LAKE COUNTY — The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), in partnership with the Joseph Holmes Safety Association, recognized DNA Ridge Rock and Pt. Lakeview Rock and Redi Mix with the “Sentinels of Safety” award for outstanding safety records in the mining industry.
The awards are given annually to mining operations with exceptional safety and health records and leadership.
The industry is inherently dangerous and strict safety standards are required to ensure the safety of all mine workers, according to Diane Watson, of the U.S. Department of Labor.
According to MSHA, as of Dec. 5, 39 miners have lost their lives in U.S. mines this year.
Both Lake County mining operations were recognized for no recorded lost-time injuries.
DNA Ridge Rock is located near the Manning Flat area off of Highway 29. The business is family-owned and operated by the Epidendio family.
Office Manager Robin Loudermilk accepted the award on behalf of the company and said “I”m proud to receive this safety award and I”m proud to be a part of the Epidendio family.”
Pt. Lakeview Rock and Redi Mix is also a family-owned and operated business located on Point Lakeview Road, overlooking Anderson Marsh. The operation is owned by the Van Pelt family. Workers there credit the company for providing a safe workplace.
Quality Control Manager Gilbert Hitchcock said of Owner Don Van Pelt “he really takes safety seriously and it”s at the core of all we do.”
Both mining operations comply with tough safety and health standards and train their personnel in safe procedures, Watson stated. Staff from the MSHA, an agency under the U.S. Department of Labor that regulates safety compliance in the mining industry, visit the sites twice a year to conduct safety inspections.
According to MSHA”s website, both mining operations have extremely low violation histories and no recorded injuries for the last 10 years.
The Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association was formed in 1916; named after Joseph A. Holmes, a mining safety pioneer and the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The association”s objectives are to prevent fatalities and injuries and to improve health and safety among officials and employees in all phases of mining.
