Learning from the pros
This excerpt from an original story that ran in SDSM&T Winter 2015 Hardrock magazine was written by SDSM&T Communications Manager Fran LaFort.
A haze fills the cramped quadrangle as rescuers wearing a full complement of personal protective equipment make their way through dirt-lined tunnels, their path illuminated only by headlamps. Although it is only a drill, the sense of urgency is palpable; the mine rescue team knows that in a real-life situation they could be responsible for the safety of others. They remain calm and focused.
The simulated rescue took place last May at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Members of the student Mine Rescue Team worked alongside industry leaders from Peabody Energy and Essroc Italcementi Group. Glenn Kellow, president and chief operating officer of Peabody is an expert in mine safety and was the commencement speaker in May at SDSM&T. He participated in the exercise, giving the students the benefit of his many years in the industry.
When it comes to one-on-one training, SDSM&T mine rescue students work only with certified professionals who have decades of experience. Those professionals include members of the Sanford Lab Emergency Response Team. In fact, the lab has been the primary learning environment for the student team. Woody Hover, Emergency Response Team Lead and Safety Specialist at Sanford Lab, has worked with the students on several occasions. He was impressed with the skills they exhibited during the spring exercise.
?For as short a time as the student team has been in existence and for as young as they are, they are doing phenomenally well,? said Hover, who has been active in mine rescue for nearly 20 years.
Hover said the students have a collection of face masks and breathing apparatuses, gas meters, headlamps, safety-grade helmets, and other equipment but when they train at Sanford Lab they get to use Sanford Lab gear.
Kathleen Tew, a senior majoring in mining engineering, had a chance to work with her father, Terry, the safety manager for Essroc Italcementi Group?s U.S. plants. The vice president of the student Mine Rescue Team, Kathleen welcomed that opportunity.
?It has made a huge impact for our training to have someone in the industry talk about their experiences and explain the roles each person has on the team and to give advice,? she said.
?When I was a kid I would go to work with my dad and he would always stress safety, or when I would watch mining videos on his computer he would explain all the things that went wrong, what should have been done, what could have been the worst-case scenario.? Kathleen hopes to someday design underground mines.
Ongoing rescue scenarios with experts like Kellow, Tew and Hover, gives students valuable life-saving skills, and prepares them for real-life emergency situations?essential experience for those planning to work in the mining industry.