Grand Saline Morton Salt Mine Rescue Team Participates In Skills Test
Greg Junek
It seems all too often we hear of mining accidents — roof collapses, explosions, cave-ins — that trap miners and take lives.
And it’s easy to assume, without thinking into it very much, that we wouldn’t experience anything like that in East Texas. This isn’t exactly Appalachia, although Luminant’s power plants, including Monticello to the north and Martin Lake to the east, run on locally mined lignite coal.
But there is a place right in our backyard where employees and equipment work underground where the temperature hardly ever changes — the Morton Salt Co. mine just outside of Grand Saline. Although I do not recall anything major happening in this mine during the past 15 or so years that I’ve been in East Texas (they used to conduct public tours in it, for heaven’s sake), that does not mean that danger is nonexistent.
A good rescue team is a must, with a hope that it will forever remain on standby.
And this past week, the Kleer Mine team from Morton Salt in Grand Saline participated in a skills test during the 2008 Metal/Nonmetal National and International Mine Rescue Contest in Reno, Nev. The contest, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Mine Safety and Health Administration, included more than 30 teams from 14 states, as well as 11 teams representing seven countries.
Mine Safety and Health Administration, included more than 30 teams from 14 states, as well as 11 teams representing seven countries.
“Mine rescue teams are the backbone of emergency response in the mining industry,” said Richard E. Stickler, acting assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “This contest is not just about winning. It’s about being prepared for a real-life disaster and perhaps saving lives in the process.
Stickler said these professionals spend many hours in training and preparation and deserve the public’s utmost respect and gratitude.
In the “field” competition, teams were challenged to solve a hypothetical mine emergency problem while judges rated them on how well they adhered to mine rescue procedures and how quickly they completed specific tasks. In the first-aid contest, emergency medical technicians tackled real-life scenarios. In the “benchman” and gas contests, individuals who maintained rescue equipment had to thoroughly inspect breathing devices and gas instruments and quickly correct all defects.
An awards banquet marked the conclusion of the competition. The results were not immediately available, but I will follow up to see how the Kleer Mine team did.
Other teams represented mining operations in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Wyoming.
Teams participating in the international contest were based in Australia, Canada, India, Mexico, Peru, Poland and Ukraine.
Program Graduates
The Family Medicine Residency Program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler saw the graduation of seven residents, and UTHSCT’s Occupational Medicine Residency Program saw the graduation of one.
Occupational Medicine Residency Program saw the graduation of one.
The Occupational Medicine Residency Program also recognized two 2007 graduates during a June 20 banquet at Willow Brook Country Club.
Family Medicine Residency Program graduates were Dr. Kristin Ault, Dr. Heather Bass, Dr. Corbett Boone, Dr. Andrea Herrera, Dr. Jim Knox, Dr. McDavid Mahaffey and Dr. Justin McInnis.
Four of the graduates are entering private practice in Texas — Dr. Ault and Dr. McInnis in Jacksonville, Dr. Bass in McKinney and Dr. Mahaffey in Cleburne. Dr. Herrera will practice in Kansas and Dr. Knox will be in Uganda. Dr. Boone will begin a fellowship in sports medicine at UTHSCT.
Additionally, Dr. Knox was named Resident of the Year.
Dr. Robert Tompkins, an associate professor of family medicine, received the Faculty of the Year Award. The Downtown Preceptor of the Year was obstetrician Dr. David Dalton.
In addition, the residents chose Dr. Knox as resident’s resident, recognizing him for the support and assistance he gave them throughout the year. UTHSCT registered nurse
Larry Hightower received the Nurse of the Year Award, and Dr. McInnis received the Academic Excellence Award.
Dr. Nicholas Bingham graduated from the 2008 Occupational Medicine Residency Program. In addition, Dr. Aman Dhillon and Dr. Lester Tarbutton, two 2007 graduates, received honors.
Occupational Medicine Residents Recognized
Dr. Larry Lowry, professor of Occupational Health Sciences, as 2008 Teacher of the Year. Dr. Lowry is also director of the health science center’s joint master’s degree program in environmental science with Stephen F. Austin State University.
They also recognized Dr. Sharon Evers of East Texas Medical Center as the 2008 Preceptor of the Year.
Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services and former UTHSCT infectious disease specialist, gave the Arthur Frank Keynote Lecture at the banquet.
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