* Did not have a standard process for its district offices to approve and review roof control plans

* Did not give district managers criteria to determine if submitted data was valid and to conduct risk assessments

* Was not required to approve "standard operating procedure" guidelines established by individual district offices

* Has not required mines to use computer models developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to evaluate pillar stability

* Did not have a mechanism to receive mine inspection reports from the Bureau of Land Management

At Denver district office

* Could not show it exercised care in reviewing Crandall Canyon's roof control plan; no evidence that 12 of 20 points in standard operating plan were followed

* No evidence MSHA reviewed plan as mine conditions changed over time

* Relied on roof control supervisor's knowledge and experience with retreat mining and did not document the specific criteria used to approve Crandall Canyon's plan

* Could not show the mine operator gave miners required instruction about roof control plans

* Local MSHA inspectors say their input not sought on Crandall Canyon roof control changes

* Assistance not sought from roof control specialists at MSHA's technical support center

* Did not pay attention to available seismic information about "bumps" in Utah's coal country

At Price field office

* Inspectors failed to document the work they performed in regular inspections and the basis for their conclusions regarding safety measures.

* Inspectors did not visit area of North barrier pillar damaged by March "bump," limiting their knowledge of roof control plan's effectiveness in approving work in south pillar

Recommendations

* Develop a rigorous and transparent process for approving, implementing and periodically assessing roof control plans

* Establish criteria for judging the safety of proposed plans

* Conduct a new review of all existing roof control plans

* Create policy governing when nonrescue personnel, such as television camera crews, can be on site during rescue effort

Source: Inspector general's report, U.S. Department of Labor