Disregard For Safety Lead to Preventable Deaths If a corporation such as Massey Energy fails to comply with government regulations when it comes to safety should they be prosecuted for negligence? Massey Energy is a coal-mining corporation whose poor leadership choices led to the most disastrous coal mining tragedy in decades. This disaster resulted in the deaths of twenty-nine coal miners. When twenty-nine employees die due to overlooking safety violations then that company should be held criminally liable for those deaths. After an intense investigation it was determined that the cause of the accident was a result of a failing ventilation system. They company was aware of the problem with the ventilation system, but they were reluctant …show more content…
Upon investigation the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) findings were that the Massey Mining Company was at fault for the explosion in their mine. It was also discovered that the mining company was aiding production of coal above the protection and safety of their miners that ultimately lead to a huge disaster. They had to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and had almost 400 different citations were found. This was the largest mine tragedy in history of the United States. It was never proven without a doubt what the actual cause of the explosion was, but the expert still all agree that the most obvious cause was the build up of methane gas that ignited the coal dust. If the President and CEO of Massey Don Blankenship had implemented and maintained high standards, which their managers and miners were forced to follow then this disaster could have been prevented. The focus should have been on safety of the mines and the workers of those mines. Every successful company stays successful by having a mission and goals set forth by their leadership and if these standards and goals are met then the company runs more efficiently. By adhering to MSHA safety standards Massey could have been just as successful instead they chose to focus on manufacturing coal and making money. Blankenship’s lack of precaution for his employees and choosing revenue over safety are sufficient motives for him to be held morally and ethically liable for the deaths of 29 innocent