US mining sector announce Stand Down for Safety Day

Initiative takes place on 20 July with focus on powered haulage equipment.

The US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MHSA) has called a national Stand Down for Safety Day on Tuesday 20 July.

The initiative comes after figures from the MSHA reveal nine miners have died and 185 have been injured in the last 12 months from accidents involving powered haulage equipment.

The MHSA hopes the day, focused on powered haulage and vehicle rollovers, will help educate miners and ultimately save lives and prevent injuries. It will also see all levels of MHSA enforcement staff visit mines to meet miners and operators, affirming the need to comply with best safety practices.

Commenting, IOM3 Vice President and Chair of the Mining Technology Division, Christine Blackmore FIMMM, hopes the US-based initiative can transcend national mining borders. “Every worker deserves to go home safe at the end of each day,” she urges, “which is why the MSHA Stand Down for Mining Day is such an important campaign. It affirms why the sector should protect its most important asset – the miner.”

For more information go to www.msha.gov/poweredhaulage