Overviews

Reducing Low Back Pain and Disability in Mining (PDF, 2652 KB, 2008-09)
This report seeks to provide managers, supervisors, and safety and health professionals with a greater understanding of LBP and low back disability (work time lost due to LBP). It also attempts to improve the understanding of the many factors that influence LBP, provide the latest research information related to its causes, and describe methods that have proven to be effective in preventing LBP and disability.

Measurement & analysis

Bone Mineral Content and Fatigue Failure of Lumbar Motion Segments in Simulated Flexed Lifting: Does Specimen Age Influence the Relationship? (PDF, 75 KB, 2005)
This paper compares the fatigue failure responses of older versus younger lumbar spine cadaver motion segment specimens.

Effects of Posture on Dynamic Back Loading During a Cable Lifting Task (PDF, 702 KB, 2002)
This study evaluated spinal loads associated with lifting and hanging heavy mining cable in a variety of postures.

The Effects of Restricted Workspace on Lumbar Spine Loading (PDF, 387 KB, 2001)
Coal miners often handle heavy electrical power cables, weighing up to 10 kg per meter. These cables are manually lifted and attached to the mine roof to prevent damage from mobile underground equipment.

The Effects of Scaling Height and Scaling Bar Design on Applied Forces and Bilateral Muscle Activity of the Back and Shoulders (PDF, 159 KB, 2006)
Hand scaling is a physically demanding job and is responsible for numerous overexertion injuries in mining. This experiment studied rib scaling from an elevated bucket to examine force generation capabilities and electromyographic responses to a prying subtask. It was concluded that miners should scale points on the rock face that are below their knees, and reposition the bucket as often as necessary to do so. Additional research is needed to fully understand the impact of bar type on the physical demands of an entire scaling task.

Ergonomic Assessment of Musculoskeletal Risk Factors at Four Mine Sites: Underground Coal, Surface Copper, Surface Phosphate, and Underground Limestone (PDF, 2334 KB, 2004-08)
This study examined musculoskeletal injury risk at four mining sites: underground coal, underground limestone, surface copper, and surface phosphate.

Lifting in Stooped and Kneeling Postures: Effects on Lifting Capacity, Metabolic Cost, and Electromyography of Eight Trunk Muscles (PDF, 495 KB, 1988)
Results of this Bureau of Mines study indicate that it may be advisable to reduce the weight of materials that are handled repetitively in the kneeling posture.

Musculoskeletal Stress on Miners Performing Roof Screening Operations (PDF, 107 KB, 2006)
Roof screen is often bolted to the mine ceiling to help control hazardous rock falls in coal mines. While the screen prevents rock fall injuries, its installation may expose the miner to musculoskeletal stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate methods of handling roof screen. Overall, this study showed that musculoskeletal stressors during screen installation were reduced by the proposed intervention.

Physical Limitations and Musculoskeletal Complaints Associated With Work in Unusual or Restricted Postures: A Literature Review (PDF, 109 KB, 2005-01)
The vast majority of ergonomics research has addressed the demands of work in standing or sitting postures. However, many workers are often required to adopt postures such as kneeling, stooping, squatting, or lying down for significant periods of the workday.

Engineering controls

Back Injury Control Measures for Manual Lifting and Seat Design (PDF, 597 KB, 2007)
This article discusses research results of studies that shed light on possible mechanisms through which low back injuries may occur and how this knowledge can be leveraged to reduce the risk of low back pain.

Ideas to Reduce WMSDs (HTM, 1997)
A range of ideas to deal with Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) from miners, mining safety professionals, and NIOSH research.

Administrative controls

Job Design: An Effective Strategy for Reducing Back Injuries (PDF, 8693 KB, 1994)
This paper discusses methods for reducing musculoskeletal injuries in mines. It covers the implementation of ergonomics committees, identifying hazards, formulating and implementing solutions, and followup analysis to ensure the effectiveness of changes and to guard against the introduction of new ergonomic or safety hazards.

Personal protective equipment

A Scientific Look at Back Belts (PDF, 8693 KB, 1994)
The U.S. Bureau of Mines reviewed literature relating to the effectiveness of back belts in the workplace.

Training packages

Keeping Knees Healthy in Restricted Work Spaces: Applications in Low-Seam Mining (PDF, 1010 KB, 2008-05)
Realizing the increased awareness and simple changes are the first steps to reducing knee injuries, NIOSH researchers, along with industry and academia, have developed a training package to educate the mining community about some possible interventions beyond kneepads that may be used to help decrease knee injury rates. This document is an overview of how this training was developed, including a glossary of terms.

Keeping Knees Healthy in Restricted Work Spaces: A Training Package for Applications in Low-Seam Mining
Realizing the increased awareness and simple changes are the first steps to reducing knee injuries, NIOSH researchers, along with industry and academia, have developed a training package to educate the mining community about some possible interventions beyond kneepads that may be used to help decrease knee injury rates.

Laboratories

Motion Analysis Laboratory
Testing new work methods and equipment in an environment that minimize risk of injury and permits the collection of data with instrumentation not suitable for use in a mine environment.

Physical Strength Laboratory
Measuring the static and dynamic physical strength capabilities of mine workers.

Information gateways

Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
Includes information about musculoskeletal disorders, back belts, ergonomics programs, selection of hand tools, evaluation of lifting tasks, and other topics.