At IRJ, we’ve been recently following the disaster at Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine, which resulted in the deaths of 29 hard-working West Virginians. And personally, as an editor covering this sector, and a firm believer in safety in what is a very critical north American industry, I am flabbergasted by the way Massey has responded to the crisis.

We read stories about mining disasters resulting in deaths all the time—but we think to ourselves “it’s a third-world country, they don’t have the same standards” or “maybe it was a fluke”—but this, quite frankly, is forever going to be a dark spot on a very heavy regulated, and predominantly safe industry. We’ve interviewed thousands of miners and executives who not only preach safety to the public, but exercise it from day-to-day, often going above and beyond to make sure that safety is ingrained in workers’ lives—not just mandated from the top down. Then you have the explosion at Upper Big Branch, and it’s a shame, because of the clear lack of cohesiveness between Massey’s public face, and the reality at the company. When your motto says “S-1 means Safety First at Massey Energy Company and it’s not just a slogan. It is our top priority every day. We strive for sustainable excellence in safety and freely share our safety innovations to benefit the entire industry” you should be prepared to back it.

Massey should be putting out an inundation of press releases explaining how this happened, why, and explaining their neglect. Instead, there appears to be a relative lack of care to its PR initiatives.

Through and through. The bottom line is safety. Otherwise you tarnish not just your image, but an industry that needs to thrive.

It’s the worst mine accident in the States since 1970—and should never have happened in the first place.

Hint to Massey’s PR team: take off all of the verbage from the website relating to your safety commitment—you’re not fooling anyone, and right now, no one believes you. The number one rule of thumb, when admitting you’re wrong, is admitting it. Massey should take notes from Maple Leaf Foods, Johnson & Johnson, and other companies who have failed in the safety department, but have restored their credibility with an honest, forthright approach to the public.

http://www.masseyenergyco.com