Falls represent a serious hazard to workers in many industries. Workers who perform tasks at elevation-workers in the construction, structural metal working, and tree trimming industries, for example-are at risk of falls from heights, with frequently grave or even fatal consequences. Many more workers, in nearly every industry, are subject to falls to floors, walkways or ground surfaces. These falls, characterized as fall on the same level, are responsible for well over half of nonfatal injuries that result in days away from work. The etiology of falls as injury-producing events is multi-factorial, and encompasses multiple mechanisms of exposure. Working at heights involves completely different fall risks than those found on workplace surfaces and floors. The different exposures represent serious safety risks in both cases, resulting in fatal and serious nonfatal injury. To address the various causes of multi-factorial events such as these, there needs to be wide-ranging and multidisciplinary injury-mitigation approaches provided to practitioners based on a wide variety of research methods. To advance our knowledge of occupational fall injuries, the International Conference on Fall Prevention and Protection (ICFPP), held in May of 2010, was convened to provide a forum for researchers from NIOSH, its stakeholders, and the community of fall-prevention specialists and experts to present research findings, recommendations and expert advice on the latest tools and methods to reduce the incidence of injury from falls. At the conference, a wide variety of research approaches and methods were presented, and these approaches reflected the multidisciplinary orientation of the different stakeholders in attendance, as well as the individual interests and expertise of participating researchers. This document represents a wealth of knowledge from experts and informed stakeholders on the best way to understand, prevent, and control fall-related risk exposures. It is anticipated that these presentations will serve to bring together the communities of interest that attempt to prevent and ameliorate fall-related injuries, and will spur efforts that will continue in the form of joint and supported research investigations, research consortia, and informed dialogue in support of a common goal. NIOSH hopes to continue to sponsor forums for the presentation of methods and findings related to occupational fall injury protection and prevention in the future.

Dust surveys 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). The studies were conducted at mines where the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) had approved an extended curtain setback distance with operation of a flooded-bed scrubber to permit taking deep cuts of up to 40 ft. In general, all of the selected mines exercised good dust control practices by maintaining water sprays, scrubber airflows, proper curtain setback distances and providing sufficient airflow to the active faces. These practices minimized variability in dust levels related to factors other than the depth of cut. To ensure proper scrubber functioning, the scrubber screen was back-flushed before commencing each cut. Both exhausting and blowing face ventilation configurations were studied. All of the operations surveyed for this study were able to successfully implement deep-cutting methods without significantly increasing the dust exposures of face workers during the cutting and bolting cycles. For exhausting face ventilation, field data indicate that scrubber airflow is the most important factor for controlling dust. Clogging of the scrubber screen can result in lower airflows; therefore, the screen must be periodically tapped and back-flushed. Data collected for this study indicate that 20-mesh screens should be cleaned for every 40 ft of advance because 22% of the deep-cut sequences surveyed for this study experienced a 20% to 35% decrease in scrubber airflow over the course of the cut. For blowing face ventilation, field and laboratory data indicate that maintaining a proper curtain-to-scrubber airflow ratio of 1.0 and a curtain setback distance that allows the miner operator to stand at the mouth of the curtain helps control dust. Curtain airflows should be measured before activation of the scrubber regardless of ventilation type (exhausting or blowing) to avoid erroneously overinflating the ratio. The curtain setback variance should be greater than the maximum cutting depth to allow miner operators to maintain their position at the mouth of the curtain when the miner is fully extended into the cut. Greater curtain setback distances associated with deep-cutting methods may result in cuts that do not require ventilation curtain, such as the initial heading developments beyond the last open crosscut. For these cuts, dust levels were generally lower during development of deep cuts when compared to regular cuts. However, adequate ventilation of cuts without ventilation curtain is dependent on a properly functioning scrubber. Dust levels on the bolting faces did not appear to be affected by the longer cycles associated with deep-cut mining practices when curtain airflow was measureable and the curtain was periodically advanced in sync with the bolting machine.

