The importance of safety is difficult to state when things are going well. You’re never going to read a news story about the life that wasn’t lost in an accident, or read a statistic about all the disasters that were passively averted. When things are going well safety measures feel downright mundane, but that’s exactly why they are so important to highlight and celebrate. It means they are working, that tragic stories are being averted and lives are being preserved.
In the realm of mining here at the University of Utah this takes the form of the Mine Rescue Team, a student-led organization that trains and competes with other teams across the country. In this field that’s especially valuable, as Travis Bach explains, “Most mines, especially underground mines, have rescue teams as being underground is outside of traditional safety training. There are important procedures, it’s a dangerous environment, so specialists are trained to enter the mine, rescue people, and bring them out to first responders.” Mining incidents happen quickly and require immediate attention, and these specialists fill that need to ensure that everyone gets to go home.
Despite being on the younger side of mine rescue teams, the U’s already has incredibly strong performances under its belt, having won the overall competition at the 2020 Society of Mining,
Metallurgy and Exploration Engineers annual conference in February. In particular they’ve been lauded for their stellar communication and teamwork, their ability to seamlessly act and react together in high stress situations.
The mining department is relatively small on campus, meaning these members share classes and have become friends. Forge this close-knit group of friends with the support of nearby mines (who often donate equipment for the team to use) and the Mining Rescue Team is able to translate their cohesion into even greater success when the competitions start.
As for what those competitions entail, every aspect of rescue is scrutinized to reflect the severity of lives being on the line. Mass casualty simulations will test the team’s reaction to a major collapse in an underground environment. How do they prioritize injuries? Do they have the first aid skills to do so? How efficiently and safely can they get people out of a mine? Also heavily scrutinized is the equipment, as teams are provided malfunctioning equipment and tested to see how well they can both find and fix those issues.
Teams’ ability to navigate underground is tested with scavenger hunts in real mines. Rope challenges measure the necessity of creating impromptu harnesses in case of a fall…and all while the judges are actively tampering with the environment to mimic an unpredictable crisis. These are incredibly varied competitions, but as Joe Rhoades describes, such breadth is a critical aspect to the outing
“There’s collapsing walls, there’s toxic gas, malfunctioning equipment, fires, every kind of health emergency,” to name a few. It’s an ever-changing environment where everyone has to stay on their toes, and competitions like this are the perfect way to hone those skills.
But the Mine Rescue Team isn’t just for mining and engineering students. The disaster relief focus has drawn members from across the health sciences, and a geologist joined the ranks to get some proper mineral exploration (a career of searching for future mines) experience. Geology & Geophysics major Constance Suave explains that mining engineers and geologists work “hand-in-glove” constantly.
“I’d decided I wanted to know more about what comes after the process of my future career,” she says, further explaining that “I didn’t know what to expect at first, but I’ve really come to appreciate the industry and the culture around safety. It’s not just mine rescue — staying mindful and staying safe is important for everyone.”
It may be a relatively silent importance, but thanks to teams like this the message is still carried to the right people. As Mine Rescue Team president Hunter Norris puts it, “The saying that ‘Everyone goes home’ has always rang true to me, and it is a goal I will strive for in my career.”
Current students participating in rescue teams like this one at the U ensure that the future mining leaders they’ll become will be informed and motivated by those values of safety throughout their career environments.