Training and education are major components of our approach to protect miners’ safety and health at the Mine Safety and Health Administration. We designed the annual Training Resources Applied to Mining Conference — known as TRAM — for mine safety trainers, compliance specialists, and industry leaders to learn about new training models, share the latest safety research, and discuss practical experience.
Held at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in West Virginia on Nov. 4-6, the theme of this year’s conference is “Safe Mines, Strong Futures” to address the critical need to improve safety programs within our nation’s growing mining industry.
The workshops, which are currently in development, will cover cutting-edge topics tailored for mine safety trainers to improve work practices and safety programs, reduce work-related injury and illnesses, and connect with compliance assistance resources.
For example, last year we were excited to host several workshops on technology-based solutions. These give miners training repetitions that build their confidence when reacting to hazardous situations that would be impossible to replicate in the real world.
- The University of Arizona shared Escaped! — a multi-player training game that tests trainees’ reactions to hazardous events such as fires, inundations, and ground failures in underground and surface mines.
- The University of Kentucky demonstrated a hazard recognition program that taught trainers how to use a camera to create 360-degree training scenarios tailored to specific work locations and mining tasks.
- The CDC, NOISH, and the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division led a workshop on their Virtual Reality-Mine Rescue Training program. It tests mine rescue trainers and team members on solving the physical and analytical components of mine rescue operations.
Miners have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. We must all do our part to prevent accidents, injuries, and illnesses, and will continue to look for ways to ensure America’s miners have the training and tools they need to stay safe and healthy every day.
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Editor’s note: Have ideas on protecting miners? Share your original health and safety training material with the mining industry through MSHA’s training materials competition — the winners will be announced at TRAM. Submit your Training Materials Competition Entry Packet by Sept. 1.
Julie Ann Schmidt is the chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration. Follow MSHA on X at @MSHA_DOL and on Facebook at @MineSafetyAndHealth.
