NIOSH Mining Safety and Health Research

During the past decade, approximately 50% of all fatalities in underground mines have been due to ground falls. The Ground Control Program conducts research to reducing the number of these ground fall fatalities. Although ground control research has been conducted in the U.S. for more than a century, many fundamental issues and safety problems still remain. Moreover, new mining technology aimed at increasing production is constantly creating new ground control problems. Our Program works to reduce ground fall hazards by:

• Assessing Mine Safety and Health Administration statistics and interacting extensively with the mining community to identify the most critical hazards
   
• Employing state-of-the-art strata control science in a targeted program of research that develops practical solutions
   
• Aggressively transferring research results to end users in the mining community
   
• Serving as the mining community's resource for the best strata control information available, and providing training and technical assistance consistent with this mission