I’m keeping you, the Cooks and all the family-member victims of workplace deaths in my prayers especially today, Workers’ Memorial Day.

Celeste

We find ourselves continuing to be frustrated by MSHA’s system in the death of our son Tyler and his co-worker Craig Bagely at the Rock Creek Mine in Nome, AK on July 19, 2007. We have found the entire MSHA system ill.

1)Their inspections are no more than charades that lull the workers into thinking that someone actually cares about their safety.

2) When(not if) an accident occurs, their investigations are inadequate and they do not have the authority to access the witnesses and information they need to do a complete investigation. They are at the mercy of the people responsible to co-operate.

3) They do not have guidelines as to when the information has to be released to the family. The employers/contractors can cede investigation of the incident to MSHA and then the families are left in a agonizing holding pattern while the statute of limitations clicks by, the equipment is released and valuable details and witnesses disappear.

5) MSHA is more concerned about liability than an accurate report.

6) Families are forced to take matters into their own hands and hire private entities at their own expense to investigate. When the uncover details that refute MSHA’s findings, they do not re-open the matter.

7) MSHA outright lies to the families if they inquire as to the status of the report. In our instance Mr. Stickler answered to Congressman Young and claimed our report was delayed for results of toxicology results when NO toxicology tests were even taken.

6) The victims have to go through the FOIA process repeatedly to remain informed of the progress. We are not entitled to any notices regarding appeals of citations or assessment of penalties.

7) Once they have identified the party they feel is responsible, it takes months for citations to be issued. It has been ten months since our son’s death and the fines have yet to be determined or assessed.

Unfortunately, it is cheaper in the U.S. to pay for the death of a worker than to implement safety procedures. Until the responsible parties are more concerned about taking responsibility for these tragedies and trying to prevent another from happening instead of sweeping them under the rug in hopes of hiding the dirty details, families like the Cooks and us will continue suffer the theft of our loved ones.