99-073

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Copyright 1999 by SME1

SME Annual Meeting

March 1-3, 1999, Denver, Colorado

Preprint 99-73MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY: PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE

MSHA

US Dept. of Labor

Arlington, VA

Not quite a year ago, during a speech to a group of mining

professionals in Washington, DC, the subject centered around

the long-range importance of conducting research projects

and how much that research needs to specifically apply to

health and safety matters in our industry.

The point was made about the critical need to work together

with government, private industry, labor organizations and

academia speaking with a unified voice as we all march into

the future together. The fundamental benefits of competitive

research were mentioned -- to improve our quality of life, to

develop our energy resources, to achieve a safe and healthy

environment and to ensure long-term economic growth. Very

importantly, emphasis was given to the natural link that

makes my agency, the Mine Safety and Health

Administration, and the National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health -- NIOSH -- the beneficiaries of each

other's findings.

Unquestionably, there are lines of separation. The main

responsibility of the agency I represent, MSHA, is

enforcement of the nation's mine safety and health laws. But

we also have an additional responsibility and that is to

coordinate and give priority to research in a never-ending

hunt for answers.

On the other hand, the mandate to conduct mining-related

safety and health research rests with NIOSH.

How do we benefit each other? Quite simply, MSHA ferrets

out the problems and NIOSH finds the solutions throughlong-term research studies. That way, both agencies fulfill the

legislative mandates and both are able to stay focused on their

missions.

The point was made for everyone to speak with one voice on

the need for coordination from academia, industry, labor and

government. There was absolute agreement when it came to

highlighting some projects to study.

Under the heading of preventable health problems, silicosis

and black lung rose to the top of the list and were quickly

followed by diesel particulate and related diesel problems

hearing conservation, dust sensor technology and chemical

hazards.

On the subject of disaster prevention, direct aim was taken at

roof and ground control, methane detection, proper

ventilation, fires and explosions. As if those concerns didn'

fill a whole menu for future research projects, under the broad

umbrella of hazard reduction was the call to study structure

safety, pillar stability, collisions, bulkhead construction

multiple seam design and the effects from extended work

shifts.

With all that said, however, it is not as if we spend vas

amounts of time dreaming of solving our problems sometime

in the far and distant future. In fact, we devote very

considerable efforts every day, right now, to figuring out the

best ways to face our problems, the best tactics to solve those

problems and the best methods to eliminate them altogether.

For example, at this moment while we are meeting here, the

Technical Support office in MSHA is concentrating on more

than a dozen different projects in an effort to come up with

the best and most effective answers.

One of these projects is a machine-mounted continuous

respirable dust monitor, a device that grew out of an MSHA

task force recommendation in the early 1990s. Using a

tapered element oscillating microbalance as the principle o

measurement, NIOSH and MSHA have coordinated on thisproject from early design right up through field testing which

began last September. The first of 10 production models

intended for joint field testing by NIOSH and MSHA was

installed on a continuous mining section at the Bell County

Coal Company Grameada Mine in Middlesboro, Kentucky

Monitors also have been installed in several other mines.

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The task force also recommended a personal sampling device

capable of providing measurements of short-term personal

exposure and during a full shift. NIOSH has awarded a

contract for the development of the personal monitor that will

be person-wearable, tamper-resistant and operable in one of

two modes:

A. to provide a time-weighted-average dust concentrationreading within 15 minutes after the end of the shift,

and/or -

B. display in real-time the measured respirable dustexposure information and store it for later retrieval.

The personal dust monitor would have three uses:

1. as a compliance monitor with data available immediatelyat the end of a shift that could be used to determine

compliance with the standard.

2. as a portable continuous monitor used as an engineeringtool providing rapid feedback.

3. as an exposure monitor which would provide workerswith continuous exposure data.

From two types of dust monitors to five initiatives to reduce

exposure to diesel particulate, MSHA's concerns about

miners' health is all-encompassing.

One of the diesel developments is a rule for underground coal

and metal/nonmetal mines. While the rule for each is in

different stages, ultimate adoption is the goal and that should

be soon in both cases.

A diesel "toolbox" tells how to control particulate and

provides guidance to control exposures. The "toolbox" has

been on the MSHA web site for nearly a year and is available

by typing "msha.gov." It is also available in a pocket-size

booklet.

In an effort to develop guidelines for measuring diesel

particulate, a program has been started to familiarize MSHA

enforcement personnel with collecting samples at coal and

metal/nonmetal mines in accordance with NIOSH method5040.

