The Sentinels of Safety award was first announced by President Herbert Hoover while he was Secretary of Commerce. It is the oldest established award for occupational safety. MSHA and the National Mining Association annually honor mining companies in various industry categories for holding the greatest number of employee work-hours without an injury that results in lost workdays. To qualify, a mine must accumulate 4,000 or more employee work hours without incurring a lost-time injury or fatality during the year.

• 2005 Sentinels of Safety Award Winners/Runners-Up from Virginia