Alliance Signed: June 14, 2016
MSHA Assistant Secretary Joseph Main, Deputy Assistant Secretary Patricia Silvey and Metal and Nonmetal Deputy Administrator Marvin Lichtenfels attended the Institute of Makers’ of Explosives (IME) spring meeting on June 14, 2016. MSHA and IME executives took the opportunity to sign an Alliance agreeing to work cooperatively on a number of issues regarding explosives safety in the mining industry. MSHA will leverage IME’s expertise to develop, distribute and promote educational and safety training resources on explosive and blasting materials. IME will distribute MSHA Safety Alerts and other safety resources throughout its network, and both entities will jointly develop and disseminate best practices to stakeholders who use explosives and contract blasting services, and agency and IME representatives will attend, speak and exhibit at MSHA, IME and other industry conferences and meetings.
MSHA and IME are getting off to a fast start by working jointly on an Explosives Safety Alert that will be published mining industry-wide at the beginning of July 2016.