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To help mine safety and health professionals manage and reduce hazardous noise exposure with a software tool that simplifies the record-keeping and analysis process. Background Hearing loss resulting from overexposure to noise continues to be a problem throughout the U.S. mining industry. Studies indicate that 70%?90% of all miners have a noise-induced hearing loss severe enough to be classified as a hearing disability by the time they reach retirement age. To address this problem, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed the Determination of Sound Exposures (DOSES) software program. DOSES is designed specifically for use by mine management and safety personnel to simplify the record-keeping and analysis associated with time-motion studies, making it easier to identify and solve noise exposure problems.

Jul 1, 2009

By Fred N. Kissell

In This Chapter [Early indicators of a gas problem How the methane hazard is reduced Ventilation principles for gassy tunnels Monitoring for gas Eliminating ignition sources and The all-important human factors component] This chapter gives guidelines for preventing methane gas explosions during tunnel construction. Emphasis is placed on assessing the hazard potential, on ventilation principles, and on monitoring for gas. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of human factors in reducing explosion risk. Ensuring safe conditions is much more than just good engineering design. It also involves the every-day vigilance of those working underground. This does not imply that the engineering design can be ignored, only that the job of providing safe conditions has just begun with design. EARLY INDICATORS OF A GAS PROBLEM For the engineer planning a tunnel project, reliable early indicators of methane are scarce. How-ever, the local geology can often provide some information.2 Carbonaceous rocks and tar sands are a likely methane source. Gas is also a distinct possibility if it is known to be present else-where in the same sequence of geologic formations. Swampy areas, sewerage systems, and landfills are also candidates because the decomposition of organic materials produces methane. The gas in a tunnel can originate in the strata being excavated, or it can migrate a considerable distance from adjacent strata. Test borings at the project site can also serve as initial indicators of gas. Methane has no odor, but may be emitted along with gases that do. If gas is emitted from the borehole, a sample may be collected by inserting a tube into the hole as far as possible and pumping the gas out. The gas sample should be collected in a sampling bag or canister for later analysis by a chemical laboratory.3

Jan 6, 2006

By Thomas M. Barczak

The Bureau of Mines is conducting research to optimize the capability of mine roof supports so that the selection and design of these supportsare compatible with the conditions in which they are to be employed. This report describes a study that investigates three parameters influencing the load-carrying capability of wood crib supports: height, configuration, and horizontal displacement. Four crib heights, four parallelogram configurations, and three ratlos of horizontal-to-vertical displacements were tested on full-scale wood crib supports in a mine roof simulator. Test results indicated a reduction in load-carrying capability for increases in crib height. Increasing the contact area by changing the intersecting angle between crib blocks to form parallelogram configurations provided a slight increase in load-carrying capability for the first 10 to 12 in of vertical convergence, after which the cribs became more unstable, resulting in significantly less load-carrying capability. Horizontal displacements did not appreciably affect the load-carrying capability of wood crib supports for the range of vertical displacements (less than 10 in) likely to be encountered underground. This report documents these tests and postulates some explanations of failure mechanics for the observed behavior.

Jan 1, 1988

By Ludwig Schmidt

Investigations conducted by the Bureau of Dines pertaining to the reduction of evaporation losses of petroleum have shown that such losses may be reduced 70 to 80 per cent by the use of vapor-tight tanks equipped with vacuum and pressure relief valves, and vapor-tight thief hitches. Additional studies have shown that it is often economical to supplement this type of construction with other measures that will reduce evaporation losses still further. Water-cooling systems, insulation, and light colored paints are the measures most often used in connection with vapor-tight tanks. Painting with light colored paints probably is employed in the greater number of cases. On account of the cost of insulation, or of installing water cooling systems, the use of these methods are restricted to tanks containing gasoline or crude petroleum with a very large content of low-boiling fractions. The effect of cooling systems has been discussed in a previous report.2 In choosing paints for tanks many factors must be considered. Probably the three most important are cost, protective value, and color. Many companies have adopted a standard color for all of their tanks in this way they reduce the initial cost of paint by buying in large quantities. The tank farms of such companies usually have a neat appearance, resulting from the uniform painting of all tanks. This procedure also has advertising value. Unfortunately, most of the paints used to protect steel are of the darker colors, usually red or black. These colors accelerate the rate of evaporation. Several companies have solved this difficulty by using a dark colored metal-protective paint as a primer coat, and a paint of any desired color for the final coat. Special metal-protective primers to be used under light-colored cover coats have been placed on the market by several paint manufacturing companies.

