Mining Safety and Health Research at NIOSH
Reviews of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was requested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by Contract Nos. 200-2000-00629 (Task Order #0033) and 200-2005-10881 (Task Order #0004). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
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Suggested citation: National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2007. Mining Safety and Health Research at NIOSH. Committee to Review the NIOSH Mining Safety and Health Research Program. Rpt. No. 2, Reviews of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
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COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE NIOSH MINING SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH PROGRAM
RAJA V. RAMANI, Chair,
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
DAVID BEERBOWER,
Peabody Energy Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri
JEFFEREY L. BURGESS,
University of Arizona, Tucson
JAMES W. DEARING,
Kaiser Permanente, Denver, Colorado
FRANCIS S. KENDORSKI,
Agapito Associates, Inc., Lombard, Illinois
MICHAEL K. MCCARTER,
University of Utah, Salt Lake City
DAVID ORTLIEB,
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, Nashville, Tennessee
SUSAN B. PATTON,
Montana Tech of the University of Montana (retired), Butte
ROBERT G. PELUSO, Independent Consultant,
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
PRAMOD THAKUR,
CONSOL Energy, Inc., Morgantown, West Virginia
JEFFREY S. VIPPERMAN,
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
JAMES L. WEEKS,
Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International, Inc., Germantown, Maryland
National Research Council Staff
SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Study Director
PEGGY TSAI, Research Associate
JARED P. ENO, Senior Project Assistant
Independent Report Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Elizabeth Chamberlin, CONSOL Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Susan E. Cozzens, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
William Ford, National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association, Alexandria, Virginia
Joseph Main, United Mine Workers of America, Spotsylvania, Virginia
Richard McKinley, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
John N. Murphy, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Thomas Novak, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
Lynn Elinson, WESTAT, Inc., Rockville, Maryland
Gavriel Salvendy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
Lee W. Saperstein, University of Missouri, Rolla
Paul D. Stolley, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Stanley C. Suboleski, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (retired), Midlothian, Virginia
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Jonathan G. Price, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Reno, and M. Donald Whorton, WorkCare, Inc., Alameda, California. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
Preface
The single most valuable asset in any organization, including organizations within the mining industry, is its human resources. The ingenuity of employees leads to effective and efficient utilization of all other resources and to achievement of the economic and social goals of the organization. Protection of employees from hazards in the occupational environment is important both from the humanitarian point of view and for the overall welfare of the organization. It is fundamental for sound management, for the health and safety of the miners, and for the survival of the company in a competitive world. An often-quoted saying states: “The safest mine is the most profitable mine.”
The enhancement of mining workplace health and safety requires the recognition that mining remains hazardous and that vigilance in addressing the hazards can never be relaxed. Miner health and safety are major concerns for mine management, labor organizations, and government. This concern has manifested itself in four control mechanisms: (1) regulatory control through the passage of laws and regulations; (2) legal and social control through compensation laws for occupation-related injuries and health deterioration; (3) medical control through periodic examinations; and (4) engineering control through the design and operation of mines according to the best recommended practices. An important aspect of all these approaches is the search for new tools and techniques that will further enhance hazard control. Ultimately, to create safe mining environments, improved tools and techniques must be successfully integrated and applied in the industry.
The evaluation of research contributions by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mining Research Program is the focus of this report. The National Academies was asked to evaluate the research activities of the NIOSH Mining Program in terms of relevance, the impact of the program on the health and safety of workers, and the significance of research to emerging issues in mining. In response to this request, the Committee to Review the NIOSH Mining Safety and Health Research Program was formed, composed of experts from industry, academia, and labor organizations. The committee comprises recognized experts in surface and underground mining, coal mining, metal and nonmetal mining, mining health and safety, mining research, industrial hygiene, technology transfer, rock mechanics, and acoustical engineering. The committee reviewed extensive documentation provided by NIOSH on Mining Program research; held both open- and closed-session meetings; visited multiple NIOSH research facilities; heard from representatives of industry, government, labor, manufacturers, and consultants; and requested and reviewed written input from stakeholders.
