Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

Unimin Corporation Pevely Plant, located in Pevely, Mo., was recently presented a certificate of accomplishment by the Mine and Cave Safety and Health section of the Division of Labor Standards for attaining 15 years with no lost time accidents.

The Department of Labor’s Division of Labor Standards offers free safety and health programs for those involved in Missouri mining. Unimin Corporation began utilizing this training more than 20 years ago, in May of 1990.

“From management to miners, everyone involved makes safety the number one priority for all, and their safety record reflects that standard,” said Les Thomas, Mine and Cave Safety Program Director.

Unimin Corporation is a global leader in the production of minerals, and the leading producer of silica sand in the United States. Their products are used in the production of glass, ceramic, paint and coatings and fiberoptics. They are also used in the plastics, oil and gas, rubber, paper and construction industries.

The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' commitment to safety is best illustrated by looking at the reduction in workplace deaths and injuries. Since 2005, we've seen a 23% decrease in workplace fatalities and 24% decrease in workplace injuries.

We believe the success can be attributed to the ongoing promotion of the free workplace safety programs offered by the Department of Labor. The statistics gathered for 2010 to date are following the same trend.

To find out more about our safety programs like the Missouri Workers' Safety Program or the On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Service, visit the Division of Labor Standards.

A safer workplace doesn't just benefit workers. It also benefits workers' families, employers, and communities by sparing them the pain and economic hardship that results when a worker is injured or killed on the job. Everyone wins when safety is the top priority.

The Division of Labor Standards' Mine and Cave Safety & Health Section will be working with the federal Department of Labor's Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) to judge the 28th Annual Mine Rescue Contest in Rolla, Mo., September 21-23.

It is the nation's longest running underground competition, and provides participating teams the opportunity to compete in an actual underground environment. Entry is limited to 14 teams. There will be six teams competing from Missouri, and eight teams from various states including Kentucky, Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, New Mexico and Pennsylvania.

This regional event is sponsored by the Missouri Mine Rescue Association and the Missouri University of Science and Technology. A national mine rescue event was held in July by the National Mine Rescue Association in Reno, Nev. The champions of that national event, the Maroon team of Doe Run Company, located in Boss, Mo., will also be attending the Rolla rescue contest. The Maroon team has won the regional event for the past four years.

The Mine and Cave Safety & Health Section is responsible for the first aid portion of the test, including writing, administering and grading the written test. The section's safety instructors also created hands-on scenarios to test the teams. Additionally, they will assist MSHA in judging the underground competition.