Massey Energy Company on May 5 announced that two of its subsidiaries have been honored for their exemplary commitment to safety excellence. The Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association presented awards to Aracoma Coal Company's Hernshaw Mine and Elk Run Coal Company's Logan's Fork Mine based on their outstanding safety records during 2008.
The Holmes Safety Association, a non-profit organization founded in 1918, annually recognizes outstanding safety performance in the mining industry. The association's members include representatives from state and federal government agencies, mining organizations and labor unions.
In qualifying for the awards, Aracoma's Hernshaw Mine worked more than 115,000 hours without a lost time accident in 2008, among other safety achievements. Elk Run's Logan's Fork Mine worked more than 375,000 hours without a lost time accident during the same period.
In addition to earning the Holmes Safety Association's award, the Logan's Fork mine was presented with the Mine Safety and Health Administration's prestigious Pacesetter Award for safety in the category of underground mines with 101 or more employees. Similarly, Elk Run's Chess Processing plant received the Pacesetter Award for their outstanding safety performance in the category of surface facilities with 26 or more employees.
All of the awards were presented at the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association's annual meeting in Roanoke, W.Va., on May 1-2.
"We congratulate the members at Aracoma and Elk Run on being recognized for their commitment to working safely," said Don Blankenship, Massey's chairman and chief executive officer. "Massey Energy has a strong tradition of safety excellence because we make it a priority every day. All our members work hard at being safe in the workplace and these awards are well deserved recognition of our success."
Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Va., with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the fourth-largest coal company in the United States based on produced coal revenue and is included in the S&P 500 Index.
