Date: May 31, 2012
News - Waldorf Sand and Gravel, Aggregate Mining Operations Safety
Waldorf Sand & Gravel and Chaney Enterprises’ Gardiner Road and McKay Bowling mine sites received zero citations during audits conducted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), a division of the US Department of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration, between April 2011 to April 2012. Mandatory unannounced MSHA audits as conducted two times per site annually and generally take two days to complete. Auditors review every detail of operation, safety, training, and related administrative tasks.
“Chaney Enterprises has built a culture of safety within the entire company, and especially in our mining and aggregate processing operations. Our employees think about safety and safe practices in every daily task,” said William Mancuso, Chaney Enterprises safety director.
Because the consequences of mining incidents can be devastating, MSHA auditors are trained to seek out and cite every violation that impacts compliance. Fines for citations can be very costly, and range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars.
The company conducts hours of mandatory training, including on-site “toolbox talks” to keep safe working practices fresh in the employees’ minds. Mancuso also trusts the work ethic of his fellow team members, knowing that if someone sees a discrepancy as minor as housekeeping that could be cited as an MSHA violation, some or all of the team proactively corrects it.
That his fellow Chaney team members live by safe practices makes Mancuso proud. “Our employees do an outstanding job. They totally embrace a culture of safety,” he added.
Waldorf Sand & Gravel is one of the region’s highest producing sand and gravel companies. In addition to producing concrete, the sand and gravel are used for a variety of purposes both in construction