Violations of federal safety rules are common at many underground coal mines. Most are relatively insignificant and are corrected swiftly.

But sometimes Mine Safety and Health Administration officials identify a pattern of repeated violations, including many that display "high or reckless disregard." When that happens, the mines are designated as pattern violators. Last year, just four mines in the country received pattern violator notices.

On Monday, two men died in an accident at one of them, the Brody Mine No. 1 in Boone County, W.Va.

Pattern violator status enables the MSHA to shut down areas of mines where insufficient progress has been made in reducing safety violations. That step is taken rarely.

But the fatalities on Monday raise an obvious question: Should the MSHA be more strict in dealing with pattern violator mining companies?

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