Mining Publication: LED Lighting for Improving Trip Object Detection for a Walk-thru Roof Bolter
Original creation date: August 2020
Authors: J Sammarco, B Macdonald, B Demich, E Rubinstein, M Martell
Proper lighting plays a critical role in enabling miners to detect hazards when operating a roof bolter, one of the most dangerous mining machines to operate; however, there has not been any lighting research to address the walk-thru type of roof bolter commonly used today. To address this, the Saturn light was designed to directly address walk-thru roof bolter safety by improving trip hazard illumination. The visual performances of 30 participants that comprised three age groups were quantified by measuring each participant’s visual performance in detecting trip objects positioned on the two floor locations within the machine’s interior working space. The lighting conditions were the existing compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and the Saturn LED area light developed by NIOSH researchers. Three intensities of the Saturn lights were used, 100%, 75%, and 50%, all of which resulted in better visual performance, and up to a 48% reduction in average trip detection time compared to the CFL. For the Saturn trip object miss rates were <0.5% for all age groups in contrast to the CFL, which ranged between 32.5% for the youngest group and 50.4% for the oldest group.

- Evaluation of Visual Performance When Using Incandescent, Fluorescent, and LED Machine Lights In Mesopic Conditions
- Investigation of a Slip/Fall Accident
- LED Area Lighting to Reduce Glare for Roof Bolter Operators
- Machine Injury Prediction by Simulation Using Human Models
- The Potential Impact of Light Emitting Diode Lighting on Reducing Mining Injuries During Operation and Maintenance of Lighting Systems
- Roof Screening: Best Practices and Roof Bolting Machines
- The Saturn LED Area Light Provides Improved Illumination for Greater Roof Bolter Safety
- Technology News 560 - The Saturn LED Area Light Provides Improved Illumination for Greater Roof Bolter Safety
- Underground Coal, Metal, and Nonmetal Mine Illumination Systems for Improving Miner Visual Performance
- Verification and Validation of Roof Bolter Simulation Models for Studying Events Between a Machine and its Operator