The Determination of Sound Exposures (DOSES) software was developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) specifically for use by mine management and safety personnel. DOSES simplifies the record-keeping and analysis associated with time-motion studies and worker noise exposures, making it easier to identify and solve noise problems. The software relies on a time-motion study that profiles the worker's daily activities. At the same time, noise measurements are collected with a dosimeter or sound level meter (SLM). Observations about the worker's location and tasks or other activities are recorded along with times and durations so they can later be matched up with the noise data. After the completion of a time-motion study of the worker's daily tasks and locations (possible noise sources), which measures the worker's noise exposures during the recorded events, the information is entered into DOSES. The program then displays information about the worker's accumulated noise dose over time. The software gives the user the option of assessing dose relative to the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL), the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) permissible exposure level (PEL), or the MSHA action level (AL). The software generates a variety of interactive on-screen displays showing where, when, and how the worker's noise dose accumulated. It also can generate customizable printed reports. These outputs can be used to highlight the tasks, locations, and times that are associated with the greatest amount of the worker's noise exposure. Mine safety personnel can then use these reports to make decisions about how to reduce or eliminate the factors that are creating an overexposure.

Hired farmworkers form a core component of the agricultural workforce in the United States, numbering an estimated 1.8 million workers. Very little national health data exists on this population because of difficulties in identifying and enumerating them. In 1998, to define the magnitude and scope of hired farmworker occupational health problems, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collaborated with the Department of Labor to collect occupational safety and health information about a nationally representative sample of hired farmworkers. The collaboration allowed NIOSH to include questions on occupational health in an existing Department of Labor survey, the National Agricultural Workers Survey. The purpose of the original survey continues to be the collection of demographic and employment data on hired crop farmworkers. This document presents a first look at the health data from this collaboration. This document presents nationally representative data on hired crop farmworker occupational health. Data presented in this document are based on face-to-face interviews with 3,613 hired farmworkers completed between October 1, 1998 and September 30, 1999. Topics covered include musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory symptoms, dermatitis and gastrointestinal problems, pesticide safety training, provision of field sanitation, access to health care, and smoking and alcohol use. Data are displayed for the total population as well as different subsamples of workers based on itinerancy of the workers, years spent working in U.S. farms, the type of crop the farmworker was employed in at the time of the interview, and the number of workers employed on the farm. This document is an important first step in presenting data on a wide range of health outcomes and potential exposures for hired farmworkers. We hope that it will prove useful for agricultural health and safety professionals, researchers, and farmworker service organizations. The data can be used for program planning, to allocate resources, and to develop interventions that target health problems and barriers to health and develop interventions to prevent injuries and illnesses.

Home building is physically demanding work and manual material handling may be the most difficult part of the job. Manual material handling includes all of the tasks that require you to lift, lower, push, pull, hold or carry materials. These activities increase the risk of painful strains and sprains and more serious soft tissue injuries. Soft tissues of the body include muscles, tendons, ligaments, discs, cartilage and nerves. Soft tissue injuries cause workers pain, suffering and lost income. They can also restrict non-work activity, like sports and hobbies. Builders' and employers' costs include loss of productivity and high workers' compensation insurance premiums. This booklet provides basic information about readily available work practices and equipment that can help both new and experienced workers, contractors and builders prevent serious manual material handling injuries. Also available in Spanish.

Computer security is increasingly recognized as a key component in nuclear security. As technology advances, it is anticipated that computer and computing systems will be used to an even greater degree in all aspects of plant operations including safety and security systems. A rigorous and comprehensive assessment process can assist in strengthening the effectiveness of the computer security programme. This publication outlines a methodology for conducting computer security assessments at nuclear facilities. The methodology can likewise be easily adapted to provide assessments at facilities with other radioactive materials.

Chemical exposure in the workplace is a significant problem in the United States. More than 13 million workers in the United States are potentially exposed to chemicals via the skin. Skin disorders are among the most frequently reported occupational illnesses, resulting in an estimated annual cost in the United States of over $1 billion. While the rates of most other occupational diseases are decreasing, skin disease rates are actually increasing. Efforts to reduce or prevent skin problems in many work settings are lacking as too frequently workers, employers, and even occupational health professionals accept skin problems as part of the job. The tolerance of occupational skin problems must be lowered and the methods for assessing and reducing chemical exposures must be improved. As occupational health professionals or employers, it is important that you know how to identify and manage the risk of chemical exposures to the skin and prevent injury and illness associated with dermal exposure risks. This publication will provide occupational health professionals and employers with: knowledge of the major adverse health effects resulting from chemical exposures to the skin, information on recognizing chemical hazards, knowledge of intervention/prevention strategies, and sources of information related to skin disorders and prevention.

