Intelex’s own Steph DiRaddo dropped by the head offices of Thyssen Mining (TMCC) in Regina, Saskatchewan last week, and she was blown away by the hospitality of the Thyssen “family”.

“It was incredible to see how welcoming the folks at Thyssen Mining are, and how tightly-knit a family environment they have created,” Steph remarked on her return. “We had dinner at a local restaurant that the Thyssen employees frequent, and they really made me feel like one of the family! I can’t wait to go back!”

As a member of Intelex’s training team, Steph visited TMCC to work with their safety team and train end users in advance of their go-live date in October. Thyssen is a leading mining contractor in the US and Canada and a world leader in shaft sinking.  

Fisher Sand and Gravel, a North Dakota-based aggregate producer, has reached a settlement agreement with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) after claims of air and water quality violation at some of its Arizona operations.

While Fisher received a fine in the settlement, more than half of the funds will not be collected by the ADEQ and instead directed to the implementation of an Intelex-powered Environmental Management System (EMS), which is expected to help the company avoid future violations and boost environmental stewardship. The EMS will feature a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the actions that Fisher undertakes to meet its business goals, and represents the company’s expanded commitment to environmental stewardship and the public health of the communities it serves.

The whole situation is a reminder of the fact that businesses can reduce the impact of fines by taking steps to proactively minimize the risk of future violations by implementing an electronic EMS, as with safety management, where businesses can curb OSHA fines by implementing streamlined, electronic safety management systems.

The implementation of an EMS adds to Fisher’s other sustainability commitments, including the use of rubberized asphalt, which reduces waste sent to landfill, as well as air separators that reduce water consumption. In recent years, Fisher also received awards for its safety performance and “outstanding” philanthropy.

According to the ADEQ, the implementation of an Intelex EMS is “a good first step” that will help Fisher “take its environmental obligations seriously and comply with the laws that protect the environment and public health.”

Mine safety legislation across the States is poised to get a new set of teeth.

Democrats are prepared to reveal the framework of a new bill to tighten mine safety and increase penalties for mines with a record of repeated safety violations after U.S. lawmakers reconvene on July 9. 

The bill follows the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in April when 29 miners were killed after an explosion at the West Virginia coal mine. The accident was the worst mining tragedy in the U.S. in four decades. The exact cause of the disaster is unknown, but the mine had a poor safety record and was cited for a number of safety infractions in the previous month. Last year, the mine was fined nearly $400,000 for serious safety violations relating mainly to ventilation and equipment, as well as poor execution of its safety plan. 

The Upper Big Branch disaster is not the only recent coal mining catastrophe in West Virginia. Only four years ago, 13 miners were trapped underground for two days following an explosion at the Sago coal mine. Only one miner survived. Multiple state and federal investigations failed to reveal the exact cause of the explosion, but—as with Upper Big Branch—the mine had a poor safety record and was cited for 208 violations by the Mine Safety and Health Administration in the previous year. 

With any luck, the forthcoming legislation will make mining tragedies a thing of the past by shutting the doors of mines that show a poor track record of safety compliance. It is also expected the bill will boost protection for whistleblowers who identify serious safety risks.

Democrats hope to have the bill passed by the end of the year and, in light of April’s tragedy—and in spite of some early criticisms by Republicans—it is unlikely the bill will receive much opposition. As a result, now is the time for mining companies across the U.S. to implement comprehensive, safety management systems to ensure ongoing compliance with safety requirements, avoid costs associated with safety violations and—most importantly—save lives.