WVU to study mandatory mine training

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – West Virginia University researchers are collaborating on a study designed to assess and improve training required for individuals responsible for implementing emergency response plans in mines.

Douglas Myers, Sc.D., assistant professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences in the WVU School of Public Health, is leading the study, titled “Effective Mine Emergency Response Development Training: Design, Implementation, Retention and Evaluation.”

A $647,000 grant was recently awarded to research project by the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health, set up as part of the settlement from the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster.

Dr. Myers, along with a team from the United Mine Workers of America Career Center’s Mine Technology and Training Center, will look at the effectiveness of the training currently required for people working in the mines. The study will focus on mines in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

Research will determine how effective the training is in preparing certain people to implement their mine’s specific emergency response plan in case of a disastrous event. The team will also focus on ways to improve the capacity of those involved in such critical and potentially lifesaving activities.