The purpose of this document is to consolidate the diverse literature and opinions on genetics in the workplace, to flag important issues, and to provide some considerations for current and future research and practice. Recent advances in understanding the human genome have created opportunities for disease prevention and treatment. Even though the focus of attention on applications of genetic discoveries has been largely outside of the workplace, genetic information and genetic testing are impacting today's workplace. The issues related to genetic information and genetic testing in the workplace have the potential to affect every worker in the United States. This NIOSH document provides a discussion on the benefits, limitations, and risks of genetic information and genetic tests. Anecdotal evidence already exists of employers inappropriately using genetics tests. Although genetic technology is becoming widely available, a serious knowledge gap on the part of consumers of this technology is a concern. Basic information on genetics, genetic research, genetic testing, genetic information, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, technological advances based on genetics, notification, data management, and discrimination need to be discussed. The passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 has abated some concerns about the misuse of genetic information. This NIOSH document provides information on these issues to help the reader be made more aware of the multitude of scientific, legal, and ethical issues with regard to the use of genetics in occupational safety and health research and practice. This document has been written to appeal to both targeted and broad audiences. Occupational safety and health professionals and practitioners interested in the use of genetic information in the workplace will be most informed by the chapters on the role of genetic information in the workplace, health records, genetic monitoring, genetic screening, and the ethical, social, and legal implications of this information. Academics and researchers will be especially interested in the chapter on incorporating genetics into occupational health research. Employers, workers, and other lay readers will likely find the chapters on health records and ethical, social, and legal implications of genetic information in the workplace provide the most information. Regardless of specific reader interest levels, the goal of this document is to draw attention to the many gaps in knowledge about the use of genetic information and to stimulate dialogue on its use in the workplace.

This Instructor's Manual is part of a broad-based multi-stakeholder initiative, Prevention through Design (PtD). This module has been developed for use by educators to disseminate the PtD concept and practice within the undergraduate engineering curricula. Prevention through Design anticipates and minimizes occupational safety and health hazards and risks at the design phase of products, considering workers through the entire life cycle, from the construction workers to the users, the maintenance staff, and, finally, the demolition team. The engineering profession has long recognized the importance of preventing occupational safety and health problems by designing out hazards. Industry leaders want to reduce costs by preventing negative safety and health consequences of poor designs. Thus, owners, designers, and trade contractors all have an interest in the final design. This manual is one of four PtD education modules to increase awareness of construction hazards. The modules support undergraduate courses in civil and construction engineering. The four modules cover the following: 1) Reinforced concrete design, 2) Mechanical-electrical systems, 3) Structural steel design, 4) Architectural design and construction.

Respirable dust exposure has long been known to be a serious health threat to workers in many industries. In coal mining, overexposure to respirable coal mine dust can lead to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). CWP is a lung disease that can be disabling and fatal in its most severe form. In addition, miners can be exposed to high levels of respirable silica dust, which can cause silicosis, another disabling and/or fatal lung disease. Once contracted, there is no cure for CWP or silicosis. The goal, therefore, is to limit worker exposure to respirable dust to prevent development of these diseases. The passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 established respirable dust exposure limits, dust sampling requirements for inspectors and mine operators, a voluntary x-ray surveillance program to identify CWP in underground coal miners, and a benefits program to provide compensation to affected workers and their families. The tremendous human and financial costs resulting from CWP and silicosis in the U.S. underground coal mine workforce are shown by the following statistics: During 1970-2004, CWP was a direct or contributing cause of 69,377 deaths of U.S. underground coal mine workers. During 1980-2005, over $39 billion in CWP benefits were paid to underground coal miners and their families. Recent x-ray surveillance data for 2000-2006 show an increase in CWP cases. Nearly 8% of examined underground coal miners with 25 or more years of experience were diagnosed with CWP. "Continuous miner operator" is the most frequently listed occupation on death certificates that record silicosis as the cause of death. In light of the ongoing severity of these lung diseases in coal mining, this handbook was developed to identify available engineering controls that can help the industry reduce worker exposure to respirable coal and silica dust. The controls discussed in this handbook range from long-utilized controls that have developed into industry standards to newer controls that are still being optimized. The intent was to identify the best practices that are available to control respirable dust levels in underground and surface coal mining operations. This handbook provides general information on the control technologies along with extensive references. In some cases, the full reference(s) will need to be consulted to gain in-depth information on the testing or implementation of the control of interest.

