In this episode of Mining Minds, we sit down at the Mine Safety & Health Conference with returning guest Diane Watson — a respected safety professional, MSHA veteran, and industry leader dedicated to improving safety culture across mining.

Originally featured on Episode #93, Diane returns to share her passion for connecting people, fostering communication, and ensuring the next generation of miners understands the "why" behind safety. From her start as a haul truck operator to her time with MSHA and now as the founder of Silverado Compliance Solutions, Diane talks mentorship, accountability, leadership, and the challenges of evolving safety standards in a fast-changing industry.

Catch both of Diane's episodes on all major podcast platforms.

Event Sponsor:

Safety First Training and Consulting

Episode Sponsors:

Safety First Training and Consulting

JSR Fleet Performance

Liebherr Minining

Chapters:

02:24 Reconnecting with Diane Watson: From Episode #93 to Now

06:04 Passing the Torch: Mentorship and Losing Industry Knowledge

08:43 Communication, Culture, and the Importance of "Why"

10:48 Compliance vs. Culture: Turning Rules into Conversations

13:20 From MSHA to Silverado Compliance Solutions

16:27 Teaching Supervisors: The Role of Responsibility and Accountability

19:30 Defining "Agents of the Company" and Ownership in Safety

23:11 Building Relationships with Inspectors and Regulators

34:19 Technology, AI, and the Future of Mine Safety Standards

37:10 The Human Element: Mental Health and Worker Connection

40:42 Big Companies, Bigger Culture — Keeping People First

50:06 Integrity in Consulting and Working with Purpose

53:18 Collaboration, Community, and What Keeps Diane Motivated

In this cutting-edge episode of Mining Minds, we sit down with Michael Hartley, Managing Director of InterKnowlogy, a North American AI and performance visualization company revolutionizing how the mining industry makes decisions. From his early years in Nova Scotia to his global career in oil, gas, and mining, Michael shares a fascinating journey that connects human performance, data-driven decision-making, and the future of AI in industrial operations.

With real-world lessons, Michael breaks down how human factors engineering and artificial intelligence can change safety, efficiency, and leadership across the mining world. Discover how InterKnowlogy's Command Center and Caddi technologies are transforming decision-making at every level — from operators to executives — by helping people make better, faster, and smarter choices. This episode dives into technology, leadership, and the human side of innovation — a must-listen for anyone passionate about mining's future, workforce development, and real-world applications of AI in heavy industry. Please help us Welcome Michael Hartley to the Face!

Episode Sponsors:

Liebherr Mining

JSR Fleet Performance

Heavy Metal Equipment & Rentals

Episode Chapters:

03:00 – From Nova Scotia Roots to a Global Perspective

06:15 – Human Factors Engineering: The Science Behind Better Decisions

09:40 – Turning Data into Smarter, Safer Mining

13:10 – Lessons from his early career

18:30 – Mining's Future: Transparency, Trust, and Transformation

23:45 – AI Meets Mining: The Birth of Caddi

31:20 – The Human Element of Artificial Intelligence

38:00 – Changing Culture Through Smarter Decision-Making

45:50 – The Power of Visualization and Real-Time Insight

53:25 – Workforce Development and the Next Generation of Miners

01:20:00 – Building the Future of Mining with InterKnowlogy