Do you have an innovation or new process that helps mine workers stay healthy or operate safely? You could win an award from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

The agency’s Mine Safety and Health Technology Innovations Award recognizes mines and companies that have made an extraordinary effort to apply technology or improve processes in innovative ways, above and beyond mandatory requirements, to improve mine worker safety and health.

NIOSH believes that in mining, technology should not be a one-time “fix” but rather an evolving and continuously improving process of applying new and better technologies and systems to solve problems. The Technology Innovations Award were created with the goal of promoting technology identification, adoption, and dissemination throughout the mining industry. Mines and companies that qualify are invited to self-apply.

How to Apply

The nomination process is simple. Send an email to the Associate Director for Mining answering these questions:

  • What problem were you solving?
  • What is the technology or process and how does it work?
  • How did you modify and evaluate the technology or process to solve your specific problem?
  • What did you do to implement the technology or process at your mine?
  • What health and safety benefits have been realized or are expected?

Specify which industry sector (metal, coal, industrial minerals, or stone, sand & gravel) is most applicable to your submission.

Also include the name of the mining operation or company implementing the technology or process improvement and the name, email address, and phone number of the primary contact for the submission.

Pictures and diagrams are optional, but may be submitted to help us understand the technology. The submission does not need to be elaborately produced and the text can be in layman’s terms. If further clarification is needed during the review process, NIOSH will contact the submitters.y 31

Apply by July 31

Although nominations will be accepted throughout the year, please note that awards are given annually and the award date will correspond to the meeting date for the sponsoring organization. In order to allow time for full consideration of each nomination, nominations must be received no later than the listed deadline. Nominations received after the deadline will automatically be considered for an award in the subsequent year.

Apply today for the Mine Safety and Health Technology Innovations Awards.

Hurry! Nominations close July 31!

For questions, email NIOSH at mining@cdc.gov, or call 412-386-5302.

2016 Award Winners: