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Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph Main (left) and Associated Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater sign an alliance to promote worker safety and health

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM ^[2]) and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ^[3]have reconfirmed their previously established alliance to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces related to miniing operations.

AEM and MSHA established the alliance in January 2007 with a signing ceremony in Washington, DC. Prevention of accidents and injuries remains the leading focus of the alliance.

The new agreement, signed on July 14, 2011 in Washington, D.C., states that the alliance will promote “effective means to facilitate seatbelt usage, prevent slips/falls from equipment, prevent collisions, improve blind area visibility, prevent dump point overtravel, and develop machine-specific training materials for new miners.”

The alliance is similar to one formed by MSHA and the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) ^[4]. In February of 2003, MSHA and NSSGA formed an alliance agreement ^[5] that pledged to work together to reduce injuries in aggregates operations.

The key elements of the AEM and MSHA agreement are as follows:

AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION AND THE ASSOCIATION OF EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) recognize the value of working collaboratively to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces at the nation’s mining operations. MSHA and AEM hereby renew their Alliance to provide miners who operate and maintain equipment with information, guidance, and access to resources that will help protect miner health and safety.

Focus will be given to promoting effective means to facilitate seatbelt usage, prevent slips/falls from equipment, prevent collisions, improve blind area visibility, prevent dump point overtravel, and develop machine-specific training materials for new miners as examples. MSHA and AEM recognize that time and budgetary constraints may prevent some or all of these issues from being addressed simultaneously and agree to prioritize projects, maximize Alliance efforts, and optimize the use of available resources.

MSHA and AEM will work cooperatively through the Alliance to do the following:

• Aid in identifying the  scope of safety and health concerns and provide a way to proactively  communicate that scope to all (AEM) manufacturers of mobile equipment and  powered haulage equipment.
• Promote educational and  training programs addressing the maintenance and operation of equipment in  a safe and healthful manner.
• Develop and disseminate best practices to stakeholders who operate and maintain equipment.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at MSHA/AEM conferences, other industry conferences, or meetings attended by equipment operators, maintenance personnel, and mine operators to promote safe use and maintenance of mining equipment.