Public Administrators are valuable to the operation and function of not only all levels of government but also a number of interest groups, not for profit organizations, and associations. In a democratic society public administrators are the eyes and ears of the people. So in order to provide for the general public a given public administrator must possess solid conceptual, technical, and human skills. Having the ability to work with and get others to work together effectively, understanding the systematic actions to accomplish a task, and the ability to view and understand the organization as a whole are at the cusp of an operationally successful organization. This brings us Centralia No. 5 and its operational shortcomings. Driscoll Scanlan will be our main focus as we examine: (a) other logistical alternatives that could have been addressed; (b) analyze his motivation toward the Constitution, bureaucracy, and obligation; and (c) other possible modes of actions that could have taken place to prevent such a disaster.
Logistical Alternatives Scanlan was a man of relentless integrity, but, with all of his efforts he failed in an administrative sense to prevent such a terrible disaster from occurring. We examine what could have been done, and take a closer look into what other alternative logistically he could have taken. Mine fires are an insidious, persistent, and often nearly invisible threat to local health and to the natural and built environment (Ohlson, 2010). In the mining process , workers operate in the semi-enclosed space in several hundred meters underground faced with high temperatures, humidity, noise, dust, harmful gases such as harsh natural environment, the operating environment is poor, work hours are long, lighting is poor, which are extreme likely to make workers mood swings produce operational errors and leard to accidents (WU You-jun, 2010). As an inspector Scanlan understood not only what problems persisted but he also understood what steps to take to rectify issues that ultimately engulfed Centralia No. 5. We start by proposing a plan that Scanlan could have attempted to implement. This plan may not have yielded immediate results but with time would have improved the condition of the mines and the culture amongst its workers. To start he could have accomplished this by: (a) redefining organizational goals. As an inspector, as aforementioned, Scanlan was very aware of Centralia’s day to day operations. It goes without mentioning that Centralia No. 5 undoubtedly had goals but obviously these goals were geared toward achieving the wrong results. By redefining Centralia’s goals Scanlan could have developed a plan to clearly and concisely determine what the mine as a whole was trying to achieve. To not only achieve success by the amount of coal it produced but to also lay the groundwork for how they could achieve a better work environment for themselves. Another logistical alternative that could have been addressed is (b) obtaining and allocating necessary resources. Who better to know the needs of the workers and the needs of the mine itself than the inspector? And Scanlan wasn’t just any inspector; he was an extremely respected inspector in the coal mining industry. The inspectors would gain a better understanding of what was needed as a result of conducting their inspections. After the inspection takes place they would report their findings to the mine managers who would in turn address these material needs. The third logistical alternative is: (c) effectively utilizing human resources. Coal mines are inherently dangerous places to work (Maag, 2010). Safety was important for all who worked at Centralia No. 5, and including a safety training would have not only increased the workers awareness of the continuous dangers they faced, but it would have also created preparedness. By developing an emergency evacuation strategy in the case of an explosion some lives could have been saved. In a work environment where dangers are ever present there must be modes of safety to counterbalance what dangers could occur. This could also be referenced as damage control. Lastly, the final alternative is: (d) monitoring, evaluating, and redirecting the work of the miners. It was a known fact that the mine was undermanned at times. Many of the miners would often not report to work, in part due to the poor working conditions. Some of the few clean up attempts would occur during the weekend, but with workers not showing up during required work days it was difficult to get them to work during the weekend. Scanlan could have proposed a more structured system to monitor the work and effectiveness of the workers. By conducting evaluations a standard could be set for what’s expected of each worker and what would be considered reasonable results. Conducting these evaluations would enforce safer production and thereby lower accident rates as suggested by Boden (1985). Also, Scanlan could have suggested the redirecting of duties amongst the workers. By doing this a new job title with specific duties could have been established with the main focus of maintaining mine cleanliness. These individuals would be tasked with cleaning the mine on a daily basis according to work schedule. This would contribute to better work conditions, health of the workers within the mine, and deter any possible dangers that may occur.
Scanlan’s Motivation Driscoll Scanlan had many years of experience in the coal mining industry. Scanlan’s had a very adamant motivation toward the Constitution. After Robert Medill made several appeals and even threats to Scanlan to “water” down reports Scanlan remained unwavering in his decision to continue to report the harsh conditions that being continuously overlooked. Scanlan disregarded these attempts by Medill and reported to the Department of Mines and Minerals every three months faithfully. In this case his persistence showed he was willing to continue to push for change to achieve a hope that far exceeded a single individual’s capability. By doing this he felt obligated. Obligated to follow the law and continue to report the dangers the miners and he faced on a daily basis.
Paths of Action One path of action that Scanlan could have embarked upon was to report his findings to the state representative. His reports were not being taken as serious as they should have been by the Department of Mines and Minerals. After Scanlan had noticed that nothing was being done to solve any of the problems that Centralia was enduring he should have taken it upon himself to report this to the representative. Another path that Scanlan could have taken was to report this to Governor Green. Governor Green had appointed Scanlan after receiving the recommendation from the state representative from the district. By reporting this to Green he could have increased the awareness of the dangerous conditions within the mine on a federal level. Even though at the federal level nothing could have been enforced it would have created such political heat that an immediate solution would have to have been discovered. Coal mining was very important to the state of Illinois economically and was pivotal to politics within the state. In conclusion, Scanlan could have done more, but with the obstacles he faced he was left with his hands tied. There should have been immediate action taken, but ultimately there are numerous individuals who are accountable for the lives of those that were lost in Centralia No. 5 on that terrible day. This case stresses the importance of effective and skillful public administrators who manage with the utmost concern of its workers well being.