Presented by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Illinois Department of Natural Resources-Office of Mines and Minerals (IDNR-OMM), the 20th annual MSHA Spring Thaw/State Grants Safety Conference will be held March 1-2 at Starved Rock Lodge in Utica,Ill.

The conference will cover the following:

• How and when to properly perform and document a workplace exam;
• Comprehensive industrial hygiene sampling program, including MSHA’s new guidance for dust, gas, mist, and fume, as well as noise;
• Lock-out, tag-out, and test best practices;
• MSHA’s priority issues and top 10 cited violations;
• Citation conferencing process; and
• Contractor responsibilities.

Registration begins at noon on March 1 inside the Starved Rock Lodge located east of the intersection of Routes 178 and 71 in Utica, Ill. At 1 p.m. the conference begins with an opening address followed by presentation of IDNR-OMM safety awards for calendar year 2010. The conference will conclude around 3 p.m. on March 2.

The conference is free.

However, attendees that plan to take advantage of the breakfast, lunch, and break refreshments should include a check in the amount of $30 per person to cover these additional expenses.

The registration form and check should be submitted by Feb. 18, 2011.

A limited number of guest rooms are available at the Starved Rock Lodge the night of March 1st at the single occupancy rate of $70 plus tax ($80 double). Call 815-667-4211 to reserve a room for the MSHA Spring Thaw before February 1st to guarantee these rates.