The Iowa Department of Education administers a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), which provides funds for training and services delivered to mine owners/operators/contractors in the State of Iowa. The state grant program started in 1969 under the Coal Mine Safety and Health Act. The 1977 amendments to the act authorized MSHA to spend up to $10 million annually to assist states in providing health and safety training to miners.

The Iowa MSHA State Grant Program 2011 delivers training through its fifteen (15) community colleges and the state’s One Source Training solution. A focus of the Iowa MSHA State Grant Program is to make training available to small mines – employing 5 or fewer workers. To do this, it is necessary to establish classes and grouping workers together who are taking the same training. A schedule of classes has been established and is available on the One Source Training website. Additional training dates/times can be scheduled for New Miner, Annual Refresher, and Customized Training by contacting the MSHS trainer listed on the One Source Training website.

The training is:

• Current with federal and state mining regulations, policies and procedures;
• Focuses on trends in causes of mining accidents and "near misses";
• Applicable to workers in all areas of Iowa's mine operations;
• Taught in classes of 30 or less students;
• Designed to meet or exceed all state and federal policies, regulations, and guidelines; and
• Available at sites across the state through Iowa's Community College One Source Training.

30 CFR parts 46 & 48 training is available, upon request, to all miners and independent contractors in the state. The grant training program conducts sessions for:

• 30 CFR parts 46 and 48 Annual Refresher (8 hours);
• 30 CFR parts 46 and 48 Newly Hired Experienced Miner Training (8 hours)
• 30 CFR parts 46 and 48 New Miner Training (24 hours)

Topics in these presentations include Electrical Safety and Lockout/Tagout, Haulage Equipment, Dredging Operatings, Equipment Safety, Plant Safety, Health Concerns (MSDS forms, Parts Cleaners, Solvents, Dust Factors, etc.), Personal Safety, and First Aid/CPR.

Short courses are also available to mining companies to address site-specific concerns which may arise and impact the day to day safe operations of mines.  These course include:

• Blaster's Certification Course;
• Loading, Hauling, and Dumping Equipment;
• Plant Safety and Machine Guarding;
• Substance Abuse;
• Dredging Operations;
• First Aid/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR);
• Personal Protective equipment/Health Concerns;
• Silica Dust hazards;
• Back Injury Prevention;
• Electrical Safety;
• Stress Management; and
• Dust Control
• Other courses as needed.

Under the Iowa grant program, mine operators may request grant personnel visit their mining operations to assist in training program development that would be site specific, job safety analysis development and implementation of employee safety awareness programs. The outreach program also enables operators to receive additional training and assistance with 30 CFR parts 56 and 57 subjects as requested.