Mining Project: Exploring Integrated Approaches for Mine Worker Well-being

Keywords: Health and safety management Health and safety programs

Principal Investigator	Brianna Eiter - Request information
Start Date	10/1/2023
Objective	Occupational health and safety research is often focused on characterizing a singular risk factor (e.g., age), exposure (e.g., respirable crystalline silica), or adverse outcome (e.g., lung cancer). The objective of this research pilot is to move beyond the traditional approach that focuses on the impact of an individual risk, exposure, or adverse outcome for mine workers, and to explore how areas of health and well-being may overlap in an effort to intervene and provide multifaceted benefits. More specifically, the purpose of this pilot is to identify where and how fatigue, substance use/misuse, and health hazard recognition and risk management intersect. To achieve this goal and develop a testable integrated research model to address mine worker health and well-being, one aim of the project is to summarize recent results from select NIOSH Mining Program research in context for proposing a long-term, integrated health and well-being research project. An additional aim of the project is to identify and establish formal site partners through networking and recruitment and establishing a coalition of mining company, site partners, and memoranda of understanding (MOUs).
Topic Area	Education and Training

Research Summary

Approach

This pilot project is formative in nature. A primary goal of the project is to systematically summarize and synthesize information/data from previous research efforts and then integrate those findings into a broader approach to address psychosocial risk factors of work and worker health and well-being. Human subjects will not be involved in this pilot research effort. An additional goal is to build collaborative working relationships with external mining industry partners. This is critical for development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies and interventions. The pilot project team will also work to strengthen relationships internal to NIOSH with Divisions, Programs, and Centers.

This is an 18-month pilot project, with all project work expected to be completed during the first half of fiscal year 2025. One aim of the project is to summarize recent results from select NIOSH Mining Program research in the context of proposing a long-term, integrated health and well-being research project. Four tasks will be completed to achieve this aim: (1) summarize fatigue’s role in workplace mental health; (2) summarize substance use/misuse in mining and effective primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies; (3) identify the role of hazard recognition and risk management strategies in intervention design; and (4) develop a research proposal that integrates concepts and methods for reducing psychosocial risk factors of work and improves mine worker health and well-being.

An additional aim of the project is to identify and establish formal site partners through networking and recruitment and establishing a coalition of mining company, site partners, and MOUs.

Milestones and Accomplishments

Description	Audience	Year
Prepare summary document identifying overlap and gaps in research across fatigue, mental health, substance use/misuse, hazard recognition, and risk management	Academia, researchers, health and safety professionals, mine operators	2024
Prepare research article identifying similarities and differences in relation to fatigue, mental health, burnout, and depression	Academia, researchers, health and safety professionals, mine operators	2024
Write a full proposal to develop an integrated research approach investigating mine worker health and well-being	NIOSH Mining Program	2025

Planned Impacts and Outcomes

This project is expected to lead to future Miner Health Program research focused on developing testable approaches to decrease mine worker exposure to psychosocial risk factors of work. Long-term, researchers expect to develop intervention projects that address worker health and well-being as well as measure short-term and longer-term outcomes at the individual worker level as well as at the organizational level.

Outputs

Research findings will be disseminated in multiple ways including peer-reviewed manuscripts and through presentation of findings at conferences. One of the main outputs of this pilot project is a full, multi-year project proposal that integrates concepts and methods from across the pilot project tasks with the goal to reduce miner worker exposure to psychosocial risk factors of work and improve mine worker health and well-being.