Skills gap getting wider?

The skills gap has been a long-standing issue in mining. Generational employment has lessened over decades and has left the industry in a competition like never before to gain and retain safe and productive hires. Beyond mining’s front lines, the outlook doesn’t improve. Many industry experts in niche areas – think ventilation, ground control, modeling and planning, processing, and more…

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Why Coal Will Remain Necessary

The following is an op-ed from Syd S. Peng, the Charles E. Lawall chair of mining engineering emeritus at West Virginia University.  Coal will remain critically important as we usher in our energy future and rebuild the nation’s infrastructure. As the nation’s transition to renewable energy gains speed, with the rapid deployment of wind and solar power and grid-scale batteries,…

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Missouri S&T research gone to the dogs

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) researchers have revealed they are conducting research using a Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog to help in the often-perilous conditions found during mine emergencies. University senior Dustin Peterson recently supported a research project entitled “Research, Technological Innovations and Human Factors for Effective Miner Self-Escape from Underground Mine Emergencies,” part of a $4…

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Virtual reality hazard awareness training program developed

Underground and surface mines can be hazardous places, so when it comes to safety training in the mining profession, the old saying “practice makes perfect” holds true. To improve hazard safety instruction, a team at South Dakota Mines has spent the past year developing a virtual reality (VR) training module that mimics a mining environment.

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