Thomas Jones made headlines last year as a New York Jets running back. These days, he’s wearing a Kansas City Chiefs jersey and, before heading for the heartland and the rigors of training camp, Jones visited the Labor Department to tape a series of public service announcements for the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s “Stay Out-Stay Alive” campaign. The campaign is aimed at warning children and outdoor enthusiasts about playing on mine property. Each year, dozens of people are injured or killed in recreational accidents at abandoned mine shafts, gravel pits and water-filled quarries. Jones is well aware of the potential dangers. “Both my parents were coal miners, and they instilled in me a respect for the hazards they often encountered while working underground,” he said. “If you haven’t been properly trained as a miner, you have no business being anywhere near a quarry, gravel pit or mine.”
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Hi Thomas,
We appreciate the public announcement. The past few years, there have been a number of mining accidents that have made national headlines. There are countless accidents that don’t make headlines. To a kid or an uninformed outdoor enthusiast, an abandoned mine shaft or quarry might seem like a neat place to see, but they are very dangerous and only properly trained individuals should ever enter them.
Good job Thomas! You’re such a blessing!