Big Island Mine Takes First Place at Rescue Contest

July 27, 2000
The Big Island Mine's OCI "Blue Team" from Green River, Wyo., was\r\nthe national winner in the 2000 National and International Mine\r\nRescue Contest held last week in Las Vegas, Nev.

The Big Island Mine''s OCI "Blue Team" from Green River, Wyo., was the national winner in the 2000 National and International Mine Rescue Contest held last week in Las Vegas, Nev.

Westinghouse''s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant "Blue Team" from Carlsbad, N.M., finished second, and the FMC Mine''s "Red Team," also from Green River, rounded out the top three.

In the international competition, Poland''s mine rescue team finished first, followed by the United States and Peru.

This is only the second year of international competition. The contest is sponsored by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Mine rescue competitions are designed to test the knowledge of miners who might be called upon to respond to a real mine emergency.

The contest requires six-member teams to solve a hypothetical mine emergency problem -- such as a fire, explosion or cave-in -- while judges rate them on their adherence to mine rescue procedures and how quickly they complete specific tasks.

Mine rescue training began in the United States in 1910 and evolved into local and regional competitions one year later.

During this year''s awards ceremony, four veterans of mine rescue were inducted into the Mine Rescue Hall of Fame.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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