The well-attended global event, scheduled for April 7-8 at the Charleston Civic Center, will bring together national and international leaders from industry, unions and government to find solutions to challenges facing the industry.

“The purpose of the symposium is to keep pace with technology advancements in safety,” WJU sponsored programs vice-president and former US Mine Safety and Health Administration assistant secretary J Davitt McAteer said.

“This commitment arose from horrible tragedies with human cost; our only goal here is to make mining safer. This is a unique forum where the mining companies, union representatives and industry can come together to share ideas.”

Making this gathering unique is that international panelists convene for the purpose of sharing ideas about mining and technology in their respective countries. Panelists from other industries can also discuss innovations that could potentially have a benefit to the overall mining industry.

In addition to scheduled panel discussions, the symposium is offering an exhibit area where some of the industry’s latest technologies and cutting-edge research will be on display.

“Innovation is the key to a major breakthrough in mine safety,” McAteer said.

“We know that we can make mining safer for everyone involved and we are bound and determined to do this.”

The International Mining Health and Safety Symposium was first held at Wheeling Jesuit University, then was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, before returning to West Virginia this year.

The event, which is financially sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, was initially scheduled for late last year but was postponed.

Keep reading ILN for more details on the event as they become available.