Concerns have been raised about whether workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles are at increased risk of adverse health effects. The current body of evidence about the possible health risks of occupational exposure to engineered nanoparticles is quite small. While there is increasing evidence to indicate that exposure to some engineered nanoparticles can cause adverse health effects in laboratory animals, no health studies of workers exposed to the few engineered nanoparticles tested in animals have been published. The purpose of this document from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is to provide interim guidance about whether specific medical screening, including performing medical tests on asymptomatic workers, is appropriate for these workers. Medical screening is only one part of what should be considered a complete safety and health management program. An ideal safety and health management program follows a hierarchy of controls and involves various occupational health surveillance measures. Since specific medical screening of asymptomatic workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles has not been extensively discussed in the scientific literature, this document makes recommendations based upon what is known until more rigorous research can be performed. Currently there is insufficient scientific and medical evidence to recommend the specific medical screening of workers potentially exposed to engineered nanoparticles. Nonetheless, this lack of evidence does not preclude specific medical screening by employers interested in taking precautions beyond existing industrial hygiene measures. If nanoparticles are composed of a chemical or bulk material for which medical screening recommendations exist, these same screening recommendations would be applicable for workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles as well. As research into the hazards of engineered nanoparticles continues, vigilant reassessment of available data is critical to determine whether specific medical screening is warranted for workers. In the interim, the following recommendations are provided for workplaces where workers may be exposed to engineered nanoparticles in the course of their work: Take prudent measure to control exposures to engineered nanoparticles; Conduct hazard surveillance as the basis for implementing controls; Continue use of established medical surveillance approaches. Concerned individuals from government, industry, labor, and academia, together with occupational health professionals and medical personnel, have raised questions about whether workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles should be provided some type of medical surveillance. The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance concerning specific medical screening for these workers-that is, medical tests for asymptomatic workers-until additional research either supports or negates the need for this type of screening. The type and degree of screening recommended here is in addition to any medical surveillance taking place as part of existing occupational health surveillance efforts.

The United States currently depends on approximately 1.1 million fire fighters to protect its citizens and property from losses caused by fire. Each year in the United States, approximately 100 fire fighters die in the line of duty. Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of fatalities, followed by trauma. In 1998, Congress appropriated funds to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for a fire fighter safety initiative. As part of this initiative, NIOSH developed and implemented the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP). The overall goal of the NIOSH FFFIPP is to reduce the number of fire fighter fatalities. To accomplish this goal, NIOSH conducts investigations of line-of-duty fire fighter deaths to identify contributing factors and to generate recommendations for prevention. This document summarizes the most frequent recommendations from the first 8 years of the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP). The overall goal of the program is to reduce the number of fire fighter fatalities. Through 2005, the FFFIPP investigated 335 fatal incidents involving 372 fire fighter fatalities. The investigations encompassed a variety of circumstances such as cardiovascular-related deaths, motor vehicle accidents, structure fires, diving incidents, and electrocutions. Fatalities have been investigated in career, volunteer, and combination departments in both urban and rural settings throughout the United States. This document shares the most common recommendations from the 335 investigations and more than 1,286 recommendations that were developed by NIOSH investigators. These recommendations were developed using existing fire service standards, guidelines, standard operating procedures, and other relevant resources over the first eight years of the program. Fire departments can use this document when developing, updating, and implementing policies, programs, and training for fire fighter injury prevention efforts.

