Detroit Salt Mine was awarded the Sentinel of Safety Award today by the National Mining Association (NMA) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The award is presented annually to those mines with the best safety records in the country.

Sentinel of Safety winners are those mines that have worked the most employee-hours without experiencing a lost-time injury. Detroit Salt Mine worked 97,132 injury-free hours in 2008. The competition reflects the continuing commitment by mining companies to a goal of zero injuries and fatalities and a steadily improving safety record.

Detroit Salt Mine president, Janette Ferrantino, was in Washington to accept the prestigious award, stating, “We are extremely proud of our team and their dedication to safety and continuous improvement. They are dedicated to creating a safe work environment every minute of every day.”

Mining is inherently difficult work. Due to extensive training, education and technological advances there has been a 61 percent reduction in the rate of mining injuries from 1990 to 2008, according to MSHA data. Detroit Salt Mine vice president, E.Z. Manos commented on the challenges of underground mining: “Underground mining is demanding work, but employee safety is our number one priority, so this award means a great deal to our company.”