Mine safety team trains with WVU simulator

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A century old tradition of miner training continued Wednesday in Monongalia County.

The West Virginia Office of Miner’s Health and Safety brought miners to WVU’s simulated underground mine lab for three hours of intense training to learn life saving tactics.

Joshua Brady, Associate Professor with the department of mining at the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, said the nationally known simulator

and training program make sessions as realistic as possible.

“They work through our simulated coal mine. We put dangers and hazards in there that they have to find. We do the best we can to make that realistic to what they would see,” Brady explained.

According to Brady, miners in West Virginia must have 40 hours of training to work on the surface of a mine. Underground apprentice miners must have 80 hours of training.

Mine rescue teams train just as the industry does.

“They’ll train 96 hours at a minimum this year. This group, they do it all over the state. We’re really excited to have them and put on this event with them,” Brady said.

Not only are state groups relying on the Department of Mining and Industrial Extension, teams sign up train in West Virginia from across the country.

“We have a group from Wyoming coming to visit us this year. We have an Alaska goldmine coming to do mine rescue training with us. Groups from Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, there’s a wide range that come visit us,” Brady added.

The department also provides a traveling simulator that can be moved from mine to mine to train workers on site.

Brady says while there are many training schools that have not withstood the test of time, that’s not the case in Morgantown.

Successful schools must adapt to changing industry safety standards.

“We’re working really hard to provide whatever the service the industry wants. If they want us to create a class, we’ll create something,” Brady explained. “If it’s required mandatory MSHA or state training, we’re going to provide that for them.”