Diesel engines are a major contributor to concentrations of submicron aerosols, CO, CO2, NOX, SO2 and hydrocarbons (HC) in underground coal and metal/nonmetal mines. The extensive use of diesel-powered equipment in underground mines makes it challenging to control workers' exposure to submicron aerosols and noxious gases emitted by those engines. In order to protect workers, mines need to establish a comprehensive program based on a multifaceted and integrated approach. This program should include a concerted effort to: Curtail emissions of the diesel particulate matter (DPM) and toxic gases at the source; Control pollutants after they are released in the underground mine environment; and Use administrative controls to reduce exposures of underground miners to pollutants. Many of the technologies and strategies available to the coal and metal/nonmetal underground mining industries to control exposures of underground miners to diesel pollutants are similar. However, the differences in the U.S. regulations limiting DPM exposures of miners in underground underground coal mines 66 Fed. Reg. 27864 (2001)] and metal/nonmetal mines 71 Fed. Reg. 28924 (2006)] have a major bearing on how those technologies and strategies are implemented. In underground coal mines, achieving compliance is based on implementing technologies developed to control DPM and gaseous emissions directly at their source and providing sufficient quantities of fresh air to dilute criteria gases emitted by diesel engines 61 Fed. Reg. 55411 (1996)]. In contrast, the metal/nonmetal performance-based regulations enforce personal exposure limits (PEL) and provide much more latitude in the selection of technologies and strategies to control miners' exposures to DPM and gases MSHA 2008]. The effort to reduce the exposure of underground miners to diesel pollutants requires the involvement of several key departments of mining companies, including those responsible for health and safety, engine/vehicle/exhaust aftertreatment maintenance, mine ventilation, and production, as well as the departments responsible for acquiring vehicles, engines, exhaust aftertreatment systems, fuel, and lubricating oil. Due to the complexity of this problem and the involvement of personnel from various departments in an underground mine, a program coordinator is crucial to the success of diesel control programs. The diesel pollutants control program plan and execution of this plan should be dynamic and based on information gathered through surveillance efforts. This surveillance should include gathering information on parameters pertinent to planning, execution, and coordination of the program (e.g., size of the diesel-powered fleet, role of diesel-powered equipment in the mining process, type of engine emissions, contribution of diesel-powered equipment to exposure of underground miners to DPM and criteria gases, quality of diesel fuel and lubricating oil, and ventilation supply and demand). Surveillance efforts should also help to identify and quantify the extent of the problem, identify and evaluate potential solutions, and identify and establish a hierarchy of potential solutions. The adopted solutions should be instituted and implemented in a manner that takes the costs and benefits into consideration. The surveillance efforts should be continued throughout the implementation phase of the program, and the results should be used to constantly re-evaluate the effectiveness of the program and adjust actions accordingly. Establishing a hierarchy of solutions is critical to the success of a multifaceted diesel pollutants control program.

An aging population and rising hospital costs have created new and increasing demand for innovative healthcare delivery systems in the United States. Home healthcare provides vital medical assistance to ill, elderly, convalescent, or disabled persons who live in their own homes instead of a healthcare facility, and is one of the most rapidly expanding industries in this country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that home healthcare employment will grow 55% between 2006-2016, making it the fastest growing occupation of the next decade. Home healthcare workers facilitate the rapid and smooth transition of patients from a hospital to a home setting. They offer patients the unique opportunity to receive quality medical care in the comfort of their own homes rather than in a healthcare or nursing facility. Home healthcare workers, while contributing greatly to the well-being of others, face unique risks on the job to their own personal safety and health. During 2007 alone, 27,400 recorded injuries occurred among more than 896,800 home healthcare workers. Home healthcare workers are frequently exposed to a variety of potentially serious or even life-threatening hazards. These dangers include overexertion; stress; guns and other weapons; illegal drugs; verbal abuse and other forms of violence in the home or community; bloodborne pathogens; needlesticks; latex sensitivity; temperature extremes; unhygienic conditions, including lack of water, unclean or hostile animals, and animal waste. Long commutes from worksite to worksite also expose the home healthcare worker to transportation-related risks. This document aims to raise awareness and increase understanding of the safety and health risks involved in home healthcare and suggests prevention strategies to reduce the number of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities that too frequently occur among workers in this industry.

This instructor's guide is designed for use by instructors who train mine employees on how and when to use a mine refuge chamber, and aids the instructor in reinforcing the critical decisions that have to be made during a mining emergency. The discussion notes and teaching points included in this instructor's guide are based on a paper-and-pencil simulation exercise that trainees use to learn about the choices that must be made in an emergency situation. In this exercise, trainees work through an interactive story that presents a scenario in which a section crew, along with additional general labor workers, must decide what to do when they learn there is a fire somewhere in the mine, but do not know the exact location. One of the characters in this story is Man Mountain, a member of the labor crew. As time goes by, the miners face a series of choices about how best to increase their chances for survival. The story is taken in part from real-life incidents. The teaching instructions in this instructor's guide have been designed for use with the simulation exercise, which is included in the Trainee's Problem Book.The completion of this exercise can help new miners, experienced miners, trainers, and others, who must deal with issues of self-rescue and escape, to become more aware of: (1) the need to gather as much information as possible as early as possible; (2) the value of knowing one's escapeways; (3) the need to use self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs) properly; (4) the value of a multigas detector in an emergency; (5) when, and under what circumstances, to enter a refuge chamber; and (6) how to recognize the reaction signs of traumatic incident stress.

