3
active working section. This was recently experienced by
NIOSH researchers tasked with instrumentation installa-
tions at the Maple Eagle Mine where instrumentation was
being installed outby the pillar line of the working retreat
section (McElhinney et al., 2023). Additionally, being on
the active working section is common for researchers any-
time they are making observations, scoping the roof, or
collecting data. Respiratory hazards that researchers can be
exposed to are also possible. Dusty conditions can be pres-
ent from operations and field study activities while work-
ing underground (See Figure 4). Additionally, some of the
epoxy, glue, and resin that researchers use have the potential
for respiratory injuries.
A prime example of researchers potentially being
exposed to respiratory hazards would be during data collec-
tion, particularly in longwall tailgates and other return air
courses. The final data collection and data logger retrieval
at a longwall mine in Central Utah is a recent example
where this hazard was encountered by NIOSH research-
ers (Minoski et al., 2020). In this case, researchers were
required to traverse the tailgate as it was not accessible from
the longwall face. This occurred during the mine-through
of a fault resulting in increased exposure to dust from cut-
ting the surrounding rock.
In underground mining, roof and rib falls are serious
safety concerns. These falls happen when the roof or walls of
the mine become unstable due to factors like stress, changes
in lithology, and weathering effects. These incidents have
the potential to injure both mine researchers and operators.
These hazards include loose or detached material from the
roof or rib, rib brows due to excessive sloughing, and poten-
tially damaged supports.
In addition to the general underground hazards,
researchers conducting field studies have the potential to
be exposed to a number of hazards specific to underground
research. The following section discusses these specific haz-
ards that researchers are likely to encounter in the field.
Although some of the following hazards can be encoun-
tered in other aspects of mining, this discussion focuses on
the impact of these hazards to mine researchers.
RESEARCH-SPECIFIC HAZARDS
Material Handling Hazards
Material handling is a major component of field stud-
ies as there are multiple pieces of equipment, instrumen-
tation, and tools that researchers must handle during
Figure 2. Example of tramming a continuous miner
representing a potential struck-by hazard
Figure 3. Example of a tramming continuous miner
depicting the tight spaces associated with underground
equipment and potential for caught between hazards
Figure 4. Example of drilling operations resulting in the
production of dust
active working section. This was recently experienced by
NIOSH researchers tasked with instrumentation installa-
tions at the Maple Eagle Mine where instrumentation was
being installed outby the pillar line of the working retreat
section (McElhinney et al., 2023). Additionally, being on
the active working section is common for researchers any-
time they are making observations, scoping the roof, or
collecting data. Respiratory hazards that researchers can be
exposed to are also possible. Dusty conditions can be pres-
ent from operations and field study activities while work-
ing underground (See Figure 4). Additionally, some of the
epoxy, glue, and resin that researchers use have the potential
for respiratory injuries.
A prime example of researchers potentially being
exposed to respiratory hazards would be during data collec-
tion, particularly in longwall tailgates and other return air
courses. The final data collection and data logger retrieval
at a longwall mine in Central Utah is a recent example
where this hazard was encountered by NIOSH research-
ers (Minoski et al., 2020). In this case, researchers were
required to traverse the tailgate as it was not accessible from
the longwall face. This occurred during the mine-through
of a fault resulting in increased exposure to dust from cut-
ting the surrounding rock.
In underground mining, roof and rib falls are serious
safety concerns. These falls happen when the roof or walls of
the mine become unstable due to factors like stress, changes
in lithology, and weathering effects. These incidents have
the potential to injure both mine researchers and operators.
These hazards include loose or detached material from the
roof or rib, rib brows due to excessive sloughing, and poten-
tially damaged supports.
In addition to the general underground hazards,
researchers conducting field studies have the potential to
be exposed to a number of hazards specific to underground
research. The following section discusses these specific haz-
ards that researchers are likely to encounter in the field.
Although some of the following hazards can be encoun-
tered in other aspects of mining, this discussion focuses on
the impact of these hazards to mine researchers.
RESEARCH-SPECIFIC HAZARDS
Material Handling Hazards
Material handling is a major component of field stud-
ies as there are multiple pieces of equipment, instrumen-
tation, and tools that researchers must handle during
Figure 2. Example of tramming a continuous miner
representing a potential struck-by hazard
Figure 3. Example of a tramming continuous miner
depicting the tight spaces associated with underground
equipment and potential for caught between hazards
Figure 4. Example of drilling operations resulting in the
production of dust