Bruce Watzman said the coal mining industry takes seriously its commitment to protect its work force shortly after 14 miners were killed in January in two separate events in West Virginia coal mines.

On behalf of the National Mining Association (NMA) and its member companies in coal and minerals production, I extend, once again, our heartfelt sympathies to the families who lost loved ones. [Such] tragedy leaves no one involved with the industry untouched. Anyone who has worked in a mine - or knows someone who does - feels deep sorrow. It compels all of us in the mining community to work harder toward the one goal we all share: zero fatalities. We join with others … to ensure that out of this tragedy will emerge a stronger resolve and greater cooperation in pursuit of safer mines. Our expectation is that from [public hearings] and from the exhaustive official investigation now underway, we can do better what we've tried hard to do well. I urge that we not create an unproductive atmosphere in which parties feel the need to retreat to their respective corners of the ring and defend themselves. Rather, let us create an atmosphere where we come to the center of the ring, stand together and fight against a common enemy: workplace accidents.

Complementary Goals
The coal mining industry takes seriously its commitment to protect its work force. Since the first oil embargo in the early 1970s, the coal industry has been called upon to provide more coal to meet our nation's energy requirements. We have answered that call while providing a safer working environment for our work force.

Since 1970, coal production has increased by 83 percent and coal mine fatalities have decreased by 92 percent. As we look at the first five years of the 21st century, we see a continuation of the trend that began in the early 1970s - safer coal mining. This demonstrates that safety and productivity are not competing goals, but rather, complementary goals. Working in what are inherently hostile environments, today's mining companies have proven that a well-trained, experienced work force, using state-of-the-art equipment, can accomplish the dual goals of working safely and being productive.

And yet these accomplishments are diminished by what remains to be done and what NMA and its members are committed to working toward. Following a tragedy … statistics understandably pale before the names of those lost.

Strengthened Resolve
[Recent events] have strengthened our resolve to work harder and work smarter at mine safety. This effort must begin with a close and comprehensive examination of current safety and rescue procedures. Concurrent with a well-trained work force and state-of-the-art equipment, the coal industry has incorporated safety management into its business and moral ethic. Safety management comprises four functions: prevention, detection, first response and sustained response. These are not new to the coal industry; we've incorporated them for decades as sound safety practice dictates.

Our ability to further advance coal mine safety and health will require an examination of the structural and technologic hurdles that must be overcome. It will require a commitment to identify and foster the development of 21st-century technology that will perform effectively and reliably in the mining environment.

Technologies such as the introduction of remote control miners, integrated methane monitors on mining equipment, atmospheric monitoring systems, longwall mining systems and canopies on equipment are a few of the advances that have contributed to the industry's improved safety record. Advances in technology have been integral to our safety improvements thus far and will, we believe, contribute to further improve mine safety in the future.

A New Effort
In pursuit of this goal and to ensure a focused and transparent effort, the National Mining Association is announcing the formation of a Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission. The commission will be drawn from safety experts in academia, labor, industry, and public and state agencies for the purpose of examining safety technologies, emergency response and rescue procedures, and training regimes that could significantly enhance safety and rescue conditions in our nation's underground coal mines.

The commission will be chaired by a recognized expert in mine safety, Dr. R. Larry Grayson, chairman and professor of mining and nuclear engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Dr. Grayson will report the commission's preliminary findings to the public and mine safety authorities by July 1, with a final report by the end of this year. We anticipate the commission will examine - among other items - current and new, promising technologies for mine communication, tracking miners' locations, rescue technology and methods to more readily and reliably detect potential safety hazards.

[We] need to maintain a vibrant mining research program within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The tragic events at the Sago Mine underscore this need. The federal government has an important role in technology development - in order to bring safer, new devices to a relatively small market for safety equipment.

In addition to government participation, our industry will continue to examine how new technology and training can be adapted to further improve mine safety performance. We must continue to use the labor/business/government model that has served us well in the past on coal mine safety.

It is especially important for us to continue to work together as partners because coal is an industry with a changing face. Many of the people who joined this industry in the 1970s, and who have built a career producing America's energy, are now retiring. We - government, industry and workers - all must work together to develop programs to train and educate a new generation of employees so that they can have a safe and productive career in an industry vital to this country's energy markets and national interests.

In conclusion, if we work together as partners, and if we focus on improvement, we will continue to advance both the cause of mine safety and the cause of energy security. [Also], I would be remiss if I did not recognize the efforts of those who participated in the [recent] rescue activities. The efforts of these brave and often unheralded rescue team members cannot be minimized. We as an industry are fortunate to have these brave individuals as a part of our mining family. We thank them for their service.

Postscript
Bruce Watzman is vice president of safety and health of the National Mining Association. His remarks were edited from his testimony given Jan. 23 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.

Commenting on his new role as chairman of the mine safety commission, Dr. R. Larry Grayson on Jan. 23 said he “welcomed the opportunity to lead an independent and expert review of how new technologies, procedures and training can be adapted to mining conditions … to further improve the industry's safety performance and rescue capabilities.”

The commission will consist of nine members drawn from academia, public agencies, consulting firms and the mining industry, with expertise in safety and mining technology. “Given the expertise of those on whom I plan to call to join me in this important endeavor,” Grayson said, “I'm confident in our ability to recommend practical ways of utilizing a combination of technology, procedures and training to further enhance mine safety.”  E+P