Enclosed cabs are a primary means of reducing equipment operators' silica dust exposure at surface mines. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health experimentally investigated various factor effects on cab air filtration system performance. The factors investigated were intake filter efficiency, intake air leakage, intake filter loading (filter flow resistance), recirculation filter use, and wind effects on cab particulate penetration. Adding an intake pressurizer fan to the filtration system was also investigated. Results indicate that intake filter efficiency and recirculation filter use were the two most influential factors on cab penetration performance. Use of the recirculation filter reduced cab penetration by usually an order of magnitude over the intake air filter alone because of the multiplicative filtration of the cab interior air. Intake air leakage and filter loading affected the cab penetration to a lesser extent, while wind had the least impact on cab penetration between the calm and 10-mph wind velocities tested. Adding an intake pressurizer fan notably increased intake airflow and cab pressure with only minor changes to cab penetration. A mathematical model was developed that describes cab penetration in terms of intake filter efficiency, intake air quantity, intake air leakage, recirculation filter efficiency, recirculation filter quantity, and wind penetration.

Reliable prediction of mine stability, surface subsidence, mine water inflow, and mine gas emissions is essential not only for improving mine safety and reducing coal production costs, but also for assessing and managing the environmental impact of mining. This paper describes an integrated approach to simulation and prediction of mining-induced surface subsidence, mine groundwater inflow, aquifer interference, and mine gas emission. It involves a combination of site geological, geotechnical, and hydrogeological characterization; study of surface subsidence and subsurface rock caving mechanisms; monitoring of pore pressure changes of the surrounding strata, mine water inflows, and mine gas emission; and three-dimensional (3-D) numerical modeling. Central to this integrated approach is a 3-D computer code called COSFLOW developed by CSIRO Exploration and Mining of Australia in collaboration with NEDO and JCOAL of Japan to address the coal mine-related issues. COSFLOW incorporates unique features (e.g., Cosserat continuum formulation) that make it ideal for simulating coal mining-related issues and examining the interaction between rock fracture, aquifer interference and water flow, and gas emission.

This report details the results of a NIOSH investigation on the ability of the Coal Dust Explosibility Meter (CDEM) to accurately predict the explosibility of samples of coal and rock 5 dust mixtures collected from underground coal mines in the U.S. The CDEM, which gives instantaneous results in real time, represents a new way for miners and operators to assess the relative hazard of dust accumulations in their mines and the effectiveness of their rock dusting practices. The CDEM was developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and successfully underwent national and international peer review. The intention of the device is to assist mine operators in complying with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) final rule 30 CFR 75.403, requiring that the incombustible content of combined coal dust, rock dust, and other dust be at least 80% in underground areas of bituminous coal mines.

Refuge alternatives are airtight, reinforced shelters that underground coal miners can enter during a mine emergency. Although different states and different mines refer to refuge alternatives by different names, this publication will refer to refuge alternatives that are close to the working face as refuge chambers, whether inflatable from a skid or constructed from steel. Other common terms for refuge chambers are rescue chambers, rescue shelters, and refuge shelters. Refuge alternatives that are outby of the face area, whether a prefabricated refuge chamber or one built into a crosscut, will be referred to as outby refuges because of their location in the mine. Outby refuges can be permanent, semipermanent, or portable and are usually located at every other self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) cache. Outby refuges are sometimes called hardened rooms, outby shelters, or in-place shelters. Refuge chambers are safe havens that provide breathable air, food, water, and a safe environment for up to 96 hours. They are typically made of steel or have tents that inflate from a steel skid. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) mandated that all underground coal mines provide refuge alternatives at each working face and at additional locations outby the faces 73 Fed. Reg. 80698 (2008)]. Refuge chambers are usually portable so that they can be moved as mining advances. It should be noted that entering a refuge chamber is a last resort for miners in an emergency situation. Although this option is considered a last resort, as refuge chambers are added to underground coal mines, mine trainers and refuge chamber manufacturers are faced with the task of training miners how to operate them. The regulation 73 Fed. Reg. 80698 (2008)] states that in addition to an introductory training session, each quarterly evacuation drill must include a review of the procedures for use of refuge alternatives. In addition, annual expectations training must include deployment and operation of refuge alternatives similar to those in use at the mine. As part of a larger project titled "Refuge Chamber Training," NIOSH researchers observed four introductory refuge chamber training sessions and created this document to summarize their findings and make recommendations for future training sessions. This publication is intended to provide recommendations for training miners in how to operate a refuge chamber and may also be used to train miners on the operation of other types of refuge alternatives.

