NIOSH Mining Site
The Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) site is 13 miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. It consists of a 180-acre campus with a number of office and laboratory structures, along with an Experimental Mine and Safety Research Coal Mine. The Experimental Mine was developed in 1910 when the US Bureau of Mines was established, mainly to study coal mine fires and explosions. The Safety Research Coal Mine, which became operational in the early 1970s, is a room-an-pillar operation about the size of a working section in a commercial coal mine. Other unique facilities at PRL include the Mine Roof Simulator, the Acoustical Testing Laboratory, the Full-Scale Longwall Dust Gallery, and the Human Performance Research Mine. PRL Facilities: Safety Research and Experimental Coal Mines , Explosives Testing Pond , Bombproof 142 , Human Performance Research Mine PRL Laboratories: Acoustic Test Chamber , Hearing Loss Prevention Unit , Auditory Research Laboratory , Diesel/Aerosol Research Laboratory , Full Scale Continuous Miner Dust Gallery , Full Scale Longwall Dust Gallery , Microbalance Laboratory , Aerosol Physics Laboratory , Physical Strength Laboratory , Whole Body Vibration Laboratory , Motion Analysis Laboratory , Toxic Fumes Laboratory (Surface) , Toxic Fumes Laboratory (Underground) , Mine Electrical Laboratory , Safety Structures Testing Laboratory , MTS Rock Mechanics Testing Laboratory , Full Scale Face Ventilation Gallery , Gas Content Testing Laboratory , Sensors Laboratory , Hemi-Anechoic Chamber , Anechoic Chamber |