Emerging Ergonomics Issues and Opportunities in Mining

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 15; no. 11; p. 2449
• Main Authors: Dempsey, Patrick G, Kocher, Lydia M, Nasarwanji, Mahiyar F, Pollard, Jonisha P, Whitson, Ashley E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 03-11-2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Algorithms; Ergonomics; Global positioning systems; GPS; Human performance; Laboratories; Medical personnel; Miners; Mines; Mining; Mining equipment; Mining industry; Mining machinery; New technology; Occupational safety; Physiology; Process controls; Review; Safety; Sensors; Textiles; Work stations; Workers; mining; occupational safety and health; ergonomics; human factors
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15112449

Ergonomics is the scientific discipline that investigates the interactions between humans and systems to optimize both human and system performance for worker safety, health, and productivity. Ergonomics is frequently involved either in the design of emerging technologies or in strategies to alleviate unanticipated human performance problems with emerging technologies. This manuscript explores several such emerging issues and opportunities in the context of the mining sector. In mining, the equipment, tools, and procedures have changed considerably and continue to change. Body-worn technology provides a number of opportunities to advance the safety and health of miners, while teleoperation and autonomous mining equipment stand to benefit significantly from ergonomics applications in other sectors. This manuscript focuses on those issues and opportunities that can impact the safety and health of miners in the near term.