Mining Project: Mining Applications of Novel Interventions for Fatigue - Evaluating Safety Toolkits (MANIFEST)

Keywords: Administrative controls Mining workforce

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Principal Investigator	Timothy Bauerle - Request information
Start Date	10/10/2018
End Date	9/30/2023
Objective	Mine workers in the U.S. have some of the longest commutes and working hours compared to other industries. Additionally, many of the hazards prevalent in mining can also be common risk factors for fatigue and sleepiness, such as dim lighting, noise, heat, and monotonous or disengaging tasks. Despite these risk factors for mine worker fatigue, there is a clear absence of reliable and validated resources for the U.S. mining industry on how to properly address sleep and fatigue at their sites and among their workforce. The purpose of this project was to empower operators with the knowledge and ability to identify sources of fatigue unique to their work environment to select, implement, and evaluate appropriate fatigue mitigation strategies that better support their workers to be well-rested, alert, aware, and ready through every shift.

Research Summary

Approach

Leveraging technical expertise from the Spokane Mining Research Division (SMRD), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Center for Work and Fatigue Research (CFWR), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Washington State University (WSU), project researchers developed a study aimed at determining field feasibility and efficacy of fatigue measurement and detection technology. A report on internal beta testing was completed for a time-series data collection effort that included information from daily diary and wearable fatigue monitoring technologies. In combination with existent evidence in the scientific literature, guidance offered by authoritative documents, NIOSH publications, and input from the industry, these findings were used to design and disseminate a fatigue intervention framework. This framework will provide an overview of feasible fatigue risk mitigation and management options to mid-level health and safety mine managers seeking to develop action plans to manage fatigue risk at their respective sites. Results from this work will serve as valuable resource and reference materials to the industry while also positioning NIOSH to explore fatigue and other worker readiness interventions in the future.

Milestones and Accomplishments

Description	Audience	Year
Published Do Your Workers Show Signs of Fatigue? and 10 Sleep Tips for Miners	Infographics: shift supervisors, trainers, rank-and-file miners, mining occupational health and safety (OH&S) personnel	2019
Published The Human Factors of Mineworker Fatigue: An Overview on Prevalence, Mitigation, and What’s Next	Journal article: sleep and fatigue researchers, mining OH&S personnel	2021
Published Findings from a Systematic Review of Fatigue Interventions: What's (Not) Being Tested in Mining and Other Industrial Environments	Journal article: sleep and fatigue researchers, mining OH&S personnel	2022
Completed 8 of 9 fatigue risk management needs assessment interviews	Journal article: sleep and fatigue researchers, mining OH&S personnel	2023

Planned Impacts and Outcomes

End users and ultimate beneficiaries of this project were shift workers in the U.S. mining industry; however, the main target audience was mining industry health and safety decision makers who would initiate, develop, adapt, implement, and evaluate various control strategies to mitigate fatigue. By providing actionable information to aid in the mitigation and management of fatigue risk, this helps address the overall goal of workplace solutions being adopted to identify, measure, and improve miners’ readiness for work.

Outputs

Bauerle TJ, Dugdale Z, Poplin G [2018]. Mineworker fatigue: A review of what we know and future decisions. Min Eng 70(3):33-40.

NIOSH [2019]. Mining product: Infographic: Do your workers show signs of fatigue? By Dugdale Z, Bauerle T. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

NIOSH [2019]. Mining Product: Infographic: 10 Sleep Tips for Miners. By Dugdale Z, Bauerle T. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

NIOSH [2020]. Mining Product: Sticker: Sleep like a rock to rise and mine. By Dugdale Z, Bauerle T. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

McInelly A, Eiter BM, Dugdale Z, Bauerle TJ [2021]. Addressing fatigue in the mining workforce. Pit & Quarry, September.

Bauerle, TJ, Sammarco JJ, Dugdale ZJ [2021]. The human factors of mineworker fatigue: An overview on prevalence, mitigation, and what’s next. Am J Ind Med:1-8.

NIOSH [2022]. Infographic: How to choose the right fatigue detection technology for your workplace. By Dugdale Z, Wong I, Hagan-Haynes K, Cauda E, Knuth R, & Geromi R. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Dugdale Z, Eiter B, Chaumount-Menendez C, Wong I, Bauerle T [2022]. Findings from a systematic review of fatigue interventions: What's (not) being tested in mining and other industrial environments. Am J Ind Med 65(4):248-261.

Bauerle TJ, Cauda E, Wong I, Hagan-Haynes K [2022]. Setting objectives for fatigue detection technologies. NIOSH Science Blog.

Barham M, Bauerle T, Eiter B [2023]. Are fatigue and sleepiness the same? A brief introduction to the differences and similarities and their implications for work safety. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Annual Conference and Expo, Denver CO, United States.