MSHA - Program Information Bulletin: P05-03: Revisions to the Sentinels of Safety Awards Program

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U.S. Department of Labor

Mine Safety and Health Administration
1100 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22209-3939

ISSUE DATE: February 11, 2005

PROGRAM INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. P05-03

FROM: GEORGE M. FESAK

                       Director, Program Evaluation and
                       Information Resources

SUBJECT:     Revisions to the Sentinels of Safety Awards Program

Who needs this information?
Mine operators including independent contractors, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) personnel, the National Mining Association and other interested parties need this information.

Why is MSHA issuing this bulletin?
MSHA is issuing this bulletin to advise all affected parties of revisions to existing rules and procedures governing the current Sentinels of Safety Awards program. The new rule changes are scheduled for implementation for calendar year 2004 awards.

What is the background for this update?
The Sentinels of Safety awards, the oldest established awards for occupational safety, were first announced 80 years ago by President Herbert Hoover. Since 1925, the program has promoted an increased commitment to mine safety and to the continuing development of effective accident prevention programs.

The purpose of the annual Sentinels of Safety award program is to recognize achievement of outstanding safety records, stimulate greater interest in safety, and encourage development of more effective accident prevention programs among the Nation's coal and mineral extractive industries. In keeping with that purpose, MSHA in a joint effort with the National Mining Association is expanding the program to include additional categories of awards thus increasing the number of mines and mills eligible for the program.

What are the main points of this bulletin?
The new rules and eligibility requirements governing the Sentinels of Safety program are set forth below:

1. The eight existing groups of mining operations having similar characteristics are identified as: underground coal mines; surface coal mines; underground metal mines; underground nonmetal mines; open pit mines (metal and nonmetal, except stone); open pit stone quarries; sand and gravel bank or pit operations; and sand and gravel dredge operations. These groups will now be further divided into large and small mine categories. The median hours worked at all mines in each of the eight groups will determine eligibility in the large and small categories. The median hours worked will define the upper limit for the small mine categories.

2. Two new groups consisting of Coal processing facilities and Metal and Nonmetal mills have been added to the program. As in the groups above, these groups will consist of large and small categories.

3. To be eligible for an award, a mining operation must have reported employment data to MSHA for each quarter in which it was active during the calendar year (January 1 - December 31); have not experienced a work injury in the subunits below that resulted in a fatality, permanent disability, days away from work, or days of restricted work activity; have a no days lost (NDL) injury incidence rate (degree 6) no greater than the national average for these same subunits; and have accumulated at least 4,000 employee-hours in these same subunits during the calendar year.

For mines in the underground groups, eligibility is determined from the hours-worked data reported on the MSHA Form 7000-2 (cumulated for the calendar year) in the underground subunit (subunit 01) and any associated surface shops and yards (subunit 02).

For the surface and open pit mines and quarries, eligibility is determined from the hours-worked data reported on the Form 7000-2 under the appropriate surface mining activity code (subunits 03, 04, and 06) including the associated shops and yards.

For the sand and gravel bank or pit group, eligibility is determined from the hours-worked data reported on Form 7000-2 under subunit code 03; and for the sand and gravel dredge group, eligibility is determined from the hours-worked data reported under subunit code 06.

For the coal processing facilities and metal and nonmetal mills group, eligibility is determined from the hours-worked data reported on Form 7000-2 under subunit code 30. For a coal processing facility to qualify, it must meet the definition of a facility that is under MSHA jurisdiction, where rock and/or other impurities are removed from the coal prior to it being transported for delivery.

4. Winners and runner-ups will be determined by the following:

Winners will be eligible operations with the lowest No Days Lost injury incidence rate with the tie breaker being most employee hours worked.

Runners-up will be ranked by the NDL incidence rate with the tie breaker being most employee hours worked.

Any winning mine ending the calendar year with a mine status of abandoned will be declared ineligible as a winner and will be placed in the runner-up category where they will receive a certificate of achievement. The first runner-up in that category will then be declared the winner.

Only data that was reported under a single MSHA ID number in a calendar year will be included. Employee-hours and injuries to independent contractors or at offices, independent shops, culm banks, or "other" operations are excluded from the computations except in the case where there is a chargeable fatality at the mine site which will result in disqualification.

Who are the contact persons for this bulletin?
PEIR, Office of Injury and Employment Information
Jean Whitlow (303) 231-5448
E-mail: Whitlow.Jean@dol.gov

Paul Blumenstein (303) 231-55803
E-mail: Blumenstein.Paul@dol.gov

Is this information on the internet?
This Program Information Bulletin may be viewed on the Internet by accessing the MSHA home page (http://www.msha.gov) and then choosing Compliance Info/Program Information Bulletins.

Who will receive this bulletin?
MSHA Personnel
Program Policy Manual Holders
Mine Operators and Contractors
National Mining Association


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