SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT MATERIALS-HANDLING INJURIES INUNDERGROUND COAL MINES

摘要

Of the 28 accident/injury classifications listed by theMine Safety and Health Administration, handling materials issecond only to roof falls in terms of generating the highestnumber of reportable accidents in active underground coalmines. Two materials-handling activities that cause numerousinjuries each year are the categories of ?handling supplies ormaterial, load and unload? and ?moving power cables.?Mechanization and mine worker activity training are twomethods that can aid in preventing these injuries.This paper describes three mechanical methods?themobile manipulator, the in-mine hoist, and a cable-handlingsystem?being developed and tested at the Spokane ResearchLaboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safetyand Health. Two of the devices are specifically designed forloading, unloading, and moving supplies and materials, andthe third device is for handling trailing cables in the confinedspaces of coal mines. Also described are safety solutionsdeveloped for underground coal mines geared to showingminers safe and unsafe ways of performing various materialshandlingtasks.