Factors associated with disabling injuries in underground coal mines. [USA; bituminous mines]

Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5720634· OSTI ID:5720634

This study compared conditions, practices, and attitudes at underground bituminous coal mines having low injury incidence rates with those found at mines having high injury incidence rates. Several characteristics common to many of the low incidence rate mines that differentiate them from those having high incidence rates were identified. (1) Training programs: adequate and relevant training materials; qualified instructors; restricted classroom size to encourage student participation; and tailored to meet individual miner needs. (2) Management/labor relations tend to have a positive impact upon a mine's accident and injury experience when: both management and labor have a positive attitude toward safety and health; open lines of communication permit management and labor to jointly reconcile problems affecting safety and health; representatives of labor become actively involved in issues concerning safety, health and production; and management and labor identify and accept their joint responsibility for correcting unsafe conditions and practices. (3) Safety and health conditions are improved when: standard operating procedures are established, understood, and implemented; management equitably enforces established policies concerning absenteeism, job assignments, and standard operating procedures; formal safety and health programs are communicated to all employees and subsequently implemented by management and labor; safety department has top management support in terms of funds, manpower, and the authority necessary to implement the safety and health program; mine plans are thoroughly reviewed by management, labor, and MSHA to insure that such plans incorporate measures to adequately control the physical environment of a coal mine; and MSHA inspection activity is most effective when the inspectors encourage increased cooperative interaction between themselves, mine management, and labor.

• Research Organization: Department of Labor, Washington, DC (USA); Mine Safety and Health Administration, Arlington, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5720634
• Report Number(s): NP-3902952; ON: DE83902952
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ACCIDENTS
DATA ANALYSIS
UNDERGROUND MINING
BITUMINOUS COAL
COAL MINING
NUMERICAL DATA
US MSHA
USA
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
MINING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
012000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Mining
016000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Health & Safety
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety
294001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Coal