The key issues studied focused on underground coal mining and included (1)prevention of explosions in sealed areas, (2) better emergency preparedness and re-sponse, (3) improvement of miners' ability to escape, (4) better protection of miners beforeand after a fire or explosion, (5) improved provision of oxygen, and (6) development andimplementation of more robust post-incident communication. The U.S. Congress passedthe Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, which mandated newlaws to address the issues. Concurrent with investigations and congressional deliberations,the National Mining Association formed the independent Mine Safety Technology andTraining Commission to study the state-of-the-art relative to technology and training thatcould address the vulnerabilities exposed by the mine disasters. As discussed, the reportoutlined persistent vulnerabilities linked with significant hazards in underground coal mines,and made recommendations to provide a path for addressing them. Overall the commis-sion report made 75 recommendations in the areas of risk-based design and management,communications technology, emergency response and mine rescue procedures, trainingfor preparedness, and escape and protection strategies. In its deliberations, the commis-sion importantly noted that mine safety in the U.S. needs to follow a new paradigm for en-suring mine safety and developing a culture of prevention that supports safe production atthe business core. In the commission's viewpoint, the bottom line in protecting coal minersis not only adopting a culture of prevention but also systematically pursuing mitigation ofsignificant risks.
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