Jan 1, 1925

The objective is to provide effective training on refuge chambers for underground coal miners. This training will increase knowledge about how to teach miners to operate, transport, and inspect a refuge chamber; what to expect psychologically and physiologically inside a refuge chamber; and how to decide when to use a refuge chamber. Background During 2006?2007, several disasters occurred at U.S. underground coal mines, resulting in 28 fatalities. These disasters led to new approaches to mine safety and health, as well as new federal regulations. One new technology mandated by federal legislation is the refuge chamber. Refuge chambers are movable shelters that are either made of steel or inflate from a steel skid as a tent. They can potentially save the lives of miners during an underground mine emergency by providing breathable air, food, water, and a safe environment for up to 96 hours. Because the refuge chamber is a new technology, recommendations, information, and training products are greatly needed.

Nov 1, 2009

By H. D. Jacobs

The Bureau of Mines undertook a research program to insure an adequate supply of iron raw materials for future iron and steel making needs. A sample was obtained of oxidized taconite from the western Mesabi Range in Minnesota, and the metallurgical response of the taconite to beneficiation by a process that included selective flocculation-desliming-cationic flotation was evaluated. The sample contained 35.3 pct iron and represented approximately 2 billion tons of crude material. Selective flocculation and flotation were evaluated in a pilot plant with a feed rate of 900 Ib/hr. Concentrates averaging 61.7 pet iron and 5.1 pet silica were obtained, with an accompanying iron recovery of 67.2 pet. About 83 pct of the process water requirements were reclaimed from the slime and froth tailing and then recycled.

Jan 1, 1980

By L. C. IlsLey, R. A. Kearns

"The electrical section of the Bureau of Mines has obtained copies of all available State safety rules and regulations in order to make a study of those portions of the codes relating to electrical equipment. While it has been found almost impossible to compare the several codes as a whole, comparison of those regulations dealing with a single subject has proved both interesting and instructive.Sixteen states have rules or enactments having reference to telephones and the present paper covers a compilation of these references. It is believed that data of this kind will be of service to commissions or other bodies contemplating the revision of existing codes.The compilation taken from the various codes follows: State Rules and Regulations.California.Sec. 5 (Par. c) Telephone communication shall be maintained between a co-operative station and each mine which it supplies. If the foreman in charge of a station does not reside thereat, his residence also shall be in telephone communication with each mine supplied by his station.Sec. 8 (Par. a) Whenever a fatal accident occurs in or about any mine, notice thereof shall be given promptly by telephone or telegraph if possible, followed by a notice in writing to the chief inspector, by the superintendent or other person having immediate charge of the work at the time of the accident."

Jun 1, 1921

To minimize the equipment operator?s respirable dust exposure in enclosed cabs of mobile equipment by install-ing cab filtration and pressurization systems and by keep-ing doors and windows closed. Background Enclosed cabs are used on mobile equipment to protect operators from health and safety hazards. The primary health concern is overexposure to respirable dust. Examples of such equipment in mining include drills, dozers, haul trucks, and other equipment. When equipment is new, the operator?s dust exposure is normally at acceptable levels. As the equipment ages and gaskets and seals deteriorate, the air quality inside an enclosed cab can reach a point where it is no longer at acceptable levels for the equipment operators. In an effort to improve the air quality in enclosed cabs of older mining equipment, NIOSH has been performing research to retrofit cabs with new filtration and pressurization systems. Over the past few years, this research has shown that retrofit systems can substantially improve the cab?s air quality back to safe and acceptable levels. How-ever, this is only possible when a positive cab pressure is achieved and maintained. Thus, when a cab door or window is opened, the cab pressure drops to zero and the cab filtration and pressurization system is rendered ineffective. During a recent field study, the magnitude of this impact was noted when a drill operator repeatedly opened the cab door throughout the course of the drill cycle. Upon closer examination, it was determined that the cab door was being opened to manually guide the next drill steel into place each time an additional section of steel was needed to drill deeper holes.

Sep 1, 2008

By Christopher Mark, Anthony T. Iannacchione

Falls of ground continue to be one of the most serious causes of injury to U.S. miners. Of the 256 fatal injuries that occurred in mining between 1996 and 1998, 52 (20%) were caused by falls of ground (Table I). Falls of ground affect some sectors of the mining industry more severely than others. For instance, nearly 40% of the 98 coal mine fatalities between 1996 and 1998 were caused by falls of ground. Underground miners are at much greater risk than surface miners. Nearly half (45 out of 101) of underground mine fatalities were attributed to roof, rib and face falls, while less than 5% of the 155 surface fatalities were caused by falls of highwalls or slopes. Sources of Data All of the injury data examined in this study were derived from MSHA’s Fatal Investigation Reports (www.msha.gov)and the MSHA accident database. Because falls of ground often result in serious injury, MSHA Fatal Alert Bulletins and Fatal Investigation Reports provide a useful snapshot of ground control issues in the mining industry. MSHA requires that mines file a report on every reportable accident that occurs, containing information on the accident’s location, severity, classification, activity, and nature of injury, etc. A short narrative is generally included as well. Accident reports can be searched by many of the above fields. From 1996 to 1998, miners suffered a total of 55,096 injuries, which ranged in severity from death (degree 1) to injuries with no days away from work nor restricted duty (degree 6). Six percent of the total injuries were from falls of ground, including machine accidents where caving rock was coded as the source. As the data in Table II indicate, 98% of all non-fatal fall of ground injuries occurred in underground mines, with underground coal mines accounting for 83% of the total. Table II also shows the distribution non-fatal fall of ground injuries by severity and commodity. The injuries are classified into Lost Time Injuries that resulted in permanent disability (degree 2) or days off work (degrees 3-4), and Injuries Without Lost Time that resulted in no more than restricted duty (degree 5-6). Overall, groundfall injuries appear to be more serious than other types of mining injuries. 65% of all ground fall injuries resulted in lost time compared to 54% of all types of mining injuries.

By Todd M. Ruff

The lack of visibility near earthmoving equipment resulted in six fatalities in U.S. surface mining operations during 2003. These accidents were the result of either a piece of equipment striking another vehicle or worker, or the equipment traveling over the edge of an embankment. Figure 1 is an example of a recent accident that resulted in serious injuries to one worker and fatal injuries to two others when a van parked in front of a haul truck. Two fatalities occurred in separate incidents when front-end loaders struck workers. Another two workers were killed when their equipment backed over the edge of a highwall or dump point [1]. There is clearly a need to provide better information to equipment operators regarding their surroundings. [ ] Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Spokane Research Laboratory, are working to reduce these accidents by developing systems that sense obstacles and changes in terrain near the equipment and provide this information to the operator. Many off-the-shelf proximity warning systems that were developed for automobiles, light trucks, and recreational vehicles were evaluated on off-highway dump trucks [2]. Many limitations were found with existing systems, including frequent false alarms, limited detection range, a lack of specific information on an obstacle (e.g., location, identity), difficulties in finding suitable mounting locations, and an inability to withstand the environment. These limitations have necessitated the development of new systems designed specifically for large, off-highway, earthmoving equipment. New off-the-shelf systems available for mining equipment include radar and tag-based detection systems. Prototype systems now being developed include a proximity warning system based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and a computer-assisted stereovision system. Development of these new systems was accomplished by working with manufacturers to modify existing systems to meet the needs of surface mining and through cooperative research with organizations to develop completely new solutions. A typical proximity warning system consists of a sensor or antenna mounted on the equipment that detects the presence of obstacles and an alarm interface in the cab of the equipment. Some systems, as described in more detail below, also require that other vehicles and personnel on the ground be outfitted with electronic tags that transmit an “I’m here” signal back to the system (e.g., radio signal detection systems or GPS). Many types of proximity warning systems are on the market, but they are not all discussed in this paper. APPROACH In past work, engineers at NIOSH evaluated several off-the-shelf proximity warning technologies in order to verify their effectiveness on off-highway dump trucks [2]. Dump trucks were chosen because of the number and severity of accidents involving this type of equipment and because extensive blind areas around these trucks are typical. This experience allowed engineers to limit the number of systems chosen for long-term tests at mine sites to those systems showing

By Murali M. Gadde, John A. Rusnak

Rock mass classification systems are extremely useful for site characterization and have been employed by the rock mechanics community for several decades. While empirical in nature, the classification systems provide a viable means to quantify the nature of rock mass, which is necessary for stability analyses. In U.S. coal mines, the Coal Mine Roof Rating (CMRR) is the most widely used classification system for several purposes, including sup-port selection, chain pillar design, assessing the stability of extended face cuts, etc. The Analysis of Roof Bolt Systems (ARBS) is an empirical method developed from the CMRR to guide selection of roof bolts as the primary support system in U.S. coal mines. In this paper, the experience of Peabody Energy in applying ARBS to sup-port design is discussed. In general, data from the Peabody mines show that ARBS predictions match well with field conditions. Peabody, however, does not use ARBS as the stand-alone methodology for support selection. Peabody uses a two-pronged approach in which the support requirement is initially estimated from the classification method, and then numerical modeling is used to select the proper reinforcement system. Such an integrated approach is necessary, as ARBS suggests only the “amount of steel” that may be used to support the roof and does not specify which type of roof bolt to use. A case study is used to demonstrate the usefulness of ARBS and Peabody’s integrated approach to support design. Also, the application of ARBS at several Peabody mines showed a very good correlation with support cost. The correlation indicated a direct relation between bolting cost and the ARBS value.

Jan 5, 2007

By Robert L. Chufo

The U.S. Department of Energy Pittsburgh Research Center,1 has developed and field tested a spatial, spectral sensor for measuring the thickness of mineral deposits. Knowledge of the dielectric constant of the material is not necessary because the electrical properties of the media are determined automatically along with the thickness or distance measurement. The technology was developed to measure the thickness of coal remaining in the roof and floor of a mine or the thickness of a coal pillar remaining between two mining entries for the purpose of guiding a mining machine. However, field tests have shown the new technique is equally valuable for measuring the thickness of each layer in a multilayer manmade structure such as highway paving or building foundations and the thickness of geological deposits other than coal, such as, salt, granite and sandstone. The noncontacting electromagnetic technique uses spatial modulation created by moving a simple dipole sensor antenna in a direction along each axes to be measured while the complex reflection coefficient is measured at multiple frequencies over a two-to-one bandwidth. The antenna motion imparts spatial modulation to the data and enables frequency domain signal processing to solve the problem of media, target and antenna dispersion. The technique overcomes the problem of multipath reflections from nearby metal structures and avoids the use of radio frequency absorbing material. In its present form the system measures material thickness of zero to over 3 m to within ±2.5 cm accuracy. The system parameters are variable to suit the application but for most applications default values of 40 cm antenna motion with measurements made at 401 frequencies from 0.6 to 1.4 GHz at each of 32 antenna positions with a power level of 0 dBm or less are more than adequate to provide a satisfactory signal-to noise ratio. In the range of 0 to 10 m the system operates in the continuous wave mode and by simply turning off the transmitter for ranges beyond 10 m the problems of time domain processing are entirely avoided. The technique can be implemented with a vector network analyzer, a servo controlled L-band antenna positioner, an IEEE488 bus controller and a process computer. An electronics package designed and constructed to operate in the harsh mining environment and providing 1, 2 or 3 dimensional image presentation is being evaluated as a replacement for the network analyzer. Key words: Ground penetration radar, Spatial, Spectral

By J. K. Whyatt

Researchers at the U.S. Bureau of Mines have been exploring recent advances in the use of strain-softening constitutive laws that approximate shear fracturing. The purpose of these tests is to investigate shear-fracture-related rock bursts in hard-rock mines. The capabilities and remaining problems in the use of strain-softening laws in finite-element, distinct-element, and finite-difference methods are reviewed. Performance of the finite-difference implementation of strain softening is compared to classic experimental results and observations of rock mass behavior in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District of northern Idaho. The results show promise for developing methods to identify the general location and orientation of shear fractures and their sequence of occurrence, but such methods cannot be relied upon to quantify post-fracture loads or displacements accurately. Uncertainty over the amount of energy consumed by failing rock and the dependency of energy consumption on model mesh definition prevent direct application of the results to analyses of rock bursts.

Jan 1, 2010

By Elaine Cullen, Launa Mallett, Mike Jenkins, C. M. K. Boldt, Thomas Camm

The material in this Information Circular was presented at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) open-industry briefing held during the 2004 Northwest Mining Association conference in Spokane, WA. The open-industry briefing discussed results of recently completed and on-going mine safety- and health-related research conducted at NIOSH’s Spokane and Pittsburgh Research Laboratories on the human side of mining—the miner. The first paper sets the stage for what mining has achieved and what we mean by “getting to zero.” The second paper, “Help Experienced Miners Become Great On-the-Job Trainers,” distinguishes between experienced miners and trainers. This paper provides some key concepts for turning great miners into great trainers. “The Power of Story-Telling in Getting Through to Miners” explains the history and importance of stories in the culture and training of miners. Finally, “Understanding Self in Stressful Working Environments,” describes the personal and social aspects of the working environment, much of which parallels familial theories. The downward trend of deaths in U.S. mining has been remarkable. The number of miners killed or injured each year has decreased steadily over the past 100 years. Some charts show these trends overlain with important events such as World War II and the Mine Safety and Health Act. However, this downward trend in mining fatalities has flattened out. How can you get to zero accidents? Do you concentrate on technological advances and equipment maintenance to avoid malfunctions? Do you concentrate on developing work processes and organizational structures that minimize risk? Do you combine them and take a systems approach that links one to the other with an evaluative loop? Safety efforts in mining have used all of these approaches. What more can we do to get to zero? Getting to zero will require two objectives: A clear and unshakeable belief that it can be done and attention to the human side of mining. Getting to zero is not a new idea; it has been used by mine companies and safety professionals for years as the safety goal. But getting to zero is not so much a physical goal as it is a belief that there are no insurmountable barriers to achieving the goal.

Jan 3, 2006

Reduce injury to people or damage to equipment when a scheduled production blast is detonated. Approach The essential elements of an effective blast area security system were identified through case studies of five mining operations where the blast area guarding practices were considered to be superior to those generally found in the industry. These elements were used in making recommendations for improved blast area safeguarding practices. Background The blast area security system is a means by which the mine operator prevents injury to people or damage to equipment when blasting is performed. Analysis of blasting accidents showed that most blasting accidents occur during scheduled blasting and are due to inadequate blast-site security. Factors contributing to the system's breakdown are failure to clear the blast zone, inadequate guarding. and failure of personnel to follow instructions, retreat to a safe location, and/or take adequate cover. Mine personnel, visitors and even trespassers can inadvertently wander into a blasting zone unless proper procedures exist to ensure that all personnel are cleared from the blast zone and kept safely away until after blasting IS completed. Statistics show that the blaster is the miner most frequently injured In these accidents.

Jan 1, 1986

By Philip G. Freeman

The growth-promoting properties of coal-derived humus were tested by a variety of bioassay methods. Humate materials used included leonardite, a form of naturally oxidized lignite, and humic acids extracted from leonardite. It was found that the greatest effects were evident when water-soluble humic acid was applied to excised root tips. No significant short-term effect was noted when water-soluble humic acid was applied to stem or coleoptile sections. Root initiation was promoted in bean stems when high concentrations of coal-derived humate were applied. Gross weight of tomato plants was increased by up to 40 percent when coal-derived humates were added in concentrations of 101 to 104 ppm to the nutrient in a hydroponic growth test of 6 weeks' duration. It is concluded that coal-derived humate promotes the uptake of minerals, specifically iron, by serving as a metal chelate.

Jan 1, 1968

By B. K. Cantrell, K. L. Rubow

"Quantifying exposure to diesel exhaust aerosol in an underground coal mine depends on the ability to measure this component of respirable mine aerosol separately from coal dust. Such measurement is complicated by the carbonaceous nature of both the diesel and coal dust particulate that make up the respirable aerosol. Hence, special sampling and analytical techniques must be used to distinguish between these two aerosol components.As part of a continuing study of diesel exhaust aerosol characteristics, the U.S. Bureau of Mines has applied size selective sampling together with gravimetric analysis to separate and measure respirable diesel exhaust and coal dust aerosol concentrations in diesel-equipped underground coal mines. This technique is based on the premise that the diesel portion of the aerosol is predominantly submicrometer and the mineral dust portion is mostly greater than 1 µm in size. In the study, chemical mass balance (CMB) modeling, based on the distribution of chemical elements in aerosol and aerosol source material samples, is used to referee the analysis of diesel exhaust and mineral dust aerosol concentrations from the size selective sampling results.Based on the results of the study, the Bureau, in cooperation with the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), have developed a prototype personal diesel exhaust aerosol sampler for underground coal mines. The sampler has three stages: a preclassifier stage to select for respirable aerosol, an inertial impaction stage with an aerodynamic diameter(d) size cut at 0.8 µm to separate diesel aerosol from mineral dust and collect the mineral dust, and a final filtration stage to collect the diesel fraction of the sample. The sampler has been evaluated in both laboratory and field experiments conducted by the Bureau, MSHA, and the Generic Minerals Technology Center for Respirable Dust (GMTC-RD)."

