In coordination with a visit from Richard E. Stickler, acting assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safey and Health Administration, 48 7th- and 8th-grade students from St. Joan of Arc School in South Park visited the Bruceton mine Monday.

They attended an hour-long program above-ground, then descended for a tour of the mining facility.

"They talked about it in their science classes when they got back, and they were given a packet of information that contained a DVD on mine safety. They actually watched the DVD in their classes," said Jon Cuniak, St. Joan of Arc principal.

MSHA is kicking off its public safety campaign, "Stay Out-Stay Alive." The public awareness program was launched in 1999.

Dangers of recreational use of mining areas both active and inactive include drowning, asphyxiation, electrocution and falls.

The MSHA website (www.msha.gov) lists fatalities and accidents by year, the majority of which involve drownings in quarries.