National Mine Health and Safety Academy
The National Mine Health and Safety Academy is the seventh permanent
Federal Academy, joining the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Maritime, Navy,
and FBI Academies in serving our Nation. It is responsible for training
the mine safety and health inspectors and technical support personnel of
the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Mining professionals from across
the United States and many foreign countries come to the Academy for health
and safety training.
The Academy is located in Beckley, West Virginia, on an 80-acre site
near the Raleigh County Airport. The Academy complex consists of nine buildings:
The Residence Hall, Administration Building, Classroom Building, Mine Machinery
Laboratory Building, Publication Distribution Center, Gymnasium, Maintenance
and Equipment Building, Mine Emergency Operations Building, Mine Rescue
Station and Mine Simulation
Laboratory.
At this facility, students are exposed to a variety of different disciplines
in nine different laboratories: roof control, ground control, mine emergency
and mine rescue, ventilation, electrical, machinery, industrial hygiene,
computer, and underground mine simulation.
The publication Courses
for MSHA and the Mining Industry describes available health and safety
training courses, scheduled conferences, and other programs offered at
the Academy. The Academy also produces and distributes health and safety
training materials in a variety of formats. The Catalog
of Training Products for the Mining Industry is an informative listing
of MSHA-produced mine health and safety training materials. To obtain a
copy of either catalog, or for more information on the Academy materials,
please contact the:
National Mine Health and Safety Academy
Department of Instructional Materials
1301 Airport Road
Beaver, West Virginia 25813-9426
(304) 256-3257
Fax: (304) 256-3368
E-mail: MSHADistributionCenter@dol.gov
You may also download a copy of either catalog from this web site.
If you would like information about the contents of a particular course
or seminar, contact the technical coordinator for that course or seminar
at (304)256-3100 or Doris Fuller at (304) 256-3234 or E-mail fuller-doris@msha.gov.
To enroll in a course or seminar, contact the Student Services Branch
at the address above or phone (304)256-3252 or fax (304)256-3251.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy is to reduce
accidents and improve health conditions in the mining industry through
education and training. To fulfill this mission, the Academy conducts a
variety of education and training programs in health and safety and related
subjects for Federal mine inspectors and other government mining and industry
personnel.
GENERAL ACADEMY INFORMATION
PURPOSE: The Academy designs, develops and conducts instructional
programs to assist in government, industry, and labor efforts to reduce
accidents and health hazards in the mineral industries.
ORGANIZATION: The Academy is supported by the Superintendent's
Office with the aid of four major organizational units-- the Department
of Instructional Services, Department of Instructional Materials, Facilities
Support Services, and the Technical Information Center and Library.
The Department of Instructional Services is responsible for the
training of coal and metal/nonmetal inspectors and selected government
and industry personnel interested in mine health and safety. In addition,
this department plans, develops, revises and evaluates publications for
MSHA and the mining community, and is responsible for the administration
of individualized study materials for the nonresident student.
The Department of Instructional Materials is responsible for
the development of videotapes and other audiovisuals, desktop publishing
and graphics services for the Academy and MSHA. In addition, the
department is responsible for printing, distribution, and sale of MSHA
education and training materials.
Facilities Support Services is responsible for administrative
support to the academic programs, including maintenance of records, budget
and procurement, physical plant maintenance, food, housing, security, facility
scheduling, reservations, and student enrollment.
The Technical Information Center and Library has a collection
of research and study materials, including periodicals, documents, books,
archival material, maps, technical reports, and audiovisuals covering the
areas of health and safety, mining engineering, interpersonal communications,
management, and other subjects pertinent to the Academy's mission.
PHYSICAL FACILITIES
The Academy complex includes classrooms and laboratories accommodating
600 students, dormitory space for 320 people (double occupancy), a cafeteria,
library, auditorium, and wellness facilities.
The campus complex consists of nine buildings, seven of which are adjoining,
as described below.
The Classroom Building includes fourteen classrooms and ten laboratories.
The Technical Information Center and Library is also located in the Classroom
Building.
The Residence Hall is constructed on four levels and has 160 units.
