No. 495 March 2002

NIOSH Releases New Educational Video: 

Recovery of Farmington No. 9 – An Interview With Danny Kuhn

Objective

The main purpose of this video is to teach mine rescue personnel

certain aspects of rescue work that are not traditionally taught. These

include the strain caused by working continually under adverse

conditions; the "survivor guilt" that occurs from being spared the fate

of one's deceased cohorts; and the posttraumatic stress that may be

experienced during the sometimes lengthy task of recovering the

victims' bodies.

Background

On November 20, 1968, an explosion rocked the Farmington

No. 9 Mine in northern West Virginia (figure 1). The explosion

killed 78 of 99 miners who were working in the mine, including all

but one member of the mine's rescue team. Some 30 years after the

event, researchers from the NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory

(PRL) conducted a video interview with Danny Kuhn (figure 2), the

only Farmington No. 9 mine rescue team member who was not

working that day and who did not die in the explosion.

According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration

(MSHA), there are about 80 underground coal mine rescue teams in

the United States, and according to the National Mining Association,

there are more than 850 underground coal mines. This represents a

significant decrease in both over the past decade. The low number

of rescue teams is a concern because serious incidents, though fewer,

still happen, and if a disaster occurs, there will be fewer rescue teams

to respond. This would result in an increased need to use available

human resources very efficiently.

Much training to prepare these rescue teams still takes the form

of what educators call "teaching to the test." In other words, teams

practice in order to win mine rescue contests. This test-oriented

approach has traditionally been augmented by interactions with

others who have responded to real situations or by participating in

actual incidents. Given few incidents and fewer rescue teams from

whom to derive enrichment, the preparation of coal mine rescue

personnel becomes a problem. Recently, more emphasis has been

placed on active learning, such as working out problems in smoke.

These sessions more nearly simulate the actual conditions that

today's team members might rarely encounter. To properly prepare

and retain the current coal mine rescue personnel who are left in the

workforce, it is necessary not only to offer such hands-on experience,

but also to replace the learning narratives that once were passed from

team to team. The present video is intended to contribute in that

capacity.

Approach

NIOSH researchers first learned of Mr. Kuhn in the fall of

1998. Mr. Kuhn was contacted and agreed to an interview. An oral

history interview was conducted with Mr. Kuhn in early November

1998. After reviewing the videotape of the interview, researchers

determined the content to be so rich as to warrant a second interview

in a more formal setting.

The second interview was done in early December 1998. During

this interview, Mr. Kuhn spent about 2 hours describing the

Farmington disaster, including the workplace climate leading up to

the explosion, the events that took place in the 10 days after the

explosion, and the nearly 10-year effort to safely and successfully

recover most of the victims' bodies.

The videotape of the second oral history interview with Danny

Kuhn was reviewed and edited by NIOSH researchers for content.

Careful attention was used to ensure that valuable information was

presented, but within a reasonable timeframe. A detailed map of the

Farmington No. 9 Mine was edited into the final video and used to

highlight critical features as they were being described by Mr. Kuhn.

Results and Accomplishments

A 60-minute videotape and instructor's guide for use in safety

training or other settings was completed. The target audience

consists of all those who work in underground coal mines. This

training video will help safety instructors better prepare mine rescue

team members for the situations that they will encounter when

engaging in extended rescue and recovery work. As a result of this

expectations training, team members will be more likely to serve

their

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
 Figure 1.—Smoke pouring from the Lewellen shaft during the

Farmington Mine disaster.

 Figure 2.—Danny Kuhn (right) discusses the recovery of the

Farmington Mine with Charles Vaught, a sociologist with NIOSH.

team effectively at critical junctures. It will also provide a powerful

reminder to rank-and-file miners that it is critical to make safety an

everyday practice.

For More Information

To obtain this videotape, contact: MSHA, National Mine

Health and Safety Academy, Department of Instructional Materials,

1301 Airport Rd., Beaver, WV 25813-9426; phone: (304) 256-3257;

fax: (304) 256-3368; e-mail: mlord@msha.gov

For additional information, contact Michael J. Brnich, Jr.,

CMSP, or Charles Vaught, Ph.D., CMSP, NIOSH Pittsburgh

Research Laboratory, Cochrans Mill Rd., P.O. Box 18070,

Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0070; phone: (412) 386-6840 or (412) 386-

6830; e-mail: MBrnich@cdc.gov or CVaught@cdc.gov

To receive additional information about occupational safety

and health problems, call 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674),

or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh

Mention of any company name or product does not constitute

endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety

and Health.