This report finds that good progress has been made in the improvement of mine worker health and safety, with continuous decreases in the incidence and severity of diseases, disasters, and fatal and non-fatal accidents. The NIOSH Mining Program has identified and conducts research in seven areas of greatest need: respiratory disease prevention; noise-induced hearing loss prevention; cumulative musculoskeletal injury prevention; traumatic injury prevention; mine disaster prevention and control; ground failure prevention; and surveillance, training, and intervention effectiveness.
Despite a sharp decrease in available funds between 1998 and 2005, the NIOSH Mining Program has made major contributions to the engineering control of hazards in the workplace and the development and transfer of new knowledge to the mining industry. Yet miners continue to experience diseases, disasters, fatalities, and injuries. As recent coal mine disasters have shown, safety concerns of mine operations require constant monitoring and control.
Mine safety and health research by the federal government should continue to be an important component of efforts to make mines safer in the future. The development of an appropriate balance between addressing currently known problems and preparing for emerging problems is essential for a research agency. The more challenging mining environments expected in the future (e.g., deeper deposits, multiple seams, mining seams beneath previously mined-out seams) will require enhanced health and safety research. The changing workforce demographics and the changing nature of the work itself require adequate resources for the technology transfer and training program development necessary to create a more knowledgeable workforce in which evidence-based innovations are implemented
Tables, Figures, and Boxes
TABLES
1-1 |
Distribution of Mining Workforce by Commodity and Number of Contractors Employed in 2005, |
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1-2 |
Number of Mines by Commodity and Employment, 1996 and 2005, |
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2-1 |
Causes of Mining Fatalities (2000-2004), |
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2-2 |
Distribution of NIOSH Mining Program Funding and FTEs Among the Strategic Goals, |
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2-3 |
Changes in Funding and FTEs in 2005 in Relation to 1998 Levels, |
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3-1 |
Elements of the Ideal Mining Safety and Health Research Program, |
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3-2 |
Committee Assessment of the Level of Importance of Mining Health Research Issues by Commodity Group, Location, and Type of Activity, |
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3-3 |
Committee Assessment of the Level of Importance of Injury Prevention Research Issues by Commodity Group, Location, and Type of Activity, |
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3-4 |
Committee Assessment of the Level of Importance of Disaster Control Research Issues by Commodity Group, Location, and Type of Activity, |
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3-5 |
Committee Assessment of the Level of Importance of Ground Failure Prevention Research Issues by Commodity Group, Location, and Type of Activity, |
8-1 |
Intermediate Goals and Performance Measures of the Respiratory Disease Prevention Program and Committee Comments, |
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8-2 |
Respiratory Disease Prevention Projects and Committee Assessment of Relevance and Impact, |
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9-1 |
Intermediate Goals and Performance Measures of NIHL Prevention Research and Committee Comments, |
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9-2 |
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prevention Projects and Committee Assessment of Relevance and Impact, |
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10-1 |
Illness and Non-Fatal Days Lost Data for Mine Operators from 1993 to 2002, |
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10-2 |
Intermediate Goals and Performance Measures of the Reduction of Repetitive and Cumulative Musculoskeletal Injuries and Committee Comments, |
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10-3 |
Comparison of Total Reported Illness and NFDL Injury Data for 1996 and 2005, |
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10-4 |
Cumulative Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevention Projects and Committee Assessment of Relevance and Impact, |
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11-1 |
Intermediate Goals and Performance Measures of Traumatic Injury Prevention Research and Committee Comments, |
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11-2 |
Traumatic Injury Prevention Projects and Committee Assessment of Relevance and Impact, |
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11-3 |
Research Outputs Related to the Traumatic Injury Prevention Research Compared to the NIOSH Mining Program (1996-2005), |
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12-1 |
Intermediate Goals and Performance Measures of Mine Disaster Prevention and Control Research and Committee Comments, |
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12-2 |
Mine Disaster Prevention Projects and Committee Assessment of Relevance and Impact, |
