Alpha Natural Resources, the USA coal mining company, has chosen Immersive Technologies to supply an Advanced Equipment Simulator for underground continuous miner operator training. This marks an important milestone in the underground coal industry as simulation training at this level has not previously been available. Alpha plans to integrate the simulation technology into their Running Right Leadership Academy. This $18 million training facility in West Virginia is set to open in June 2013. The facility is approximately 126,000 square feet with a state-of-the-art mine simulation lab for operator training. Running Right is Alpha’s operating philosophy, based on employee engagement and continuous improvement.
The newly released CM360-B Advanced Equipment Simulator provides an authentic and comprehensive recreation of an underground coal mining work environment and will be a key element in the Alpha Natural Resources Running Right Leadership Academy. The full 360 degree visual experience recognizes the distinct operating conditions of the underground mining environment.
The Academy will provide a comprehensive mine training curriculum and will be available to Alpha employees as well as any mine operator that wishes to take advantage of the facility to train its employees.
“We are proud to support Alpha Natural Resources and the Running Right Leadership Academy in underground coal mining operator training. They are pioneers in this field and setting a valuable precedent in underground coal safety and the importance of properly trained operators,” says Richard Beesley, Immersive Technologies Underground Coal Business Unit Manager.
To ensure the Academy produces the highest level of trained operators the investment includes technical support and Training Systems Integration (TSI) professional services to deliver best practice implementation, fast track return on investment and customized training curriculum.
“We look forward to partnering with Alpha Natural Resources, ensuring that every operator trained on an Immersive Technologies simulator is Running Right,” Beesley said