Technology

SAFER HEALTHIER PEOPLE News

No. 506 Milestones in Mining Safety and Health Technology August 2004 

ENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES . U

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
 

The Sky Is Falling! 

NIOSH Releases Safety Video for Surface Mining Operations 

Objective 

To develop a safety training module for surface miners and road 

construction workers exposed to the hazards of highwalls. 

Background 

Investigators collaborated to develop a new training module that 

would address the hazards of working around highwalls. Such a 

module would be applicable to surface mines and road construction 

sites, both of which require personnel to work under and on top of steep 

and often unstable slopes. 

Approach 

Digital video was selected as the most versatile format for a 

training tool that would be useful in a variety of surface operations. 

The digital format allows production of either videos or DVD's, depending on the needs of end-users. Theoretical models of adult learning and educational narrative were incorporated to provide the message. To make the video applicable at a wide range of sites, footage 

was shot at four different locations: a large strip mine, a large pit 

mine and a medium-sized pit mine, and an aggregate mine. Safety 

and operations experts from various mines provided information on 

what common hazards should be included, as well as what regulatory 

requirements should be addressed. Accident statistics enabled researchers to focus on not only the most common types of injuries, but 

also just what activity a victim was engaged in at the time of the 

injury. This information formed the basis for the storyboard. 

The culture of surface miners forms the framework for the story, 

which follows “investigative news reporter” Gerald Rivers as he 

bungles his way through a week-long exposé of mining. Mr. Rivers 

proposes a series of far-fetched theories as to why the sky is falling 

in scattered areas around the country. His desire for recognition and 

fame take precedence over finding out "the truth," but throughout the 

week, a series of experts from the mine sites instruct him as to what 

is really going on (that is, about mines and mine safety). The weeklong news-story format allows the video to be broken into five 

segments, enabling a trainer to show the video in sections and add 

information to augment the lessons provided. Specific lessons 

include—

• Blasting safety, personal protective equipment. 

• Anatomy of a highwall, common equipment on surface sites. 

• Common signs of hazardous conditions, weather, berms. 

• Personal responsibility for safety. 

• Old workings, undercuts. 

Figure 1.–Mining operations under a highwall. 
Figure 2.–Investigative reporter 

Gerald Rivers. 

Figure 3.–On location. 

For More Information 

Additional information can be obtained by contacting Elaine 

Cullen (509) 354-8057, e-mail ecullen@cdc.gov Spokane Research 

Laboratory, E. 315 Montgomery, Spokane, WA 99207. 

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.