In Mining People
Control Your Ego.
Influence Everything.
Read the Scott Chest feature by Elizabeth Martin in the May/June 2026 issue, pages 10–11.
About Scott Chest
Experience from the working face to the leadership seat.
Miner. Lead miner. Superintendent. Project manager. Construction manager. Safety manager. Federal mine inspector.
Founder / Lead The Middle
Scott Chest
Scott brings nearly 30 years of experience across mining, construction, and geotechnical work. His career has taken him from doing the work underground to leading crews, managing projects, and overseeing safety and compliance.
He has worked as a miner, lead miner, superintendent, project manager, construction manager, and safety manager. Those roles connect the daily decisions at the working face with the planning, coordination, and follow-through required to deliver a project.
His regulatory background includes service as a Federal MSHA Metal/Nonmetal Inspector and accident investigator. He is also trained as a coal inspector.
His background includes Safety Manager experience and company-wide safety and compliance leadership. Through Lead The Middle, Scott is building practical MSHA training, safety and compliance support, and leadership development for people working in the field.
Control Your Ego.
Three Views of the Same Work
Operations. Regulation. Safety management.
01 / Operations
Doing and leading the work.
Mining, underground construction, crew supervision, project management, and construction management. Experience with the people, equipment, schedule, and conditions that shape field decisions.
02 / Regulation
Understanding the standard.
Federal MSHA Metal/Nonmetal inspection and accident investigation, with coal-inspector training. Experience examining hazards, records, requirements, and the conditions behind a finding.
03 / Safety Management
Making the controls work.
Safety Manager experience and company-wide safety and compliance leadership. Turning requirements into clear expectations, useful training, and practical follow-through.
Field Background
A career across demanding operations.
Scott’s background covers underground coal, salt and nonmetal, and hard-rock/metal mining, along with tunneling, shaft work, geotechnical work, and heavy construction.
- Mine development, ground support, drilling, and blasting
- Hoisting, ventilation, powered equipment, and underground work
- Surface mine construction, tunneling, and shaft projects
- Inspection, accident investigation, and safety and compliance leadership
This experience informs the questions Lead The Middle brings to a class or an operation: What are the hazards? What does the standard require? Who owns the next action? How will the work be checked?
From the Field
Photos from Scott’s career.
Lead The Middle
Bring the conversation back to the work.
Training, safety support, and leadership development should help people recognize hazards, understand expectations, make sound decisions, and follow through. That is the focus of Lead The Middle.
Discuss Your Training or Site Needs