A leading mine safety organization has honoured six of Massey Energy’s operations for outstanding safety performance in 2006 and named Massey member Charles Roach Co-Safety Leader of The Year for 2006. The awards were announced at the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association’s safety banquet in Wheeling, West Virginia on August 18. The nonprofit association, founded in 1916, promotes health and safety in the mining industry. Its members include representatives from state and federal agencies, mining organizations and labour groups. “Everyone who received awards were deserving based on their safety
performance for the year of 2006,” said C. A. Philips, President of the association.
All of the six Massey operations cited for outstanding safety performance are located in West Virginia, USA. Marfork Coal Co’s preparation plant received the Joseph A. Holmes Pacesetter Award for operating the safest preparation plant with 26 or more employees during 2006 in Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) District Four.
Alex Energy’s MTR surface mine received the Joseph A. Holmes Pacesetter Award for Mine Safety for operating the safest surface mine with 26 or more employees during 2006 in MSHA’s District Four.
Elk Run Coal Co’s Castle mine earned the West Virginia State Holmes Safety Association’s Safety Award for operating the safest underground coal mine with annual production between 1,000,001 and 3 Mt. And Elk Run’s Black Knight II mine was recognized for operating for more than five years without incurring a single lost time accident. In addition, Charles Roach, mine foreman at Black Knight II Mine, was named Co-Safety Leader of The Year for 2006. The Holmes Safety Association created this award in 1985 to honour individuals that do remarkable things to encourage greater safety and health in the mines. Roach has been a member of Elk Run Coal Co since 1982.
Independence Coal Co’s Justice #1 mine was honoured for operating the safest underground coal mine with annual production between 500,001 and 1 Mt.
Endurance Mining Co’s West Cazy surface mine was honoured for operating the safest surface mine with annual production between 100,001 and 300,000 t.