Quarterly Newsletter for fiscal year 1995 (Issues
1, 2, 3)
Michigan States Grants Mine Safety Training News Letter
Published Quarterly for Michigan's Small Mine Operators
Mining Engineering Department
Michigan Technological University,
Houghton, MI 49931
Manager - Dave Carlson 906/487-2453
Coordinator - Dan Alder 906/487-2272
Department Head - Francis Otuonye 906/487-2610
FAX - 906/487-2495
Contact Mine Safety Training Personnel at the phone numbers above for assistance with
setting up a safety training workshop, locating suitable videos and other training
materials or handouts. Feel free to call us with your other safety-related questions. If
we can't answer them, we will find out.
Michigan States Grants Mine Safety Training Newsletter
Number 1----12/16/94
New Program Manager for FY95.
The Mine Safety Training Program, formerly headquartered in the University's Department of
Public Services and Professional Development, has been moved to the Mining Engineering
Department in the College of Engineering.
David H. Carlson who has managed University research projects on underground mine diesel
emissions for over 20 years is the new Program Manager. Mr. Carlson's goal is to provide
the program's instructors with the latest and best materials and teaching techniques
enabling them to prepare interesting and educational safety classes. The goal is to reduce
on-the-job accidents in Michigan's mines. According to Mr. Carlson: "The mine
operators are our customers and we want to treat them as any successful business would.
Also, the instructors are on the front line and MTU's mission is to provide whatever they
need to become the best in the nation."
Program Advisory Committee Formed.
A Program Advisory Committee was recently selected to consist of people who are
familiar with the past program and who understand the changes needed to accomplish the
above goals. Included on the committee are:
Penny Traver - Safety Director and
Administrative Supervisor, Econex North.
Kenneth Cunningham - Vice President,
Michigan Gypsum Co.
Vic Chicky - Inspector, Mine Safety and
Health Administration.
Richard Tieder, Projects Manager, Institute
of Materials Processing, Michigan
Technological University.
Dan Lacrosse, President of Steelworkers
Local Union, Presque Isle Corp.
The first Advisory Committee meeting was held in Gaylord, MI on November 3, 1994, in which
the new Program Manager was advised of ways to improve the program from the company's
perspective. The program budget was also discussed along with the allocation of existing
project funds. The need for more mine visits and exchanges of information with surrounding
states was brought out as well as the need to purchase and prepare more up-to-date
training materials. The concern was also expressed that the current efforts toward more
cost-effective scheduled training may tend to make the training less mine specific. State
and Federal funding were also discussed, and it appears that these allocations will not
increase while program costs will continue to inflate. A user fee was approved to
supplement the current State and Federal Allocation. Al Simonson of the Minnesota
described their training fee of $25 per miner in attendance. The advisors felt that the
$25 amount was too large and the recommendation was made and accepted by the Program
Manager to seek MSHA and State approval for a smaller fee which would increase the overall
Program budget by 10 to 15 %.
Schedules and Fees for FY 95.
A $15 per person fee would be charged for training, and a minimum fee of $150 for a
training session. A new training schedule would minimize travel-related costs. Companies
training on scheduled days would not be charged for travel-related costs. Companies
requesting special training dates would, in addition to the fee, be charged mileage,
lodging and any other travel-related expenses of the instructor(s).
Because the program is directed at small "Ma and Pa" type mines, mines training
larger numbers would pay the unscheduled training travel costs and would be encouraged to
train at least 20 people per session. A training schedule for 1995 is on the back side of
this page. Smaller companies are encouraged to train together. The schedule divides the
State into the following areas:
1. The Northern part including the Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula north of an
approximate line from Cadillac to Oscoda.
2. The Eastern Lower Peninsula will cover the area surrounding Detroit from Monroe County
in the South to Midland County in the North.
3. The Western Lower Peninsula will cover the area from south of Kalamazoo to North of
Grand Rapids and will include the Benton Harbor Area.
4. The Mid-Michigan area will cover the area from south of Lansing to north of Mount
Pleasant.
For training arrangements please call the Coordinator at 906/487-2272. We will be as
flexible as possible to accommodate the needs of our clients. Any concerns about program
performance, questions about fees or requests for special services should be addressed to
the Program Manager at 906/487-2453. Scheduled classes will be canceled where no one signs
up 1 week in advance.
