New NIOSH tool aims to help hazard recognition in mines
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released a beta version of new software designed to help miners identify potential safety and health hazards in mines.
The EXAMiner software, a PC-based simulation tool, works as a training application. It allows both new and experienced miners to practice identifying hazards based on visual cues.
The software tests the examination skills of miners with 30 preset panoramic images from a real surface limestone mine. Images include views in the pit, at the plant, in the shop, and along mine roadways.
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Additionally, the software allows for mine safety trainers to upload their own panoramic images from smartphones or digital cameras to tailor the training.
“EXAMiner serves as a stand-alone training tool to help mineworkers recognize the safety and health hazards at jobsites and find ways to mitigate these hazards,” said Jessica Kogel, Associate Director for Mining at NIOSH.
“Miners and trainers can make this tool work in the way that’s best for each situation.”
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Why NIOSH is developing EXAMiner
NIOSH used findings from a study on mineworkers’ habits of visually searching for hazards in images of stone, sand, and gravel mines to develop EXAMiner.
This platform will be especially helpful due to increases in regulation from Mine Safety and Health Administration that went into effect last summer.
In January, the Mine Safety and Health Administration reported that 27 miners died on the job last year, the second lowest fatality rate recorded since the agency began publishing data more than a century ago.
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The biggest health threats to miners are respiratory diseases such as “miner’s lung” or “black lung.”
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