In the spirit of continuous learning, last week I had the privilege of attending a New Miner Training class provided by McCraren Compliance in Tucson, Arizona. This was an amazing experience at so many levels. First, it was great to get to know my fellow classmates. To appreciate the diverse mix, MSHA requires that any person who will be on mine sites five or more times during a calendar year must successfully complete a new miner training class, so it was not just miners being trained on how not to get killed while on the job at a mine. We were an eclectic assortment of talents and personalities, to say the least, from actual miners, to self-described “Waste Transfer Engineers” (they provide the port-a-potties) to the software guy.

Second, McCraren Compliance runs a seriously first-rate operation, with a broad range of training classes for MSHA and OSHA as well as safety consulting services, all from their clean, modern facilities in Tucson where they service an international clientele. The instructors I met are knowledgeable on the material and experienced enough to have great stories to bring home the classroom materials.

Finally, for most of my life I have been in and around construction and manufacturing environments, so I understand tools, processes and operations and their inherent risks. But nothing prepared me for the sheer scale of large surface mining operations. Everything about this environment is large, powerful, and by extension, potentially dangerous. There is just no such thing as a “minor” accident in a mine. Nothing commands your attention and respect like a Caterpillar 797 haul truck, capable of carrying 400 tons of material. The wheels alone reach the top of an NBA backboard!

I have enormous respect for the men and women who work in the mining world and for the professionalism with which they approach their work places. These workers deserve a lot of credit for their commitment and thanks for being a significant part of the industrial infrastructure of America.