The Pace Zenith awards reward companies that show leadership in engineering and technological excellence and innovation across nine industries.

Coal Services’ VRT [virtual reality training] unit works in conjunction with other Coal Services business units, such as Mine Rescue, to provide a virtual learning environment for trainers to use as part of their mining training courses.

VRT works by ensuring quick and easy transfer of trainees from a virtual environment to a real work site with minimal disruption and no down time, which helps mine workers and operators who are required to perform potentially dangerous tasks in hazardous environments without the risk of injury.

The use of the virtual reality in industry training has made an important contribution to the NSW mining industry’s emergency preparedness and emergency response training.

Coal Services managing director Mark Coyne said he commended the work of the VRT.

“The use of the VRT in conjunction with Mines Rescue class room and simulator training is second to none,” Coyne said.

“It is Coal Services’ commitment to continual improvement and safety that will ensure that VRT, as part of Coal Services, will remain leaders in developing innovative engineering software for the betterment of the Coal Industry worldwide.”

Coal Services’ Bruce Dowsett and Matt Farrelly accepted the award on the company’s behalf last Thursday.