Graphic showing coal dust explosion blast wave exiting mine portal

Coal Mine Explosion Prevention

Hazard ID: Non-Conforming Rock Dust

Intelligent Proximity Detection

Monitoring for Coal Dust Explosions

Office of Mine Safety and Health Research Information

NIOSH Workshops
NIOSH Workshops
Diesel Aerosols and Gases in Underground Mines: Guide to Exposure Assessment and Control
RI 9687
Refuge Chamber Training Products and Guidance
Refuge Chamber Training Products and Guidance
S-Pillar Analysis Software
S-Pillar Analysis Software
  • Notices and Events
    • Coal Dust Explosibility Meter Evaluation and Recommendations for Application is now up for public comment until May 29, 2012.
    • Respirator User Notice: Loss of Start-Up Oxygen in CSE SR-100 Self-Contained Self-Rescuers
  • NIOSH Workshops and Videos
    • NIOSH OMSHR hosted a workshop on Preventing Coal Dust Explosions in Underground Coal Mines on January 24, 2012 at the Bruceton Research Center. Videos of the presentations will be made available for download later this year here on our site.
    • Many of our recent NIOSH Workshops are now available online, including slides and videos of NIOSH presentations.
  • Noteworthy Publications and Products
    • Loss of Start-Up Oxygen in CSE SR-100 Self-Contained Self-Rescuers describes the results of an investigation carried out jointly by NIOSH and MSHA to assess the prevalence of a lack of sufficient start-up oxygen in CSE SR-100 self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) devices.
    • Diesel Aerosols and Gases in Underground Mines: Guide to Exposure Assessment and Control provides a comprehensive guide to establish a program to curtail diesel particulate matter emissions, control pollutants after release in an underground mine environment and reduce exposures using administrative controls.
    • Find all NIOSH Refuge Chamber Training Products and Guidance on one page along with tips for scheduling and use. These training modules better prepare miners to make educated decisions during an emergency. Topics include decision making, expectations and operations. New publications just added!
    • S-Pillar Analysis Software - Software to aid engineers in designing stable pillars for room-and-pillar workings in underground stone mines. The design methods used in S-Pillar are grounded in observations of actual pillar performance in 34 different underground U.S. operations.
    • Evaluation of Face Dust Concentrations at Mines Using Deep-Cutting Practices - Details dust surveys which were conducted at six underground mines to determine if deep-cut mining practices expose face workers to higher levels of respirable dust by comparing levels during the first 20 ft of advance (regular-cut depth) during the deep cut to levels during the final 10 to 20 ft of advance (deep-cut depth).

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Top 10 Mining Topic Pages
1. Diesel Exhaust
2. Respirable Dust
3. Noise
4. Respirable Diseases
5. Ground Control
6. Explosives
7. Fires
8. Explosions
9. Ventilation
10. Slope Stability
All Mining Topic Pages
Employment Opportunities
  • Overview
  • Check out our new recruitment brochure.
@OMSHR on Twitter
The NIOSH Office of Mine Safety and Health Research is @OMSHR on Twitter. Sign up and follow our mining safety and health tweets.
Top 10 Mining Topic Pages
1. Diesel Exhaust
2. Respirable Dust
3. Noise
4. Respirable Diseases
5. Ground Control
6. Explosives
7. Fires
8. Explosions
9. Ventilation
10. Slope Stability
All Mining Topic Pages
Employment Opportunities
  • Overview
  • Check out our new recruitment brochure.
Page last updated: May 21, 2012
Page last reviewed: May 21, 2012
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mining Division