Inaugural NIOSH award for Luck Stone

Wheel loader innovation praised by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

THE National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has honoured Virginia-based Luck Stone with its inaugural award for Mine Safety and Health Technology Innovations for the stone, sand and gravel sector. The award was presented at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Annual Convention General Session in Las Vegas on 6 March.

Luck Stone won the award for their work to further improve safety through technological innovation, by successfully modifying a Cat 988G wheel loader so that the driver can operate the machine either remotely or traditionally from the cab.

This innovation was needed because the operator of a loader can be exposed to increased hazards during some extraction activities, such as loading from a muck pile that has a boulder on top, excavating a slot or certain scaling operations.

Jeffrey Kohler, NIOSH associate director of mining and director of the Office of Miner Safety and Health Research, commented: ‘NIOSH is proud to present this inaugural honour for technology innovation in the aggregates sector. Luck Stone have exhibited genuine leadership in going above and beyond mandatory requirements to utilize technology to reduce hazards.’

Michael Johnson, NSSGA president and CEO, added: ‘NSSGA is very pleased that one of its leading member companies has received national recognition for its commitment to safety and health. While we are pleased to have seen our thirteenth consecutive year of a reduced injury rate, we are committed to continued innovation until we reduce injuries to the lowest-possible level.’