US$8.4 million awarded for health and safety training courses

47 states and the Navajo Nation will receive a total of US$8 441 000 in funds to support safety and health training courses and other programmes to reduce mining accidents, injuries and illnesses, the US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced.

Grant recipients will use the funds to provide miners with federally mandated training covering the training of miners working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines, including miners engaged in shell dredging or employed at surface stone, sand and gravel mining operations.

MSHA awarded these fiscal year 2016 grants based on applications from states and other eligible entities.

“This funding will enable educational, governmental and industry organisations across the country to develop training resources and train miners in an effort to ensure they return home – safe and healthy – after every shift,” said Joseph A. Main, Assistant Secretary of labor for mine safety and health.

In addition to safety and health training, some states use these grants to support their mine emergency response efforts and other statutory functions.

Edited from press release by Angharad Lock

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/07072016/us8-million-awarded-for-health-and-safety-training-courses-1084/