The NIOSH Office of Mine Safety & Health Research (OMSHR) is sponsoring this Communications & Tracking Workshop designed to familiarize attendees with current C&T system technologies and discuss implementation considerations. These topical areas will directly address issues related to the implementation of systems intended to meet requirements of the MINER Act of 2006. MSHA will be participating in the event and will be discussing regulatory and policy considerations relative to the implementation of these systems.

2009 Critical Incidents Conference of the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals
5/18/2009 to 5/21/2009, Daytona Beach, FL

Links for more information:

The NIOSH Office of Mine Safety & Health Research (OMSHR) is sponsoring this Communications & Tracking Workshop designed to familiarize attendees with current C&T system technologies and discuss implementation considerations. These topical areas will directly address issues related to the implementation of systems intended to meet requirements of the MINER Act of 2006. MSHA will be participating in the event and will be discussing regulatory and policy considerations relative to the implementation of these systems.

The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for the mining community to focus on mine safety and health concerns. This conference will provide a variety of Safety and Health workshops presented by experts from around the U.S. and representing all sectors of mining.

4th International Industry Summit on Mining Performance - Achieving Lasting Improvements in the Energy and Minerals Industries
6/9/2009 to 6/11/2009, Toronto, Canada

Links for more information:

The Penn State Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering is pleased to host this noted summit again in 2009, proven to be a gathering place to discuss performance improvement issues, opportunities, and challenges. The 2009 conference will include presentations from industry leaders in key mining sectors - coal, metals, and nonmetallic minerals - as well as from customers, suppliers, and others with a keen interest in mining industry performance. Organized mining-related field trips and workshops will be planned. Keynote speakers will include executive management from the largest and most successful mining companies and manufacturers in the world.

Issues to be addressed include:

• Cost containment
• Organizational change management
• Risk management and business process improvement
• Sustainability of process improvement efforts
• Utilization of technology in process improvement

Longwall USA
6/16/2009 to 6/18/2009, Pittsburgh, PA

Links for more information:

Well established and attended by a range of delegates from all parts of the longwall mining industry, Longwall USA attracts all of the most important manufacturers and service providers.

3rd Annual Conference on Substance Abuse for the Mining Industry
6/23/2009 to 6/24/2009, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Links for more information:

This program is planned for: supervisors; foremen; health and safety officers; training specialists; human resource personnel, operators; representatives from unions, mining associations and MSHA; and others interested in the prevention and management of alcohol and substance misuse within the mining workforce. This 2-day conference is part of a week-long program on alcoholism and other drug dependencies.

Diesel Particulate Matter Workshop
6/23/2009 to 6/25/2009, Omaha, NE

Links for more information:

MSHA in alliance with NSSGA have scheduled this workshop. Designed for safety and health professionals, industrial hygienists, human resources managers, and consultants, this program consists of a 3-day workshop with two days of classroom application and one day of field work in which each participant, under real-world circumstances, affixes DPM-monitoring equipment to working aggregate miners to collect exposure measurements. The goal is to familiarize the underground mining community with DPM sampling so operators can evaluate miner exposures, develop control techniques, and ultimately reduce elevated exposures below MSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs). This is a unique opportunity for stakeholders to learn to conduct DPM exposure monitoring, interpret results, and develop plans to reduce exposures to points below MSHA permissible limits, and thus provide the healthiest possible work environment.

The Workshop on Vibrations from Blasting will take place on the weekend prior to the 9th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting. It will cover the latest advances in vibration measurements. Attendees will gain a better understanding of current best practice and will learn at least one new technique or tool for managing Vibrations from Blasting.

9th International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting
9/13/2009 to 9/17/2009, Granada, Spain

Links for more information:

The Fragblast conferences are the worldwide forum for a scientific and technical update on all aspects of rock blasting and explosives engineering: rock fracture and movement, explosives design, testing and properties, detonics, blast design, blast seismics, numerical modeling, economical aspects, etc. The previous conferences have served the blasting community with an unparalleled combination of scientific advances and practical applications and the proceedings of the Fragblast symposia are must-have literature on the working desk of researchers, scholars, consultants, field engineers and blasters.

NSSGA/MSHA Noise & Dust Monitoring Workshop
9/15/2009 to 9/17/2009, Indianapolis, IN

Links for more information:

MSHA in alliance with NSSGA have scheduled this workshop. Designed for plant managers and supervisors; human resources managers, consultants, safety and health professionals, and industrial hygienists, this program consists of a 3-day workshop with two days of classroom application and one day of field work in which each participant, under real-world circumstances, conducts noise and dust monitoring and collects exposure measurements of working aggregate miners. This is a unique opportunity to learn how to conduct noise and dust exposure monitoring, record and interpret results, and develop plans to reduce exposures below MSHA permissible limits.

As part of the 2010 SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit, there will be a symposium commemorating the centennial of mining research in the United States, formalized by the creation of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1910. The Office of Mine Safety and Health Research now resides within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

The target audience for this symposium is the national and international mining scientific and research community, including industry, labor, academia, and regulatory and other agencies at the federal and state levels.