspections at operations in Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Three of them were safety related, but details of the records were not available because the cases were closed.

SOURCE: Associated Press