WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $1 million in grants to seven organizations in five states to support education and training initiatives that will help identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines.
Administered by the department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program will allow recipients to create accessible, comprehensive training materials in multiple languages, promote and conduct mine safety training or educational programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.
In awarding the grants, MSHA gave special emphasis to education and training programs that reach miners at smaller mines and underserved populations in the industry. Training and education supported by the grants align with the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program’s mission, as well as key MSHA priorities including mine rescue, better protecting miners from exposure to silica dust and powered haulage safety.
“As the Biden-Harris administration moves full steam ahead to ensure the implementation of MSHA’s new respirable silica dust standard, the grants awarded today are a valuable tool to make training and resources available to better protect miners from the debilitating and deadly effects of silica dust exposure,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “All miners deserve a safe and healthy work environment and the ability to retire with their dignity and enjoy the fruits of their labor.”
Read the full news release here: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/msha/msha20241002