Until the early 1980s, mine face ventilation systems were designed for ventilating cutting depths up to 20 feet. Since that time, use of remotely operated mining machines have allowed cutting depths to increase to 40 ft, increasing concerns about the effects on methane levels at the mine face area. The principles for efficient methane control during deeper cutting remained the same, namely Move a sufficient quantity of intake air from the end of the tubing or curtain to the face. Mix intake air with methane gas liberated at the face. Move methane contaminated air away from the face. However, when cutting to depths greater than 20 ft (known as deep-cut mining), airflow quantities reaching the face area often decreased because it was difficult to maintain tubing or brattice setback distances. Earlier research showed that use of machine-mounted scrubbers and water sprays increased airflow at the face area during deep cutting. NIOSH research examined how these and other factors affected face airflow. A full-scale ventilation test gallery was used to study how different operating conditions caused airflow patterns and methane distributions near the face to vary. The research results showed that during deep-cut mining Without additional controls, only a small percentage of the air delivered to the end of the tubing or curtain reached the face area. Operation of a machine-mounted scrubber increased airflow and reduced methane levels at the face area as long as the quantity of intake air delivered to the end of the curtain or tubing was not reduced. Operation of water sprays did not significantly increase the volume of air reaching the face but did improve mixing of methane and intake air at the face. Methane monitoring requirements remained the same for deep cutting, but the possibility of rapidly changing conditions at the face increases the need for accurate estimates of face methane concentration. Research examined currently available instrumentation and sampling methods for monitoring methane at the face. In this report several practical guidelines are recommended for controlling and monitoring methane levels in the face areas of underground coal mines.

The goal and the main thrust of the Second American Conference on Human Vibration were to provide a forum for scientists, engineers, medical doctors, industrial hygienists, and educators to learn and advance research/education in the unique area of human body vibration. In promoting health and safety and in stimulating progress, leaders in the field were invited to share their insight and expertise in addition to the excellent and plausible papers on the presentation schedule. These proceedings of the conference will serve as a means of continuing the dialogue. This unique forum afforded participants opportunities to learn firsthand what their peers and colleagues are working on and to exchange information on a variety of relevant topics including human response, human modeling, experimental design, sensors, new technologies, and epidemiology studies in human responses to hand-transmitted and whole-body vibration. This research is essential for better understanding the risk factors for adverse effects related to vibration and for designing more effective interventions to prevent painful and potentially disabling work-related injuries. This conference addressed contemporary issues regarding occupational health, prevention measures, and scientific data collection used to study the complex, dynamic human response to vibration. The agenda included a rich and diverse scientific program as researchers and medical professionals from around the world gathered to examine human responses to hand-transmitted vibration and whole-body vibration.

Occupational Safety and Health Simplified for the Industrial Workplace serves industrial businesses, workplaces, and managers who want quick answers to complicated questions. It is an essential reference for everyone involved with the safety and health of workers in the industrial workplace. It makes the difficult task of complying with the 29 CFR 1910 regulations easier to manage. From general safety provisions to violence in the workplace to hazardous wastes, it examines the standards of 29 CFR 1910 one-by-one with non-technical, implementation-friendly explanations of the requirements and how to implement and fulfill them. This book provides a breakdown of the training standards for industrial applications. In addition, it shows how to prevent the leading causes of fatal accidents, which OSHA industrial standards are violated most often, and how non-Spanish-speaking managers can effectively communicate safety requirements with Spanish-speaking employees. Most importantly, this book provides answers to a broad range of compliance questions, including who is obligated to observe the law, what OSHA compliance obligations are, and how state OSHA compares to federal OSHA standards.