Published: October 24, 2009 07:59 pm      

Glen Daniel business gives inexperienced experience

Terry’s Mining School in Glen Daniel offers new miners the opportunity to train with seasoned coal miners.

Owned by Rick and Teresa Terry and operated with the help of Delmer Webb, TMS prepares miners for the test mandated by the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training in underground and surface mining and tree-cutting, and various retraining courses.

Rick Terry and Webb are certified by the United States Mine Safety and Health Administration to teach the courses, said Terry.

Rick Terry is a mine foreman and electrician who has worked in West Virginia mines for 15 years.

Webb, a former miner with 44 years of experience, also has experience as an emergency medicating training instructor and served for 15 years on MSHA mine rescue teams.

Terry said some miners have sought out TMS to be trained by Webb, who retired from mining in 2006.

Webb said mine rescue teams often used the simulated mine like the one at TMS to practice.

For an 80-hour apprentice course, Webb said class members could expect to learn all the terminologies that miners have used over the years to describe parts of the mine and equipment.

“I teach them the different terminology for all the different things they see underground,” said Webb. “We have CPR mannequins, and we do teach CPR.”

TMS offers an 80-hour underground apprentice class, 40-hour surface apprentice class and core drilling refresher courses, tree-cutting, and electrical annual retraining classes. The classes feature an artificial coal mine and focus strongly on safety and first aid.

The classes emphasize safety and are taught in a friendly environment, said Teresa Terry.

“We teach hands-on instruction for everything,” she said. “After it’s over, they will submit me resumes, and I will send them to coal companies.

“I will try to help them out as much as I can,” she added. “The class isn’t over, once it’s over.”

Rick and Teresa Terry refurbished the basement in their home to accommodate the classes.

TMS offers a mock coal mine, constructed with boards and strings. The maze-like structure gives students an idea of the mine face and helps them get familiar with the layout of a mine.

“Safety is our first priority,” said Terry, who manages the office for TMS. “We have tapes of mock mining accidents that have happened.”

Some of the mine accident videos are difficult to watch, but Terry said it’s imperative for those going into mines to understand the dangers and to remember safety.

“One guy (on the film) had gotten his arm cut off,” she said. “We show them how easy it was because what had happened (on the film) is that something had gotten caught in a machine.

“You’ve just got to be safe.”

MSHA safety training instructors often come to monitor the classes, Terry added.

The six fundamentals of first- aid, CPR, bandage application for various wounds and burns, splints, and transporting injured miners are all skills that are taught during the 80-hour and 40-hour courses, said Webb.

The 40-hour course for surface mining will teach surface mining terminology, he added.

Annual retraining classes are mandated by state law, said Webb.

“It is really a fun class,” added Terry. “We have a basketball team we do that is part of our training techniques.

“I serve them pizza and drinks two days,” she said. “They will just tell you, it is a fun school.

“When these boys leave, you feel like you’re family with them,” Terry added. “We appreciate each and every one of them.”

Classes run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Eighty-hour courses ($291) usually last two weeks for day classes and four weeks for evening classes.

Forty-hour courses ($175) are one week for day classes and two weeks for evening classes, said Webb.

Refresher training courses are $75 and less than $75 for tree loggers, he added.

TMS is located behind Liberty High School, at 157 Holly Lane.

Additional information is available by calling 304-934-7226 or 304-934-7597.

— E-mail: jfarrish@register-herald.com