Michigan States Grants Mine Safety Training Newsletter
Number 2---4/2/95
Contact Mine Safety Training Personnel at the phone numbers above for assistance with
setting up a safety training workshop, locating suitable videos and other training
materials or handouts. Feel free to call us with your other safety-related questions. If
we can't answer them, we will find out.
Mine Safety and Health Seminars Feature Electrical and Brake Safety
Electrical and Brake Safety were the main emphasis at seminars in Gaylord, MI on March
21, 1995 and in Lansing, MI on March 23, 1995. The seminars were co-sponsored by MSHA, the
Great Lakes District Council of the Holmes Safety Association, and the Michigan Mineral
Resources Association. Featured speakers were Mr. Paul Price (303/231-5430), an Electrical
Engineer from MSHA's Denver Technical Support Center and Mr. Joe Judeikis (304/547-0400),
an expert on brakes from MSHA's Approval and Certification Center in Triadelphia, Pa.
Mr. Price described numerous electrical fatalities which he has investigated over the
years in U.S. mines. According to Mr. Price, ground rods protect equipment, not people,
but a properly-sized, low resistance (less than 1 ohm) conductor back to the transformer
in conjunction with a properly-sized circuit breaker protects lives. The use of conduit
for grounding is dangerous because of corrosion. Numerous dangers of floating delta
systems and the importance of fault lights and proper grounding were emphasized and
evidence was presented that good double-insulated tools are just as safe and usually safer
than grounded tools, although either type may be fatal if dropped into water.
Mr. Judeikis described mining equipment brake failure fatalities. He emphasized: 1) Proper
adjustments, 2) Elimination of air leaks, 3) Use of quality parts, 4) No overloading, and
5) Cutting downhill speeds to retarder-only speeds. The use of seatbelts and remaining
with the vehicle when the brakes fail is important to minimize fatalities. Jumping out is
usually a fatal mistake. Mr. Judeikis also emphasized the importance of proper repairs and
having access to vehicle repair manuals which may be obtained for a price by calling his
office. Dangers and equipment damage often result from the use of methanol in cold climate
air systems. He also demonstrated that there are extreme differences between stopping
ability with different friction materials and that the correct descriptive letters and
part numbers don't mean the part isn't made by a fly-by-night manufacturer. In tests
comparing a well-known friction material with a no-name material, the well-known material
experienced only 0.050 inches of wear in 13 stops, while the no-name material completely
wore out in 2-4 stops and started serious fires in some of the tests.
For more information on the Great Lakes District Council (GLDC) contact Mr. Ken
Cunningham, Secretary-Treasurer at 517/792-8734.
From the Program Manager
1995 Partial Spring Start-Up Check List
1. Mine Safety Annual Refresher and New Miner Training.
2. First-Aid and CPR training for responsible shift personnel.
3. First-aid cabinet supplies.
4. Fire extinguishers and emergency notification list.
5. Local E.M.S. rescue exercise drill.
6. Electrical survey: grounding & continuity test.
Safety Updates
1. MSHA has proposed a new rule regarding explosives at metal/nonmetal mines - 60 Fed.
Reg. 1866.
2. Underground metal/nonmetal mines are now required to report significant changes in
ventilation plans immediately instead of in their annual update.
Program Personnel
Terry Wagaman, long-time trainer has taken a full-time position with Edward Levy
Company and is no longer available to the Program. While Terry will be missed, we were
fortunate to locate Roger Chandonnet. Roger is an MSHA certified instructor who lives in
Muskegon and is currently covering the area vacated by Terry. He is a former school
teacher who also retired from a career in marketing and sales with General Telephone.
Roger has already proven himself to be an asset to the Program and to Michigan mines. We
hope we can continue to use his talents for years to come.
The Program Advisory Board recently held its second meeting in Gaylord, MI where many
aspects of the way the program is currently conducted were discussed. Current program
advisors are:
1. Ken Cunningham
Vice President, Michigan Gypsum Co.
Secretary Treasurer of GLDC
Phone - 517/792-8734
2. Dave Couillard
Training Specialist, MSHA, Duluth
Phone - 218/720-5448
3. Dan Lacrosse
Boilermakers Local Union President,
Presque Isle Corporation
Phone - 517/354-3493
4. Richard Tieder
Projects Manager, Institute of Materials
Processing, Michigan Technological
University
Phone - 906/487-2600
5. Penny Traver
Safety Director and Administrative
Supervisor
Econex North, Inc.
