Preview

Case Analysis Of The Blast In Centralia No. 5

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1929 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Case Analysis Of The Blast In Centralia No. 5
Midterm Case Analysis: The Blast in Centralia No.5- A Mine Disaster No One Stopped
Question 1 In 1941, Congress authorized that the United States Bureau of Mine to conduct inspections periodically through the mines. During the same year, Governor Green appointed Driscoll Scanlan to become the Illinois state mine inspector. Scanlan went right to work and began inspections in his district, where he concluded that Centralia No. 5 was the worse mine condition within the district. On February 7, 1942, Scanlan wrote his first report on Centralia and found numerous violations and made recommendations. Every three months through 1942 to 1944, Scanlan inspected the mine while adding new recommendations. Those recommendations reported that the mine
…show more content…
First, is Governor Green, his role is state territory where he oversees government budgeting, appoint officials of government, as well as a role in legislation. John Chapman, served as one of the three secretaries for Governor Greene and assisted with mailing. Next is Driscoll Scanlan, who was appointed by Governor Greene to be the Illinois state mine inspector. Scanlan’s role was to inspect and policed the mines to see if they are complying or in violation with the state’s mining law and safety codes. In like manner, Robert Medill, was appointed Director of the Department of Mine and Minerals by Governor Green. The Mining Board implements policy of mining laws, whereas the Director exercises discretionary power to execute the orders of command. Robert Weir, was appointed as alongside Medill as the Assistant Director of the Department by Governor Green. On the other hand, William Rowekamp served as the recording secretary for Local 52 at Centralia and wrote many of the complaints from the mine. Then there is William Young, the operating vice-president of the Bell & Zoller empire whose role is to oversee the operation of the mines. Mine Manager Brown’s role was to manage and administer the Centralia Company. Superintendent Prudent’s role was to manage and supervise the companies activities. Superintendent Niermann later replaced Prudent when he resigned from the company. Ben Schull and Murrell Reak, …show more content…
First, to implement control strategies would be to hire researcher who are knowledgeable about mine explosions. They would be responsible for sampling and testing substances that can prevent an explosion from happening or containing them as much as possible. For example, seals can be created as a barrier to contain an explosion so that a chain reaction won’t occur. Limestone powder used as rock dusting absorbs heat and reduce the intensity of an explosion. Another example, would be to install a sprinkler to keep things wet or ventilator to collect the gas and dust fumes. It is equally important to not to appoint people who you know but based on their contribution and experience in the field that they know the needs of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Coal dust accumulated everywhere, reducing visibility, complication ventilation, and making life miserable for workers.” (Hartley and Kenney) Surely Scanlan did his research on the other inspections done on the mine so with that information he could have helped those poor miners. The miners needed him to make the right decision on there behalf and he failed them just like Manager Brown, the coal company itself the state and Governor Green. It was unfortunate that the miners lost there lives in the way they did because it could have been prevented. The miners needed there job at the mine to support their family so they went there everyday hoping they returned home. They were certainly backed into a corner and needed help from someone and they never got…

    • 1199 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Centralia No 5

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Scanlan addressed many issues concerning the safety of all of the employees and ways he felt that they could be resolved. Scanlan could have addressed some other issues as well, in hopes that he would get anyone to know what the dangers of what he was finding out. Scanlan investigated the mine over and over again several times and he should have addressed the fact that too many workers were in the mine at a time. The special commissions did their investigation, and they found that there should be “no more than a hundred men working on a single split, or current, of air” (Stillman, 2010). The second thing that Scanlan could have investigated was Ben Schull and the issue of wanting to remove the valuable information concerning the mine needing a sprinkler system, to offset the duct from all of his reports. What Scanlan should have done as soon as he found out was to report Mr. Schull to the Mining Board immediately, and if they don’t do anything then Scanlan needed to go to someone in a higher authority. He should have done this to ensure someone will know that the miners would be in serious trouble. The third thing that Scanlan could have addressed was the fact that special commission investigated the mine; no one was informed of the date of the appointment. It was up to them to make sure that the Union knew of when their investigation was going to take place. By not doing so they were considered to be unprofessional, because the commission should have had the workers show them all of the current charges that were put forth against the mine. The forth and the last thing that Scanlan could have addressed was the reported findings of a possible explosion to other professional but all failed to follow the safety procedures and allowed the men…

