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alpha academy continued have made steady and notable progress, but we have not reached our ultimate destination," Crutchfield said. "We are committed to the long-term journey. It's our steadfast belief that people want to do the right thing. It's our job to put them in a position to do just that." Running Right gives everyone a voice, Crutchfield explained. "If something is amiss or needs improvement, or works especially well, we want to know about it. And, we do that with a steady stream of suggestions and observations about safety procedures in action," Crutchfield said. "When 12,000 employees produce in excess of 50,000 suggestions per month, I would say the old ways are being ushered out and we're replacing them with a culture of safety and trust." Last year close to 100 mines, plants and work groups within the Alpha organization went the full year without a single reportable injury. "We know it can be done [zero fatalities]," Crutchfield said. "We have always given miners some of the hardest work there is. Fundamentally, we believe it is not unreasonable for them to come to work with the expectation of returning home safely and injury free after their shift is done." The mission for Alpha's Running Right Leadership Academy is to provide miners with the finest tools, training and education so they can make an honest and noble living with less risk. "We believe we are doing our part by putting them in a position to do theirs," Crutchfield said. "So far as I know, this new campus has no equal anywhere in the world. It took a significant commitment of resources to get it this far, and we have no intention of letting up. The Running Right Leadership Academy begins its existence today as the best safety academy in coal mining. We aim to keep it the best year in and year out as we continue our safety journey." The training at the academy will immerse coal miners in controlled conditions simulating what could happen underground. It will allow them to experience different situations with experts sitting beside them as a coach. The final curriculum will include everything from EMT training to electrical training and retraining, engineering, management and leadership. "Last year, we trained 2,300 certified mine examiners across the coalfield regions," Crutchfield said. "Now we will have the facility to do that in one location. It has the latest cutting-edge technologies, as far as air flow sensors, oxygen cascading sys- July 2013 tems, proximity detection, coal dust explosibility meters and virtual simulators. The goal here is preparation." One day in the near future, Crutchfield explained, the academy will offer training to miners across the industry. Alpha's goal is to partner with the very best and extend the welcome mat to others, eventually making the Running Right Leadership Academy an international training academy and a center of excellence. "There is never an excuse to compromise on safety," Crutchfield said. "If there is one thing I expect of myself as the leader of Alpha, it is to do everything I can to make life better and safer for all of the people of this company. I want to be sure that when health and lives are on the line, that there was nothing more we could have done—not one thing. So I can look my brothers and sisters straight in the eye and tell them that we have done our very best. They give nothing less to www.coalage.com 29