We've also started a program to gather information to

compare different methods available to measure diesel

particulate. The objective of the comparison is to collect

simultaneous samples using different sampling and analytical

methods in different types of mines where diesel equipment is

employed. A specially-designed container collects six samples

at the same time. We are comparing the respirable

combustible dust method, the sub micrometer size selective

method and the total dust method. Results will help determine

if relationships exist among the various measuring methods.

We also are working on a low-cost, disposable persona

sampler for measuring exposures. A contract has been let for

the construction of a personal sampler patterned after theNIOSH sub micrometer sampler. The sampler will interface

with the standard sampling head assembly that is currently a

component of the respirable coal mine dust sampler.

Staying with health issues, it's time to update MSHA's

20-year old noise standards. We believe they no longer

adequately protect miners from occupational noise-induced

hearing loss which can pose a significant risk over a working

lifetime. Estimates are that 14 percent of the mining

population in the U. S. will develop a hearing impairment

That is simply not acceptable. Hopefully, new standards wil

make a meaningful difference.

With regards to ergonomics, a special group within MSHA

has identified several goals to reduce the high incidence o

ergonomic-related hazards. Those goals include increasing

awareness, investigating the prevalence of chronic

musculoskeletal disorders, identifying potential problem areas

and developing a "best practices" manual. At the same time

we also are working with NIOSH on a cooperative initiative

to identify and address possible ergonomic problems at mines

Our X-ray surveillance program is administered to

underground coal miners and miners who work at surface

areas of underground coal mines. Based on recommendations

from NIOSH and a Secretary of Labor-appointed advisory

committee, consideration is being given to offer the X-ray

program to surface miners.

Just as we are concerned about matters dealing with health, so

too, are we dedicated to solving problems about safety.

For example, in an effort to improve conveyor belt fire safety

we conducted a program to study flammability in large and

small scale tests. The results were used to develop a new

laboratory-scale test for evaluating flame resistance of the

belts in underground coal mines. We want to require tha

conveyor belts intended for use in underground coal minesmeet the higher standard of flame resistance provided by the

new test. The goal? Conveyor belts meeting the new test wil

limit the spread of fire, reduce the chance of igniting other

combustibles in the belt entry and provide for improved safety

for miners and the industry.

On another subject of improving safety a new power system

has been developed for underground mining vehicles in both

coal and metal/nonmetal mines based on the use of a fuel cel

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and metal hydrides. Equipped with this new power source,

vehicles have the mobility of diesels but not the emissions or

the noise problems! Fire and electrocution risks from trailing

cables and batteries are eliminated! The fuel cell is a solid

state device producing electrical current from the catalyzed

reaction between a fuel -- hydrogen -- and oxygen from the

air. The results are electrical current and water vapor -- nogaseous or particulate emissions and plenty of silence except

for a cooling fan.

Another area that has our strict attention is surface haulage

accidents. In the past three years, 30 percent of fatal accidents

at surface mines and surface areas of underground mines

involved surface haulage equipment. That equipment is the

primary cause of 40 percent of fatalities last year in

metal/nonmetal mines. Statistically, we see three primary

causes or contributing factors:

1. unused or inadequate occupant restraint systems2. blind areas around self-propelled equipment3. lack of adequate illuminationA 10-year survey has shown that inadequate visibility from

rear dump trucks and articulated front end loaders has been

identified as a factor in 73 percent of fatalities involving

surface haulage equipment. As a result, we are considering

requiring installation of video cameras that would eliminate

blind spots, automatic sensors to detect people or other objects

in blind areas, a signal to alert people that they are standing

in blind areas and a system that signals the vehicle operator

that people are present.

Which brings me to one last item. How do we get others to

listen to what we've learned?

The answer, we believe, is a program we've gotten underway

called "education field services." Its focus is strictly devoted

to accident prevention through educational assistance. For

example, we want to share as much information as possiblewith the entire mining industry. We look to do that with

training materials available from the national Mine Health

and Safety Academy.

By sharing accident data and information from on-site

observations, we can provide guidance and develop education

programs designed to reduce accidents and injuries. Finally

we look forward to continue developing partnerships with

trade associations, labor organizations, academia and other

government agencies at various levels including a state grant

program in which we provide $6 million to 43 states and the

Navajo nation to conduct training primarily for small mine

operators.

All this might appear to be a long list of challenging

programs. We try our best, though, to keep our eye on the

overall goal. That goal, of course, is to make things better in

the future -- which is exactly where all of us are headed.

Documents

99-073