NIOSH Mining Facility
Safety Research and Experimental Coal Mines |
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| Portal of the Safety Research Coal Mine |
The Safety Research Coal Mine and Experimental Mine complex is a multi-purpose underground coal mine research facility used to support research for the development and evaluation of new health and safety interventions for mine workers. Its 4 miles of underground workings have been utilized extensively from the pioneer stages of coal mine health and safety research until the present day. The Experimental Coal Mine consists of 2 drift entries driven into the Pittsburgh coal seam developed to support full-scale mine explosion tests. The Safety Research Coal Mine is a room-and-pillar operation approximately the size of a working section of a coal mine and is utilized for mine health and safety research in areas such as ground control, ventilation, fires, explosives use, materials handling, and environmental monitoring. A full-time staff of miners provides technical and physical assistance to in-house and contract researchers.
Site: Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Laboratories: Toxic Fumes Laboratory (Underground)