Phone - 517/846-9521
Events of Interest
Michigan Safety Conference, April 18 & 19, 1995 at the Lansing Center and Radisson
Hotel, Lansing, MI -- Training Exhibits, Information, Entertainment, Awards, Speakers,
Hands-On Training and Much More. Registration: 1 day $50, 2 days $65. Call 517/882-3225.
Holmes Safety Association, The GLDC is planning a tour of the Lafarge Cement Plant in
Alpena, MI on August 18, 1995. The other half of the day-long meeting will involve
discussing safety issues that are of special interest to managers, supervisors, trainers.
Contact Mr. Ken Cunningham, Secretary-Treasurer at 517/792-8734.
The Holmes Safety Association will be holding its National Council Meeting June 27-29,
1995 at the Radisson Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota. Registration costs $55 per person until
April 30, 1995 and $70 per person after that date. Registration and payments are sentto
Mr. Al Simonson (Phone 507/389-7320),
Safety & Health Coordinator, South Central Technical College, 1920 Lee Blvd, North
Mankato, MN 56003.
Tram 22, August 14-16, 1995, Wilson Lodge at Oglebay Wheeling, West Virginia, Training -
Current Issues and Future Trends. Tram 22 is a training conference for all persons
associated with the mining industry. Phone Angela Durham 304/293-3745 or Michael Klishis
304/293-2742.
SME (Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Explor-ation, Inc.) U.P. Section Annual Meeting,
April 20, 1995 in the Memorial Union Ballroom on the Michigan Technological University
campus in Houghton, MI. Registration $14 members, $25 non-members. Call 906/487-2263.
Tallks will be on Exploration, Mining, and Mineral Processing. David Skillings Jr. will be
the banquet speaker.
Program Activities at MTU
The Mine Safety Training Program was relocated into the Mining Department at Michigan
Technological University during the Fall of 1994. Program Personnel plan to participate in
the training of Mining Engineering Graduates, who will be the mine managers of the future.
Plans call for the integration of safety and health training into the various mining
courses.
During the coming quarter, program personnel will participate in two different courses.
These will include:
1) MG105 - Mining Health and Safety where they will discuss principles and legal standards
of mining health and safety, measurement of criteria, recognition of hazards and
corrective action and
2) MG346 - Drilling and Blasting where program personnel will discuss the safety aspects
of drilling, transporting, handling, and using explosives in line with the proposed new
rule in 60 Fed. Reg. 1866.
Michigan States Grants Mine Safety Training Newsletter
Number 3 -----6/29/95
From the Program Manager - Next year's Training Program
A new proposal is currently being written to the State Department of Labor and MSHA to
fund next year's Michigan training program beginning October 1, 1995. If funded we plan to
greatly improve our service to Michigan+s small mines. Our intention is to make the
training mine-specific using the following approach: 1) Pre-training surveys will be
undertaken by phone discussions with the mine contact person setting up the training.
Questions will be asked about mining procedures, equipment, and other details of the
operation using a form developed for this purpose. 2) Training materials are currently
being developed for a wide variety of equipment and processes covering those used in
Michigan's small mines. We plan to categorize these training materials to make it easier
for the instructors to select mine-specific materials based on the pre-training surveys.
We plan to add a number of new materials next year. Two new high-quality videos sold by
Vista have already been purchased for special training during the current year and these
will be incorporated into next year's part 48 annual refresher training. Each is a half
hour presentation in two 15-minute segments. One covers the subject of wheel loaders
emphasizing powered haulage which resulted in 13 fatalities in coal and 17 in
metal/nonmetal mining in 1994. The other covers the subject of conveyors. Mining machinery
was responsible for 13 coal mining fatalities in 1994 and 6 metal/nonmetal mining
fatalities. We are currently searching for a video to use in discussing the fall/slide of
material, in which there were 8 metal/nonmetal mine fatalities during 1994, and for other
videos which can be used in training in the other areas with high accident frequencies and
(or) fatality rates.
We also plan to develop our own mine and equipment-specific overheads. This will be
accomplished using the following materials: