Listing of all tools

The Mining Toolbox helps you find useful information based on the results of NIOSH Mining research. Information is broken down by type of mining (underground, surface, etc.), health and safety topics (ergonomics, diesel emissions, etc.) and safety ideas. There are also Hot Topics, which include items of special interest.

Hot Tools Hot Tools are items of special interest. They might be new additions to the toolbox or items that are especially popular.

All Tools All the tools in the toolbox are listed in this catagory

Safety Ideas Many of the simplest ideas for improving safety are the best! Some of these ideas have come from miners, some were suggested by mining safety professionals, and others arose from NIOSH research. We think all of the suggestions are useful to the industry. Please let us know if you have any ideas to contribute!

Underground These tools are most suited for underground mine applications. There is no distinction made as to the type of underground mine (longwall, block caving, etc.) or commodity (coal, sand and gravel, etc.).

Surface These tools are most suited for surface mine applications. There is no distinction made as to the type of surface mine (open pit, highwall, etc.) or commodity (coal, metal, etc.).

Surface and Underground These tools are suited for all mining applications. There is no distinction made as to the type of mine (longwall, open pit, etc.) or commodity (coal, sand and gravel, etc.).

Ergonomics and Machine Safety Ergonomics and Machine Safety concerns reducing the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the mining industry and developing design guidelines to reduce injuries to personnel operating and working near machinery and mobile equipment.

Dust Monitoring and Control Dust Monitoring and Control concerns the development of instrumentation to measure airborne dust concentrations and engineering control technologies to reduce worker exposure to harmful respirable dusts.

Diesel Emissions Diesel Emissions concerns information and guidance on the installation and use of emission control devices on diesel engines and the development of effective diesel emission monitoring systems.

Hearing Loss Prevention Hearing Loss Prevention includes training interventions to promote changes in worker behaviors that will result in reduced hearing loss, surveys of workplace noise levels and worker noise exposures in mining and construction operations, information on the current state-of-the art in noise control technologies in the mining, drilling, and heavy construction industries, and engineering noise controls to minimize worker noise exposures from equipment in the mining and construction industries.

Occ. Illness and Health Hazards Occupational Illness and Health Hazards identifies causal relationships between disease and workplace exposure in the mining workplace through the practice of epidemiology, industrial hygiene, and statistical methodology.

Training and Education Training and Education concerns studies to find better methods and materials for training miners. It also includes social science studies on the prevention of miners' injuries and illnesses through improvements to the organization of work.

Ground Control Ground Control is about reducing the hazards from falls of ground (roof, rib, and highwalls).

3+3 Method Screen Saver While hands-on practice is the best way to maintain SCSR donning skills, research indicates that mental practice of the elements for SCSR donning is also beneficial. The 3+3 SCSR Donning Screen Saver is a way to provide that mental practice.

Active Proximity Warning System An active proximity warning system called HASARD (Hazardous Area Signaling and Ranging Device) has been developed for warning workers as they approach known dangerous areas around heavy mining equipment and other dangerous work zones in surface and underground mining operations.

Aging Mining Workforce According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workforce estimates of age suggest that the median age of the mining workforce, which has been experiencing overall declines in numbers of employees, is rising more rapidly than for the overall U.S. civilian labor force.

All Training Materials Here you can find all NIOSH training materials developed for the mining industry in printed, video and software formats. Many are downloadable.

Belt Cleanup Old way:Belt cleanup is usually done using a shovel and a great deal of manual effort. This exposes the miner to repeated bending and twisting of the trunk and lifting hazards. New way: In some cases, it may be just as effective to clean up the coal spillage using water pressure. This will reduce the worker's exposure to hazardous lifting motions.

Cable Handling Old way:Manually lifting cable up to the roof, and hanging it on along the rib using a hook or twist ties. The risk factors include frequent bending; heavy loads and static (prolonged) postures. New way: Use a skid that has the cable arranged in a "figure 8". As the skid is pulled forward, the cable travels over a pulley and is lifted to the desired height. The miner then secures the cable. This device eliminates bending the trunk and lifting of the cable, which are known risk factors that contribute to back injuries.

Coal Country Coal Country is a Microsoft Windows program that teaches children about coal formation, deposit locations, mining techniques, and common uses of coal in everyday life.

Control Design Selecting the best controls with which an operator interfaces with the equipment is critical to maximizing operator-machine performance. This is especially important in confined areas where space for controls is limited and the operator's mobility and ability to generate force is restricted. Suitability for a particular task should dictate control selection - the best control for one task may be inadequate for another.

Conveyor Spillage Prevention Mine conveying systems that are poorly engineered and designed because of under funding may generate massive amounts of fugitive material (spillage and carryback).

Diesel Emission in M/NM Mines - Workshop Proceedings of the Diesel Emissions Control Technologies in Underground Metal and Nonmetal Mines Workshop, February 27, 2003 (Cincinnati, Ohio) and March 4, 2003 (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Diesel Emissions in Coal Mines - Workshop Proceedings of the Diesel Emissions Control Technologies in Coal Mines Workshop, July 30, 2003 (Louisville, Kentucky)

Diesel Particulate Filter Selection Guide - Workshop Diesel Particulate Filter Selection Guide for Diesel-Powered Equipment in Metal and Nonmetal Mines is a NIOSH web-page based guide designed to assist those who must use hot exhaust diesel particulate filters (DPF) to reduce worker exposures to diesel particulate matter. To those unfamiliar with the technology, choosing the proper DPF which will work successfully any specific piece of equipment can be a daunting task.

Ground Control Software Programs for mine layout, pillar design, support selection, assessment of the spontaneous combustion risk of an underground mining operation, troubleshooting guide for roof support systems and programs for calculating the stresses and displacements in coal mines or other thin, tabular seams or veins.

Hazardous Chemicals Inventory Software This NIOSH software is available for use in listing hazardous chemicals at your mine or mill. HAZCOM allows the safety officer/mine official to list hazardous chemicals, and further, to edit the list and print the list as part of the requirements of 30 CFR Part 47. The software is designed to be downloaded and used on most PC's.

How To Wear Earplugs To get the best protection from your soft foam earplugs, remember to roll, pull, and hold when putting them in. Use clean hands to keep from getting dirt and germs into your ears!

Human Factors Design Recommendations for designing and purchasing equipment that takes into account the human factor.

Kneepad Seat Old way:  To perform tasks such as operating a continuous mining machine, miners often work in a kneeling position. This can lead to excessive force on knees and ankles due to their body weight. New way:  A kneepad seat allows workers to rest the body weight on the seat, thus removing some weight from the knees and ankles. Note that the workplace should be analyzed before introducing the kneepads to ensure there is no risk of them getting caught in moving machinery.

Laser Safety One of the greatest hazards in underground mines is the ignition of methane gas or coal dust. This leads to the question - just how powerful does a laser beam need to be before it can cause an explosion?

Maintainability What is meant by maintainability? Several definitions are useful. A simple one is that maintainability is the ease with which you can repair equipment safely in the least amount of time.

MERITS The Mine Emergency Response Interactive Training Simulation (MERITS) provides trainees an opportunity to gain command center experience during a simulated underground coal mine emergency. This computer-based training allows trainees to practice information gathering, situation assessment, decision-making, and coordination skills without risk to personnel or property.

People and Unsupported Roof Groundfall accidents have been the leading cause of fatalities in the underground coal mining industry for many years. Statistics from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) indicate that approximately one-quarter of the victims of these fatal accidents were in an area where no devices had been installed to support the mine's roof.

Prevent Slope Conveyor Slide-Back This safety solution describes a pocket dewatering system to prevent slide-backs on slope conveyors. Reduction in injuries and labor costs by using the system are included.

Printed Training Materials NIOSH developed mine training materials in printed form. Available by mail or download.

Reducing Dust In Enclosed Cabs There has been a significant amount of recent research investigating how to improve the protection to miners working in enclosed cabs. Many of these studies have investigated retrofitting older cabs at surface operations with new filtration and pressurization systems. From this research, we have identified a number of significant factors that determine how effective an enclosed cab will be at protecting a worker.

Roof Hazard Alert Devices To help discourage miners from going under unsupported mine roof, NIOSH researchers have developed two flashing light roof hazard alert devices that direct a miners attention to a written message, warning the miner to avoid the hazard beyond the device.

Safety Ideas Many of the simplest ideas for improving safety are the best. Here's a list of ideas that come from miners and safety professionals.

Scaling Roof Old way: The typical scaling bar is made of solid metal and is quite heavy. This, along with the fact that scaling bars are long, results in a considerable strain on the lower back. New way: A lightweight, counterbalanced scaling bar has been developed. The light weight of this bar (made primarily of fiberglass) results in reduced loads on the lower back. In addition, most of the scaling bar's weight is in the end closest to the worker, further reducing the load on the lower back.

Stopping Noise and Hearing Loss Practical information for reducing noise exposure and preventing hearing loss.

Technology Available for Control of Diesel Emissions This report reviews the performance and applicability of technology for the control of emissions from diesel-powered equipment used in underground coal and metal/nonmetal mines.

Tool for Lifting Roof Support Rail Old way:  Many mines use rail to help support the mine roof. One rail may weigh over 225 kilograms (500 pounds), and is often lifted manually. This causes workers to do a heavy lifting task in an awkward posture, which are major risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders. New way:  Mechanical-assist devices can be developed to reduce worker exposure to this heavy lifting task. This figure illustrates an assist device made of a modified automotive floor jack mounted on a rail car, which performs the task of lifting the rail.

Trailing Cables New recommended derating factors for reeled coal mining trailing cables used on shuttle cars, with both round and flat cable configurations.

Training Videos NIOSH developed mine training videos. Available by mail only.

Troubleshooting Roof Support Systems This guide provides a logical sequence to resolving the most common problems encountered with roof supports.

Underground Workstation Layout Machine designers call any location on a mining machine where one or more operators routinely control machine functions a workstation. Some types of underground mining machines, such as roof bolters, can have multiple workstations. This web page focuses on designing the overall layout of the underground workstation.

Vibrational Acceleration Statistical Analysis Learn more about our newly developed Vibrational Acceleration Statistical Analysis software (VASA) and download a demo version. This software provides a quantitative measure of acceleration events, helps draw connections to health effects, and allows better understanding of data through advanced graphics.

Visibility Software Download a demo of a software package to aid in the analysis of visibility for operators and workers around mining equipment.