MSHA - Accident Prevention Program - Miner's Tips

	MSHA's Accident Prevention Program Miner's Tip The Magic Of Mentoring PDF Version

Mine Type: All mines, surface and underground

Category: Communications and Training

Alfredo Paredes II of Temecula, California shares valued memories of being mentored:

Day in and day out we tram our drills to new locations and nothing ever happens. Just about the time we forget we are operating a piece of equipment with no suspension and not driving our trucks, it happens: The Magic Of Mentoring

You dump into a mud hole that wasn't there yesterday,
one of your tracks goes over a rock in the road you did not see, or
you are going up a steep incline and your tracks lose traction and you slide sideways.

You get that feeling of loss of control and your heart starts to race. For the next few days you walk around your drill before you tram and you are much more aware of your surroundings. But as that feeling goes away you stop walking around your drill before you tram and become less aware of your surroundings. I was always told three things when I was being schooled in the art of tramming a drill:

I owe a lot to that old timer. Thanks Dad.

MSHA postscript: The message Mr. Paredes shares is much deeper than the tramming of a drill. Safety training can come in many forms. Often the best, most unforgettable training comes at the side of a parent, a mentor, or an older, experienced coworker who cared enough to take a new kid under his wing. In the workplace there is no greater act of kindness and caring than the sharing of a safe work attitude.

MSHA extends a thank you and a tip of the hardhat to Alfredo Paredes, a winner of a limited edition sticker and patch. If you have a tip you would like to pass on, you can e-mail it to zzMSHA-MinersTips@dol.gov. If your tip is selected, you will receive credit in this space.

Issued:	12/10/2007
Tag #	AP2006-93525