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13-1 |
Intermediate Goals and Performance Measures of Ground Failure Prevention Research and Committee Comments, |
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13-2 |
Coal and Metal or Nonmetal Mining Fatalities Related to Ground Failure, |
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13-3 |
Ground Failure Prevention Projects and Committee Assessment of Relevance and Impact, |
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13-4 |
Summary of Ground Failure Prevention Outputs (1998-2005), |
13-5 |
Outputs and Intermediate Outcomes Related to Ground Failure Prevention Research Outcomes, |
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14-1 |
Intermediate Goals and Performance Measures of Surveillance, Training, and Intervention Effectiveness Research and Committee Comments, |
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14-2 |
Surveillance, Training, and Intervention Effectiveness Research Projects and Committee Assessment of Relevance and Impact, |
FIGURES
1-1 |
Flow chart for evaluation of NIOSH research programs, |
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1-2 |
Chart showing distribution of U.S. mining establishments by worker population, and distribution of mining workforce by size of mining establishment as of March 2004, |
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1-3 |
Mining deaths in the United States, 1910-2004, |
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1-4 |
Numbers of deaths, crude mortality rates, and age-adjusted mortality rates for U.S. residents aged 15 or older, with coal worker’s pneumoconiosis recorded as an underlying or contributing cause on the death certificate, 1968-1999, |
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2-1 |
Number of hours worked by operators and contract workers in the mining industry from 1984 to 2004, |
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8-1 |
Trends in prevalence of CWP (≥ Category 1/0) over time (1987-2001), 105 C-1 Components of a work system, |
BOXES
Abbreviations and Acronyms
AHSEM Analysis of Horizontal Stress Effects in Mines (software)
AIHA American Industrial Hygiene Association
ALPS Analysis of Longwall Computer Stability (software)
ANFO Ammonium nitrate fuel oil (blasting agent)
ANSI American National Standards Institute
ARMPS Analysis of Retreat Mining Pillar Stability (software)
ARTBA American Road and Transportation Builders Association
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
BCOA Bituminous Coal Operators of America
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics
CAP Crewstation Analysis Programs
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CMR Construction, maintenance, and repair
CMRR Coal mine roof rating
CO Carbon monoxide
COLD Chronic obstructive lung disease
CWP Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis
dBA Decibels (the sound level in decibels after applying the A-weighting filter)
DHHS Department of Health and Human Services
DO Designated operation
DPM Diesel particulate matter
DRDS Division of Respiratory Disease Studies (NIOSH)
DSHEFS Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies (NIOSH)
EC Elemental carbon
EFSI Electrical Safety Foundation International
FACE Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NIOSH)
FTE Full-time equivalent
HASARD Hazardous Areas Signaling and Ranging Device
HHE Health Hazard Evaluation
HLP Hearing loss prevention
HLPU Hearing Loss Prevention Unit
HPD Hearing protection device
ICP Inductively coupled plasma
ISMSP International Society of Mine Safety Professionals
ISO International Organization for Standardization
LHD Load-haul-dump
LLL Lake Lynn Laboratory (NIOSH Mining Program)
MESA Mine Enforcement and Safety Administration
MHRAC Mine Health Research Advisory Committee
MIS Mining-induced seismicity
MRS Mobile Roof Support
MSD Musculoskeletal disorder
MSHA Mine Safety and Health Administration
MSHRAC Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee
MTS Missile Test Site
MVSSA Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa
NDL No days lost
NFDL Non-fatal days lost
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
NIHL Noise-induced hearing loss
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NMA National Mining Association
NO2 Nitrogen dioxide gas
NORA National Occupational Research Agenda
NORA-2 National Occupational Research Agenda (second decade)
NPPTL National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
NRR Noise reduction rating
NSPE National Society of Professional Engineers
NVLAP National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSH Act Occupational Safety and Health Act
PART Performance Assessment Rating Tool
PBS Personal bolter screen
PDM Personal dust monitor
PEL Permissible exposure limit
PIB Public Information Bulletin (MSHA)
PMF Progressive massive fibrosis
PPE Personal protective equipment
PRL Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
psf Pounds per square foot
r2p Research to practice
REL Recommended Exposure Limit
SAE Society of Automotive Engineers
SCSR Self-contained self rescuer
SME Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration
SRL Spokane Research Laboratory
STE Statement of Test and Evaluations (MSHA)
STOP Support Technology Optimization Program (software)
SX-EW Solvent extraction-electrowinning
TC Total carbon
TRAM Training Resources Applied to Mining Conference
TTG Technology Transfer Group (USBM)