ARS Welcomes Keynote Speaker Lee Shelby

On July 14, 2025, American Rock Salt had the honor of welcoming Lee Shelby as the keynote speaker for our Annual MSHA 8-Hour Refresher Safety Training. All employees had the opportunity to hear Lee’s powerful and deeply personal story—one that left a lasting impact on everyone in attendance.

After coming into contact with over 13,200 volts of electricity due to complacency, Lee lost both of his hands. But he never lost his will to live a meaningful and inspired life. His journey from trauma to triumph has shaped his life’s mission: to prevent others from experiencing similar tragedies.

For more than two decades, Lee has delivered unforgettable presentations to audiences around the world, helping hundreds of thousands of workers understand the critical importance of staying focused, eliminating distractions, and never taking shortcuts when it comes to safety.

During his keynote, Lee shared his firsthand experiences with sincerity, humor, and unwavering authenticity. His ability to connect with people—blending compassion with authority—reminded all of us that safety is not just a policy, but a personal commitment. His message was a powerful reinforcement of why we do what we do every day to keep ourselves and each other safe.

American Rock Salt highly recommends Lee Shelby to other mines and industries looking to strengthen their safety culture. His presentation is not only educational—it’s unforgettable. Lee doesn’t just talk about safety; he makes you feel why it matters.

We are grateful to Lee for sharing his story with us and for being an inspiring part of our continued safety journey.

Undercutting
The extraction process begins with undercutting the mine walls level with the floor. A self-propelled undercutter carves a massive channel at the base of the deposit and across the entire room. This channel allows for a more efficient explosive blast and also helps create a smooth mine floor.
Drilling
Once the mine wall is undercut a special drilling machine bores small holes into the face of the salt. Then miners will prime these holes with explosive materials and prepare to start blasting.
Blasting
Miners ignite the explosives, creating a blast that dislodges 800 to 900 tons of rock salt in less than three seconds. The depth of the mine and cushion of the overburden absorbs the blast vibrations, preventing any surface damage to immediate and surrounding areas.
Loading
Huge front-end loaders transport the blasted rock salt to the primary crusher. Loaders dump their loads of salt into a powerful spinning crusher, where large pieces are quickly crushed and screened down to small pieces. The salt is then transported to the hoisting shaft where skip hoists bring the loads to the surface in a matter of seconds.
Transportation
Upon reaching the surface, the salt is stored here at the mine in our huge stockpile where it is loaded and sent out to customers by rail car or by truck.
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