Our Featured Speakers - 2025 lineup under construction
Scott Burrows
Vision, Mindset, and Grit
Auby Ninemire
Certified Safety Professional at PPI
Nick Scala
MSHA Updates
Nick Scala
MSHA Updates
Nicholas W. Scala is a chair of the firm's national MSHA • Workplace Safety Practice Group. His practice focuses on issues involving mining safety and health law. Mr. Scala represents coal and metal/non-metal mining operators, with operations on both the surface and underground, in addition to cement manufacturers and independent contractors. His clients' operations extract a wide range of industrial minerals including coal, aggregates, construction sand and gravel, dimensional stone, gypsum, iron ore, limestone, and silica and frac sands.
Mr. Scala represents and advises clients in all phases of involvement with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), particularly companies challenging enforcement by the agency. Mr. Scala also represents clients in litigation against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as developing corporate safety and health policies for clients in the construction and mining industries. As a Certified Mine Safety professional through the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration’s International Academy of Mine Safety & Health, his experience includes:
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Advising and representing clients in relation to inspections, accident and fatality investigations and enforcement actions involving MSHA, OSHA, and state and local regulators;
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Defending operators and contractors during the full range of litigation against MSHA, including informal and formal contest of citations or orders, negotiations of settlements to minimize the impact of future enforcement actions at the mine and on wrongful death and personal injury civil cases, and trials before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission;
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Representing employers and managing investigations resulting from complaints under Sections 105(c) and 110 of the Mine Act;
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Advising clients with regards to MSHA/OSHA jurisdiction concerns, through review of the MSHA/ OSHA Interagency Agreement, and contest of jurisdiction disputes;
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Developing and auditing safety programs and policies, including on-site facility inspections; and
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Providing nationwide, workplace safety training and compliance counseling for employers, state-grant programs and trade associations.
Prior to joining Conn Maciel Carey, Mr. Scala was an attorney in a national MSHA practice group in the DC area. He also worked in-house for a national retailer on intellectual property portfolio management and corporate compliance. Before attending law school, Mr. Scala worked in the mining and heavy-highway construction industry.
Mr. Scala frequently speaks on MSHA and related legal issues such as Supervisory Rights & Responsibilities, Contractor Safety and MSHA Enforcement Initiatives & Guidance at mine safety and health events around the country. He is a published author on a variety of safety and health topics. He has been named a "Rising Star" by Washington, DC Super Lawyers in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Brett Haskins
CAT - Technology and Organizational Change, Culture & Leadership Strategist
Brett Haskins
CAT - Technology and Organizational Change, Culture & Leadership StrategistI am the Manager, Technology Change and Dealer Enablement Enablement for Caterpillar with over 30 years of experience in leading organizations through change in relation to safety culture and technology deployments. Originally from the United States, my career has brought me around the world working with companies to improve their culture in North and South America, Southeast Asia, Europe and Australia. It’s been my privilege to share my passion for people, safety and change throughout all levels of an organization from executives to front-line employees. I enjoy helping companies serve their employees by developing effective strategies to engage the workforce in building and supporting change efforts. My experience has proven to me that leaders hold the keys to success: effective and transparent communication through words and deeds. I truly love what I do: working every day to improve lives and help others to achieve what they thought was impossible. If you’d like to learn more, let’s connect and uncover the possibilities.