More than 100 vendors and a still untallied number of attendees converged upon the David L Lawrence Convention Center this week for the annual show, with this year’s theme being “Preparing for the Future”.

While exhibitors lined the main floor, technical sessions were also conducted with diverse topic offerings. The keynote session, held Tuesday, was entitled “Looking Forward – A National Perspective on Mine Safety” and featured National Mining Association senior vice-president Bruce Watzman and industry attorney Mark Savit.

Session Two, held Tuesday afternoon, was themed “Safe Practices” and featured a mix of research and industry presenters. John Kovac of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) presented on self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) technology and its associated capacities and challenges, as well as some NIOSH/Mine Safety and Health Administration joint programs that have commenced to examine use and training processes at operations.

Fellow NIOSH researcher William Monaghan offered a discussion to the crowd – which averaged about 40 people for each session of each day – about underground flame cutting and welding, some of the factors that caused past accidents, and how operations and workers may go about preventing future such incidents.

The stage was then taken by two OEM leaders, Joy and DBT America, to share information on products in their respective lines that combat some hazards that are more prevalent underground.

The discussion of Joy Mining’s Bob Schoen focused primarily on the company’s WetHead Continuous Miner Cutterhead, the design of which combats the inherently dangerous element of coal dust. Following Schoen was Todd Burchett of DBT America, illustrating the properties and advantages of DBT’s Exalon conveyor roll, which the company said is flame-resistant.

The third session, which commenced Wednesday morning, was entitled “The Mine Manager and New Miner Training” and was designed for mine managers to obtain a large amount of information on miner training in a compressed period of time. Moderated by MSHA’s James Baugher, the session kicked off with Jeffrey Duncan, also of MSHA, who talked about how operations can improve training at their mines.

“Front-End Analysis, the Place to Start” followed, presented by two more MSHA colleagues, Paul Bizich and Don Conrad, focusing on Job Training Analysis (JTA) and the benefits mines can take from its use.

Two examples of existing training programs were also showcased for attendees: first by Wild Cat Hills Mine safety manager Max Haney, who outlined Black Beauty Coal’s practices; then by Consol Energy training and development manager Robert Klatt, who showcased a new safety and health program that the company is developing.

Wrapping up Wednesday were George Mason University professor Nada Dabbagh, presenting “Innovative and Just-In-Time Training for Coal Miners”, and NIOSH’s Bill Wiehagen, a certified mine safety professional and industrial engineer, speaking on the topic of “On-The-Job Training, Supervisors Role in Developing Job Skills”. A fire prevention workshop, led by Phoenix First Response and with international representation from the US and Australia, was held Wednesday afternoon.

The final day of the annual event’s technical programs began under the heading of “New Coal Mining Technology” with DBT America’s James Coe discussing the advantages of dual-motor propulsion for battery-powered utility vehicles.

Joy Mining’s Bill Haughey then took the stage for his presentation on the benefits of high voltage continuous miners, including comparisons to low and medium voltage and scenarios involving the shock hazards of all three that showed the clear advantages of the high-voltage design.

Closing up the session were Cam Taylor of Amphenol Fiber Systems International and Mike Muse of Joy Mining. Taylor’s presentation focused on the use of fibre optics to improve mine safety, communications and productivity, while Muse’s talk illustrated variable frequency AC drive impacts underground.

As those exhibitors on the main floor began to disassemble on the final day, there was a general feeling of happiness with the event’s results, with several internationally based representatives commenting on a steady flow of people throughout each of the three days and a sufficient opportunity to interact with industry colleagues. One vendor new to the event said: “It surpassed my expectations. A good mix [of people].”

The next event, in which the bi-annual Longwall USA will rejoin the line-up, has been set for June 5-7, 2007 at the same venue.