Creating workplaces where we all watch out for each other

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U.S. Department of Labor Deploys Mobile Technology System To Help Mine Inspectors Work More Efficiently

ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has initiated the deployment of a Mobile Inspection Application System (Mobile IAS) to further enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of mine inspectors and to better carry out MSHA’s core mission of promoting the health and safety of America’s miners. Nearly 1,500 federal mine inspectors across the nation and enforcement staff will benefit from this new technology.

The Mobile IAS replaces an 18-year-old system that required mine inspectors to carry bulky laptops, cameras, reference material, and documentation from previous inspections. The new Mobile IAS integrates all of these features into one application to provide the latest technologies that securely store and transfer data, while improving ease of use.

“Enabling mine inspectors to work more efficiently means more time to focus on the health and safety of America’s miners,” said MSHA Assistant Secretary David G. Zatezalo. “MSHA’s Mobile IAS is expected to improve the quality of information by eliminating redundancy, and provide more timely information for inspectors.”

Among the features of MSHA’s Mobile IAS are:

·         A Windows-based, lightweight, semi-ruggedized tablet with a camera, video, voice recording, touch screen, digital pen, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi capability to facilitate data capture and streamline the inspection process.

·         An application built on Microsoft’s Universal Windows platform with photo capture and fillable, pre-populated forms.

·         Service-oriented architecture for efficient data transfer among devices and the MSHA Standardized Information System.