Luck Stone hosts MSHA assistant secretary in Virginia

By |  August 9, 2022
The visit to Luck Stone was Chris Williamson’s first to an aggregate operation. Photo: NSSGA

The visit to Luck Stone was Chris Williamson’s first to an aggregate operation. Photo: Luck Stone

Chris Williamson, assistant secretary at the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA), paid Luck Stone’s Bull Run Plant a visit, marking the agency leader’s first tour of an aggregate operation.

The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) organized the day-long tour in Chantilly, Virginia. Williamson and seven other employees of MSHA and the Department of Labor visited Luck Stone, and took part in an NSSGA-MSHA Alliance meeting followed the tour.

“NSSGA is known for creating and building relationships for the aggregates industry in Washington, and this tour is a prime example of that,” says Michele Stanley, vice president of government and regulatory affairs at NSSGA. “The best way to fully understand our industry’s commitment to safety and health is to spend time at the quarry, observing the work environment and talking with employees about their experiences. We thank the assistant secretary and his team for our important working relationship, as well as those at Luck Stone for providing the great tour to showcase how the industry works.”

According to NSSGA, the Luck Stone team began the day with a safety briefing and a presentation about the company’s safety journey. The group then toured the site and experienced the full mining process, from the quarry to the plant to materials going out the gate.

“We were honored to host Assistant Secretary Williamson and his team at our Bull Run Plant,” says Abel Parker, director of risk management at Luck Stone. “It was a great opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to our associates’ safety, health and overall well-being. We appreciate the assistant secretary and his team for making the time to tour our facility and view firsthand all that goes into the production of a critical element of our nation’s infrastructure: construction aggregates.”

Aggregate producers from across the U.S. attended the first NSSGA-MSHA Alliance meeting. NSSGA says in-person meetings with MSHA were a goal stemming from the NSSGA Annual Convention so producers could reconnect throughout the year.

During the meeting, NSSGA says participants identified specific projects, initiatives and goals that will improve the health and safety of miners throughout the U.S. Key topics discussed were how companies can best utilize MSHA data available online, the creation of an aggregate-specific quarterly data digest, promoting total worker health and drafting whitepapers.

Kevin Yanik

About the Author:

Kevin Yanik is editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry. He can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.

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