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Beginning in 1941, Scanlan's reports of "excessive coal dust" in the Centralia No. 5 mine were sent to Robert Medill, the Director of the Department of Mines and Minerals, and handled as "routine" by Robert Weir, the Assistant to the Director. All three positions were appointed by the Governor, Dwight H. Green. Also in 1941, the U.S. Bureau of Mines began making inspections of mines. The first inspection of Centralia No. 5 was in September 1942. However, only the State of Illinois had any power to enforce compliance, and reports from the Bureau there¬fore had primary significance as further documentation in the hands of the Department of Mines and…

    • 1166 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Assignment Task E

    • 682 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Make sure a fire risk assessment of the building has been done buy a specialist. Also make sure that all safe have had fire prevention training. Good housekeeping making sure that everything is clean and tidy, so therefore nothing can set a light. Keep chemicals in fire proof cabinets. If there was a fire in the building the first thing to do is ring the fire brigade and set the fire alarm off so you can let everyone in the building know…

    • 682 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Southern Discomfort

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages

    | 1. Involve workers in creating management decisions / get their buy ins 2. Form a team that will formulate ideas on how they can make the work environment safe.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Security Plan

    • 1484 Words
    • 6 Pages

    | Work with local law enforcement authorities as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation crime unit within the area to determine protocols for evaluating bomb threats and procedures for evacuations. Develop procedures for actual evacuations. Set up safety and response teams to help the evacuation and the response process run as soon as smooth and safe as possible.…

    • 1484 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    my country

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Coordinating people, machinery and equipment to achieve optimal production in accordance with mine plan priorities.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Piper Alpha Disaster

    • 2561 Words
    • 11 Pages

    The disaster was caused by a massive fire, which wasn’t predicted. Most of them have been implemented in the organization, it’s structure and procedures. This research analyzes the scenario of an accident, using a risk analysis that determines how human decisions and actions affect the occurrence of major events, and then identifies the roots of the organizational decisions and actions. The organizational factors are common to other industrial and technical systems. This include deficiencies in the guidelines for project design and methods such as strenuous physical linkage or insufficient excess, misguided priorities in the management of the exchange between…

    • 2561 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    References: Historical Archive of Arouca, K section: Control of the Economic Activities, Mining Register – Books 415…

    • 1752 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Government has to make strict regulations for the industry to have a proper maintenance and upgrade its safety measurements, which does not harm any one. The government has to play key role in managing the environmental conditions it has bring awareness to the people about the problems that are faced in environment situations. It has to support the labour association of the company to aid the employees for their safety programs by conducting campaign that appreciates the industries to drive the success in safety and…

    • 942 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Fluor Hanford Case.

    • 1839 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Other agencies overseeing Hanford in the 1940’s and during the Cold War were Manhattan Engineer District U.S Army, Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Energy which took control in 1977. Among the contracted site managers we can list E.I DuPont de Nemours Company and General Electric, Westinghouse, Bechtel Hanford, and others. These companies or agencies are mentioned because of their responsibility in contributing to the precarious state of affairs Fluor encountered when it took over site management responsibilities at Hanford.…

    • 1839 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    2. The chief adminstrator was the Bristish Governor in K.L and assisted by the Executive and Logislative Councils.…

    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    PHILIPPINE MINING LAW

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Chapter XI of Republic Act 7942, states that “all contractors and permittees shall strictly comply with all the mines safety rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the Secretary concerning the safe and sanitary upkeep of the mining operations and achieve waste-free and efficient development.…

    • 1134 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    singapore

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages

    2. The chief adminstrator was the Bristish Governor in K.L and assisted by the Executive and Logislative Councils.…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Three explosions went off in the Indian capital of New Delhi on 29 October 2005, which killed more than 60 people and injured at least 200 others. The high number of casualties made…

    • 2451 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays