Safety is paramount in the mining industry, and this is why we recognize achievements in safety milestones and innovation each year. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) awards annual Mine Safety and Health Technology Innovations Awards which recognize mines and companies that have made an extraordinary effort to apply technology or improve process in innovative ways, above and beyond mandatory requirements, to improve mine worker safety and health. Among recipients for 2022 were CONSOL Energy Inc. and Simmons Equipment Company who jointly received this award for their work on a new scoop bucket for coal mining.
The improved scoop bucket, the S360 scoop bucket, can lift and lower rather than merely tilt up or down. In addition to boasting quickly changeable attachments, the scoop has improved operator visibility and safety feature for pedestrian workers. CONSOL is currently in the process of replacing its fleet of scoops with the new S360.