Mar 1, 1992

By Walter W. Hyde

This paper describing the mining and preparation of sand and gravel for a number of special markets by the East Texas Gravel Co., Dallas, Tex., is one of a series being prepared on the subject by the United States Bureau of Mines. These articles are designed to disseminate technical information regarding the methods used. The cost tabulations represent operating expenditures only and not total production costs. It is recognized that publication of total production costs might in many instances cause embarrassment to individual producers as well as to the industry as a whole, but on the other hand, operating costs are essential to the technical discussion and study of the methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically called to this differentiation in order that no misunderstanding of the scope of the cost tabulations shall ensue.

Jan 1, 1931

By G. S. Rice, R. V. Wheeler

"FOREWORDThe cooperative mine safety research program was carried on successfully in the year 1930 in a manner similar to that described in the report for 1929It is believed that the results of such fundamental work as is being done are unquestionably of great benefit in their application in coal-mining operations, in the saving of life and health of minera. The research result compared and checked by investigations in the two organizations, and further by large-scale tests, as in the Experimental Mine, give confidence to mine operators, miners and State mining officials in the findings of the various researches.The annual report of the contact officers of the United. States Bureau of Mines and the British Safety in Mines Research Board to the Director of the Bureau and the Chairman of the Board respectively, follows:Annual Reports for 1930 To: The Director, Bureau of Mines.The Chairman, Safety in Mines Research Board."

Sep 1, 1931

By Joseph P. Flick, Kathleen M. Kowalski, Lynn L. Rethi, Roberta A. Calhoun

Many miners are involved in tasks at the mine site that are similar to those sub-tasks performed in general construction, maintenance and repair (CMR) type work activities. As a result, many of the injuries in the mining industry today can be traced to employees performing these CMR type work activities. Indeed, a recent analysis of a major aggregate company revealed that 65% of all injuries documented originated from performing such CMR activities. It is hypothesized that the number of injuries to miners performing construction, maintenance and repair (CMR) work activities on mine property may be reduced through improved training that focuses on better hazard recognition using the numerous visual and other cues that are available for evaluating workplace health and safety hazards. To this end, researchers at NIOSH’s Pittsburgh Research Laboratory have merged two proven methods of training miners to recognize hazards, stereoscopic (3-D) slides and the concept of degraded images, into this training program. Stereoscopic (3-D) slides have been shown in earlier NIOSH and U.S. Bureau of Mines research to be an effective training aid for improving the ability of miners to recognize various geologic and mining-induced irregularities that can cause groundfalls.3 They realistically portray the natural mine environment, and thus are an excellent training aid for teaching miners to recognize such visual cues. The degraded image concept, originally developed by the military and used for target detection training, describes scenes where the target is partially hidden by cloud cover, dust, rain, natural barriers, buildings, or other obstructions that can camouflage or confuse the target. Research had shown that flight observers who were trained with less than ideal (or degraded) pictures were more successful in subsequent identification of targets than those trained using ideal (or highlighted) pictures of targets. In order to investigate this concept for training miners to recognize hazards, NIOSH researchers developed a prototype hazard recognition training program using such mining scenes. A control program based on traditional highlighted mining scenes was also developed. Both programs were applied to subjects in a field experiment. Results indicated that miners trained with the degraded images did significantly better on a follow-up test of hazard recognition.4 This hazard recognition program teaches trainees to look for hazards in a more realistic manner than that of the control program. This specific training program for CMR activities involves using the degraded image concept and 3-D slides. The module is designed to educate workers on hazard identification techniques and safe work practices. It focuses on teaching miners techniques for recognizing visual (sight) cues, and then uses these cues to evaluate mining conditions. It should be stressed that other senses, such as sound can also play an important role in hazard detection.

Jan 1, 1999