The Administration Building houses administrative and faculty offices,
the auditorium, a snack bar, a student store, and a cafeteria that can
accommodate 400 students per hour.
The Mine Machinery Laboratory Building is equipped with a full power
panel to operate all heavy mine equipment and various other electrical
test panels to be used in student instruction.
The gymnasium is a modern, fully-equipped facility suitable for
wellness and physical fitness training for students. Wellness facilities
include:
- racquetball court,
- table games,
- sauna,
- whirlpools,
- modern up-to-date conditioning room,
- indoor swimming pool,
- outdoor sports field and
tennis courts.
The Maintenance and Equipment Building is used for maintenance of Academy
equipment.
The Publications Distribution Center houses the print shop, publications
distribution center, and Academy supply facilities. The Department
of Instructional Materials offices are located in this building.
The Mine Simulation Laboratory is a two-story building. The lower
level consists of a staging area, rooms and pillars, and a mine fan to
simulate a coal mine. The upper level has tunnels to simulate metal/nonmetal
mining. The laboratory is used to provide "hands-on" experience in
mine rescue, recovery, fire fighting, and mine emergency operations management.
The Mine Emergency Operations (MEO) Building and Mine Rescue Station
is located next to the Mine Simulation Laboratory. The mine emergency
command vehicles, office trailer, rescue capsule, ATV, emergency generators,
and water pumps are housed in this building. Also, the mine rescue
station for MSHA's Mine Emergency Unit (MEU) is located inside and contains
a full complement of equipment for mine rescue/recovery.
Reservation Policy at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy
The Academy will hold a block of reserved dormitory rooms for an event, for up to fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the beginning date of the event. To confirm blocked dormitory rooms, the names of the persons attending the event must be provided to the Academy within fourteen calendar days of the event. Blocked rooms which are not confirmed within 14 calendar days of the event can be released.
Your help is requested in making changes and cancellations as soon as possible, with the Academy Student Services Branch at (304) 256-3252.
This policy allows us to more efficiently utilize the limited number of rooms available at the Academy.
ACADEMY HISTORY
In a five-year period from 1906-1911, 13,228 miners were killed in U.S.
coal mines. As a result, the Bureau of Mines was established by Congress
on July 1, 1910, "to make diligent investigation of the methods of mining,
especially in relation to the safety of miners and the appliances best
adapted to prevent accidents."
Over the years, Congress passed other legislation designed to promote
health and safety in the mines, including the 1966 Federal Metal and
Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act (P.L. 89-577) and the Federal Coal Mine
Health and Safety Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-173). The most recent regulatory
legislation combined the coal and metal and nonmetal industries under one
law--the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. This act directed
that "The National Mine Health and Safety Academy shall be...responsible
for the training of mine safety and health inspectors, mining personnel,
or other persons as the Secretaries of Labor and Interior shall
designate. In performing this function, the Academy shall have the authority
to enter into cooperative educational and training agreements with educational
institutions, State governments, labor organizations, and mine operators
and related industries." It is through the training provisions of this
legislation that the National Mine Health and Safety Academy functions.
In response to the mandates of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act
of 1969, on September 7, 1971, the Academy began inspector training
in temporary facilities in Beckley, West Virginia. On August
17, 1976, the permanent facility, situated on 80 acres of land donated
by the Raleigh County Airport Authority, opened its doors with an official
dedication.
On July 25, 1979, Public Law 96-38 transferred the activities
and functions of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy from
the Department of the Interior to the Department of Labor.
OBJECTIVE
Progress has been made in recent years in the improvement of the health
and safety conditions in U.S. mines. However, further improvements must
be made before mining is removed from the list of high-risk industries.
These improvements can only come about through the establishment of effective
accident prevention and industrial hygiene programs.
Education is a vital element in any accident prevention program, and
the National Mine Health and Safety Academy has been established to assist
in providing this education. Our objective is to develop, implement, and
promote mine health and safety through education programs at the Academy
in cooperation with educational institutions, state government, labor,
and industry. Our goal is safer mines and healthier miners through education. |