In order to prevent roof fall accidents and injuries, U.S.underground coal mine operators must develop and implementeffective roof control strategies. Various tools are available to assistengineers in developing designs. For example, criteria to addressglobal stability issues (e.g., pillar stability) are well establishedin the U.S.; effective tools (e.g., empirical and numerical) areavailable to diagnose potential problems and avoid catastrophicfailures. However, most miner injuries occur as a result of localinstability (e.g., a roof fall in a single heading or a rib roll from apillar corner). Hazard recognition and the availability of supportplans suitable to those conditions are key to maintaining stabilityand safety on the working section.
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