Teh award was presented during a PCMIA-sponsored luncheon on Thursday as part of the 2005 SME/PCMIA Joint Meeting, held at the Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Gallick’s industry career began in 1972 when he joined Bethlehem Steel. It led him through the ranks of the company and then to Cyprus Emerald Resources in 1993. Last year, he was appointed the corporate safety director for Foundation.

“If you look at the award, it’s a longevity award. It’s achievement over a lifetime,” Gallick said.

He spoke on what he called “the four pillars of safety” – technical/engineering, occupational health issues, safety systems and behavioral safety – as part of his prepared remarks to SME/PCMIA members and guests.

He also mentioned the personal dust monitor as a significant advancement in safety for today and tomorrow, allowing dust levels to be monitored at all times to keep workers in areas of safe concentrations of respirable dust.

He noted that some issues of behavioral safety can be challenging, but that overcoming those challenges is imperative as young new mine staff enter the industry and will look to elder co-workers for guidance.

“We have to leave a legacy that we’ve taken that fourth pillar and done something about it to make this industry even safer and better than it is today,” Gallick said.

Past recipients of the Kingery award include Syd Peng of West Virginia University, Pramod Thakur of Consol Energy, Samuel Shearer of CSE Corporation and Dr. Eugene Palowitch, retiree of the US Bureau of Mines, who was given the award in 2004.

Although it was established in 1974, the PCMIA has bestowed the honor every year since 1987, when it assumed sponsorship of the award program.