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| Operator egressing from loader |
Background
Across the nation, falls account for 12.5% of all fatal occupational injuries and 19.9% of all nonfatal occupational injuries involving days away from work. The annual direct cost of fall-related occupational injuries in the United States has been estimated at $6 billion, and the burden of slip-, trip-, and fall-related occupational injuries has been estimated as ranging from 20% to 40 % of all disabling occupational injuries. Injury surveillance in mining parallels national statistics and indicates that falls account for a large number of incidents in all mine workers, plus an increased risk of injury from slips and falls exists for older miners. To respond to the need for better methods of injury prevention, two projects have begun: (1) a project on tread design that will evaluate the coefficient of friction for different treads and materials on different mining surfaces and (2) a study on methods to evaluate ingress/egress systems and suggest techniques to reduce the risk of injury from getting on and off equipment. Our goal is to provide employees with better protection against a potential slip or fall while they are either walking or getting on or off equipment. This approach involves the use of improved personal protective equipment as well as improved human/machine interfaces and commercialization opportunities. These recommendations will address the abilities of an age-diverse workforce.
Potential Outcome
By 2009, recommendations for tread designs and sole materials for miner boots and safer ingress/egress systems will lead to a reduction in injuries from slips and falls related to walking and getting on and off equipment (this project does not address falls from heights). In the case of ingress/egress, the recommendations may include maximum distances for the first step, for the reach to a handrail, and/or the depth of a platform or step. A reduction in injuries in these areas will lead to decreased financial and personal burdens. In addition, since slips and falls are a universal problem, recommendations for better tread designs and materials for miners in certain environments and better ingress/egress systems may also benefit workers in construction and agriculture. Knowledge gained from these studies will be disseminated in the form of guidelines, design specifications, training modules, and evaluation tools passed on at conferences, workshops, and industry-wide briefings.