2
Site-specific safety training is also essential, as hazards can
vary from mine to mine. Below is a list of some of the
safety training that researchers and operators conducting
field studies underground should receive ((Training and
Retraining of Miners, 2015 Training and Retraining of
Miners Engaged in Shell Dredging or Employed at Sand,
Gravel, Surface Stone, Surface Clay, Colloidal Phosphate,
or Surface Limestone Mines, 2015).
• Underground New Miner Training
• Annual Refresher Training (up to date and current)
• Site-specific Safety Training
• Task Training (if equipment is to be operated)
POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS IN MINES
Researchers are involved in numerous field projects across
a variety of mines throughout the United States. Projects
can range from surveying and scanning to large scale
instrumentation installations, including but not limited
to Hollow Inclusion (HI) Cells, Borehole Pressure Cells
(BPCs), and Roof/Rib Extensometers. Field projects are
faced with many hazards that come with working in under-
ground mining.
In addition to the general hazards of working under-
ground, there are also hazards that are specific to the task
itself. Before beginning to identify what potential safety
hazards researchers can be exposed to in mines, it is impor-
tant to define the meaning of a hazard. A hazard is a condi-
tion or activity that, if not mitigated, can cause injury or
illness.
There are many different categories of hazards. Safety
hazards include slip, trip, and falls working on ladders
working around heavy equipment. Physical hazards deal
with the environment to which researchers can be exposed
including noise, dust, or roof/rib conditions (See Figure 1).
There are ergonomic hazards as well, which would include
lifting, repeated movements, and vibration (OSHA, 2002).
This section will review some general underground
and task-specific activity hazards that have the potential to
cause injury/illness to researchers and operators during field
studies. The section breaks down and explains what hazards
each condition or activity can present to researchers and
operators working at the mine.
General Underground
There are general underground hazards that are not spe-
cific to a particular task but are present with working in an
underground mining environment. The first of these is slip,
trip, and fall hazards (NIOSH, 2022). Underground mines
can have uneven terrain that can make the prevalence of
slip, trip, and fall hazards more common and can possi-
bly endanger researchers in the mine. Standing water is
also another hazard that can be posed to researchers while
working underground. Stepping in standing water and not
knowing the underlying surface can lead to slip, trip, and
fall hazards.
Struck-by hazards also represent a significant pro-
portion of hazards encountered underground. There are
numerous different pieces of heavy equipment and machin-
ery moving underground. The combination of moving and
repositioning of heavy equipment (roof bolters, continuous
miners, shuttle cars, man trips, etc.), poor visibility, and
confined working conditions can subject researchers to
struck-by hazards (See Figure 2).
The underground environment can present tight con-
ditions with the addition of working in close proximity
to heavy equipment which means that caught in/between
hazards are also present (See Figure 3). Additionally, some
underground equipment have pinch points associated with
them, particularly scoops, and conveyor belts have multiple
moving components that are capable of being caught in.
Both struck by and caught in/between hazards are most
prominent when employees are conducting research on the
Figure 1. Example of potential rib hazards including rib
sloughage and damaged supports
Site-specific safety training is also essential, as hazards can
vary from mine to mine. Below is a list of some of the
safety training that researchers and operators conducting
field studies underground should receive ((Training and
Retraining of Miners, 2015 Training and Retraining of
Miners Engaged in Shell Dredging or Employed at Sand,
Gravel, Surface Stone, Surface Clay, Colloidal Phosphate,
or Surface Limestone Mines, 2015).
• Underground New Miner Training
• Annual Refresher Training (up to date and current)
• Site-specific Safety Training
• Task Training (if equipment is to be operated)
POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS IN MINES
Researchers are involved in numerous field projects across
a variety of mines throughout the United States. Projects
can range from surveying and scanning to large scale
instrumentation installations, including but not limited
to Hollow Inclusion (HI) Cells, Borehole Pressure Cells
(BPCs), and Roof/Rib Extensometers. Field projects are
faced with many hazards that come with working in under-
ground mining.
In addition to the general hazards of working under-
ground, there are also hazards that are specific to the task
itself. Before beginning to identify what potential safety
hazards researchers can be exposed to in mines, it is impor-
tant to define the meaning of a hazard. A hazard is a condi-
tion or activity that, if not mitigated, can cause injury or
illness.
There are many different categories of hazards. Safety
hazards include slip, trip, and falls working on ladders
working around heavy equipment. Physical hazards deal
with the environment to which researchers can be exposed
including noise, dust, or roof/rib conditions (See Figure 1).
There are ergonomic hazards as well, which would include
lifting, repeated movements, and vibration (OSHA, 2002).
This section will review some general underground
and task-specific activity hazards that have the potential to
cause injury/illness to researchers and operators during field
studies. The section breaks down and explains what hazards
each condition or activity can present to researchers and
operators working at the mine.
General Underground
There are general underground hazards that are not spe-
cific to a particular task but are present with working in an
underground mining environment. The first of these is slip,
trip, and fall hazards (NIOSH, 2022). Underground mines
can have uneven terrain that can make the prevalence of
slip, trip, and fall hazards more common and can possi-
bly endanger researchers in the mine. Standing water is
also another hazard that can be posed to researchers while
working underground. Stepping in standing water and not
knowing the underlying surface can lead to slip, trip, and
fall hazards.
Struck-by hazards also represent a significant pro-
portion of hazards encountered underground. There are
numerous different pieces of heavy equipment and machin-
ery moving underground. The combination of moving and
repositioning of heavy equipment (roof bolters, continuous
miners, shuttle cars, man trips, etc.), poor visibility, and
confined working conditions can subject researchers to
struck-by hazards (See Figure 2).
The underground environment can present tight con-
ditions with the addition of working in close proximity
to heavy equipment which means that caught in/between
hazards are also present (See Figure 3). Additionally, some
underground equipment have pinch points associated with
them, particularly scoops, and conveyor belts have multiple
moving components that are capable of being caught in.
Both struck by and caught in/between hazards are most
prominent when employees are conducting research on the
Figure 1. Example of potential rib hazards including rib
sloughage and damaged supports