17 JUNE 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 SERVING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry From Company Miner to Federal Mine Safety Manager Adapted from Information by the U.S. Department of Labor As a third-generation miner, Nicholas Gutierrez understands the unique challenges and rewards associated with working in the mining industry. Before joining the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Gutierrez spent 11 years working in multiple mines and experienced a tragedy that brought the importance of mine safety close to home - one in his own family suffered a fatal mining accident. “That was very significant for me, and [I] saw the ripple effects of what that causes for a family . . . financially, emotionally, you just name it. It just has such a negative impact,” he explained. It was these experiences that led him to pursue a career at MSHA. Since joining the department, he’s been promoted from a safety specialist to his current role as an assistant district manager. He utilizes his family tragedy as fuel to continuously allow him to be driven and committed to understanding what miners are doing on a daily basis, what the environment can present, the hazards associated with it, having knowledge of the regulatory requirement, and being able to educate and enforce those requirements. For Gutierrez, the mission of MSHA brings forth the words - commitment, responsibility, and accountability - in addition to understanding the work they do really contributes to the health and safety of the nation’s miners. At the end of the day, he knows it makes a difference. He said, “There’s no better reward than understanding that what you do ensures that people go home to their families. You know there’s someone counting on you to do your work - that’s what makes working for MSHA fulfilling.” MIN
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