David Dye Miner Quotations

This year's tragic mine accidents in West Virginia require immediate action to put in place addition safety requirements to help miners successfully evacuate a mine when an emergency occurs.

This emergency rulemaking will require the use of proven technologies and techniques to help miners evacuate quickly and safely after a mine accident. We are using the emergency temporary standard to get help into the field as fast as possible. MSHA is moving forward on every front to better protect miners' safety and health.

MSHA will take every step to protect the miners' interest in a fair and open investigation into this tragic accident, including ensuring that the UMWA can participate fully as the miners' representative. We made a commitment to the miners and the families on this. We are elated that the court agreed that the rights of miners' representatives must be protected.

MSHA is pursuing promising wireless technologies to help ensure safe working environments for miners and improve rescue teams' abilities to locate them should an accident occur. MSHA is dedicated to conducting a thorough evaluation of existing technologies and pursuing promising technological advances to ensure that every step is taken to improve mine safety.

MSHA is moving quickly and aggressively to evaluate technology that may help save the lives of miners in this nation. We will test these systems - as well as other promising technologies that arise - to provide miners and mine operators with useful data on the effectiveness of devices such as these in making mines safer workplaces.

MSHA and the entire mining community extend our deepest condolences when miners are in danger.

I am asking miners and management at every mine operation to do the right thing: Take one hour out for safety's sake. This Monday, we urge that extra time be taken, at the beginning of each shift and before the start of any mining activity, to go over the hazards involved with mining and the vital safeguards that need to be taken.

All of us at MSHA deeply grieve the loss of these miners' lives, and I want to assure their families and friends that we are conducting an uncompromising investigation into this accident. We will uncover the truth of why this tragedy happened, and how we can best protect miners in the future.