By TODD GOTTULA
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – The Nebraska Safety Center has received a ,168 grant to train new workers and contractors in Nebraska’s mining industry.
The grant from the Mine Safety and Health Administration helps the Safety Center offer training that focuses on electrical safety, lockout/tagout, proper handling of machinery and materials, hazard communication chemical safety, and first aid.
The Safety Center has administered statewide safety training for miners for 31 years, with its emphasis being injury and accident prevention.
“This program continues to expand and currently trains more than 350 miners annually,” said Mick Anderson, Safety Center operations manager. “The goal of the grant is to provide quality training to increase awareness for the protection of life, health and property of those working in mining environments.”
Nebraska has more than 200 mines. The state’s mines are sand and gravel, uranium, surface and underground limestone, clay and cement. The uranium mine is located in the northwest part of the state, and the limestone, cement and clay mines are located in eastern Nebraska. Sand and gravel operations include dry and wet processes.
All new miners and any contractors are required to complete 24 hours of New Miner Training to be eligible to work on site in Nebraska. The Safety Center provides 16 hours of this training, and the remaining eight hours must be site specific or task training.
In addition, eight hours of training through an annual refresher course is required by all individuals on mine sites within a 12-month period.
“With ever-changing regulatory and environmental exposures to Nebraska miners, it is imperative that the Safety Center continues to update training programs and monitor MSHA, Nebraska and industry standards,” Anderson said.
For more information about the Safety Center’s miner training, visit www.unk.edu/msha or call 308.865.8258.
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Writer: Todd Gottula, Director of Communications, 308.865.8454, gottulatm@unk.edu
Source 1: Darla Morris, Nebraska Safety Center, 308-865-8267
Source 2: Mick Anderson, 308.865.8256, andersonmd@unk.edu
