Through the Brookwood-Sago program, the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration is distributing $1,250,000 in grants to seven mining organizations offering education and training within the industry.

With this funding, the organizations are to further develop and implement training and related materials to prepare for mining emergencies and prevent underground accidents.

"We can never overemphasize the importance of training, especially in the area of mine emergency response," says Joseph Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "These grants will enable organizations that are dedicated to mine safety to develop programs that may one day save miners' lives."

Grants are being distributed to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden to provide training to mine rescue teams focusing on better technical, communications and decision-making skills for teams and individuals at the incident command center as well as Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill., that is to offer mine emergency response and rescue skills training for the region's mine rescue teams.

The University of Arizona in Tucson is also receiving the grant test and evaluate the effectiveness of computer software simulations for mine emergency preparedness in New Mexico, Utah and Colorado while Bevill State College in Sumiton, Ala., is receiving the grant to develop a high-quality day-in-the-life educational video. Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., is another recipient that is to create a computer program that performs ventilation network planning calculations while simulating a mine's ventilation system and its response to modified ventilation parameters.

Pennsylvania State University in University Park is receiving the grant to implement a training program featuring a webcast and modules while the United Mine Workers of America Career Centers Inc. in Washington, Pa., is responsible for creating a training program that educates miners on mine map reading, symbol recognition, escape ways and basic mine ventilation.

These training grants, which were established from a mandate in the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, are given based on a 12-month performance period, and applicants must be either a state or nonprofit organization.

Instant Insights /

MSHA awards $1.25 million toward mine safety grants

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