The grants, announced February 16, are part of a larger $7.9 million initiative for the 2006 fiscal year. Last month, the agency announced another $4 million would be dispersed to 20 US states for miner training, including $500,000 to West Virginia to help pay for mine rescue training, certifications of safety and assistance with its Mine Safety Program.
MSHA acting administrator David Dye said the fatalities in West Virginia have highlighted miner health and safety as an imperative topic for workers nationwide. “This grant money will enable thousands of miners to become even better prepared to deal with the conditions they encounter in their work,” he said.
The monies, the agency said, are often used by states to develop visual training aids such as DVDs while others use it to produce training plans to keep operations in compliance with federal regulations. Other past uses have included accident prevention, mine emergency operations, ventilation and worker certifications.
The $834,431 grant includes the following states and award amounts, which are managed by state mine inspection offices, state branches of the Department of Labor or state-funded colleges and universities:
Alaska, $42,974;
Connecticut, $41,996;
Connecticut (for Rhode Island), $8927;
Florida, $155,134;
Mississippi, $57,948;
Nevada, $220,704;
New Jersey, $47, 527;
Oklahoma, $97,646;
Oregon, $98,945; and
South Carolina, $62,630.
The grants, the agency noted, may be used for the training and retraining of workers at both surface and underground operations and for coal, metal and non-metal mines.
MSHA has concentrated much effort to mine safety and health issues as of late. It announced last week it has joined forces with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to hold an international mining health and safety conference at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia on April 20-22.
The event will spotlight mine equipment approvals, the acceleration of the implementation of technologies, and will also provide the opportunity for developers and manufacturers to demonstrate products that can aid in this effort, the agency said.
