Technology News

No. 471 May 1998

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

 Figure 1.—Materials for the NIOSH-developed Hazard Recognition Training Program for

Underground Limestone include four 3-D slide reels, an instructor’s guide, and a slide viewer. (Photo

by John J. Haggerty, NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory.)

Innovative Hazard Recognition Training

for Underground Limestone Miners

Objective

To develop and test a training program that enhances the hazard

recognition skills of underground limestone miners. This program

can help job performance and lead to enhanced safety in the

underground workplace.

Background

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH), Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, has developed the

Hazard Recognition Training Program for Underground Limestone

(figure 1) to teach miners to recognize visual cues that distinguish

poor ground conditions. This prototype training module is believed

to be the first of its kind for this segment of the U.S. mining industry.

The impetus behind this effort was to test the hypothesis that

worker safety, in all segments of the mining industry, can be

improved if individual hazard recognition skills are enhanced. Earlier

studies have shown that the ability of coal miners to recognize

hazards in their work environment was significantly improved

through the "degraded" method of training.

The degraded-image concept was originally developed and used

for military target detection training. Military research has shown
that pilots who were trained with less than ideal, or degraded, training module were measured in field tests. It was concluded that

pictures were more successful in subsequent identification of targets the assessment instrument exhibits reasonably high levels of validity

than those trained using ideal (or "highlighted") pictures of targets. and reliability. The subjects also indicated a high degree of

Degraded images are scenes in which the subjects are partially hidden satisfaction with the training program.

from view, observed from an eccentric angle, viewed through haze or

dust, inadequately illuminated, or otherwise obstructed so as to

camouflage the target. This new training program combines the

degraded method with three-dimensional (3-D) slides.

Approach

The program consists of four 3-D slide reels (each reel contains

seven 3-D slides for a total of 28 scenes), a set of instructor's notes,

attachments for making overhead transparencies, a true/false review

exercise, and trainee handouts of the specific information covered.

In the primary instructional segment of the module, the 3-D slides and

instructor's notes are coordinated into an interactive exercise in which

common roof, rib, and floor hazards are depicted in the slides and the

visual cues associated with these hazards are discussed. The

instructor and class "travel" through an underground limestone mine

as they view 3-D slides of roof and rib conditions. The instructor

leads participants in discussions as they consider the key points

depicted in each slide. The slide reels depict examples of the

following ground control concepts: loose rock in the roadway,

reduced visibility, scaling tracks, pillar integrity, slips/fractures in the

roof/rib, different vantage points, sand channels/clay veins, and basic

physics of roof falls. The instructor's notes contain directions for

using the materials and a bounty of subject information on the content

of the slides. The time required to complete the exercise is about

1 hr. Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.cdc.

Results

The face validity, content validity, and split reliability of the

instrument used to assess trainees' understanding of concepts in the

For More Information

The Hazard Recognition Training Program for Underground

Limestone can be purchased from the Mine Safety and Health

Administration, National Mine Health and Safety Academy,

Attention: Office of Academy Services, P.O. Box 1166, Beckley, WV

25802-1166 (phone: (304) 256-3257, fax: (304) 256-3368). The

cost is $4.00 for each 3-D slide set (you'll need one set per student)

and $1.00 for the instructor's guide. You'll also need a slide viewer

for each student, which can be purchased inexpensively at most toy

stores. Because all materials are reusable, these are one-time

expenses.

For more information on this innovative training module, contact

Kathleen M. Kowalski, Ph.D., NIOSH Pittsburgh Research

Laboratory, Cochrans Mill Rd., P.O. Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA

15236-0070, phone: (412) 892-4021, fax: (412) 892-6678, e-mail:

kek2@cdc.gov

To receive additional information about mining issues or

other occupational safety and health problems, call 1-800-

35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674), or visit the NIOSH

gov/niosh 

Mention of any company name or product does not constitute

endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety

and Health.