The University of Utah says it’s opening a mine safety center.
University President David Pershing says the Center for Mining Safety and Health Excellence brings together academic disciplines in the College of Mines and Earth Sciences.
The Utah State Board of Regents approved the center’s mission earlier this month. The center will work with industry, government, nongovernmental organizations and labor unions to improve mining safety and health standards.
Associate Professor Tom Hethmon will head up the new center. Hethmon holds the Western Mining Presidential Endowed Chair in Mine Safety.
The endowed chair resulted from a recommendation of former Gov. Jon Huntsman’s Utah Mine Safety Commission following the 2007 Crandall Canyon disaster, which killed six miners and three rescue workers.