SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

FOR SURFACE MINE WORKERS

ERGONOMICS IMPROVEMENTS

AT SURFACE MINES Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health
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Suggested Citation 

NIOSH [2018]. Simple Solutions for Surface Mine Workers. By Pollard JP, Dempsey PG, Nasarwanji MF, and

Porter WL. Pittsburgh PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2018-117. 

https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2018117

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2018117

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2018-117 

March 2018 
Contents

Foreword ................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors...................................................................................................................... 2

Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards......................................................................................................................................... 3

Greasing..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Palletizing .................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Bag Weighing............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Discarding Items that Fail Inspection ........................................................................................................................ 7

Shrink Wrapping Pallets ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Bulk Bag Closing and Sealing ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Area Guarding.......................................................................................................................................................... 10

Equipment Access.................................................................................................................................................... 11

Transporting Tools or Supplies on Ladders............................................................................................................. 12

Transporting Supplies into and out of Mobile Equipment...................................................................................... 13

Reducing the Height of the First Step on Mobile Equipment.................................................................................. 14

Equipment Refueling ............................................................................................................................................... 15

Scaffolding ............................................................................................................................................................... 16

Working around Floor Openings............................................................................................................................. 17

Shared Landings....................................................................................................................................................... 18

Maintaining Clear Walkways................................................................................................................................... 19

Visibility of Stair Edges ............................................................................................................................................ 20

Additional Resources............................................................................................................................................... 21
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Foreword

This booklet, Simple Solutions for Surface Mine Workers, is designed to provide examples of the types of 

solutions and task design ideas that you can use to reduce exposure to risk factors for musculoskeletal 

disorders and slips, trips, and falls. Although the ideas in this booklet are not an exhaustive list, they can be 

used as a foundation for developing similar types of solutions. 

One of the largest categories of injuries in mining is musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and a significant 

contributor to these MSDs and other mining injuries are slips, trips, and falls (STFs). MSDs and STFs can be 

prevented by identifying risk factors and reducing exposure to these risk factors through ergonomics. 

Ergonomics is the science of designing tools, tasks, equipment, and the work environment so that job 

demands do not exceed the capabilities or limitations of the majority of the workforce (preferably, at least 

95%). Properly designed work tasks can lead to safer and more efficient performance of your workers. This 

is especially true in mining, which is characterized by physically demanding work carried out in a range of 

dynamic environments. 

Most mines (and maybe your own mine) may not have dedicated personnel for addressing ergonomic issues. 

However, this should not prevent you from making ergonomics improvements. The National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed a range of tools to assist you with addressing 

ergonomics needs at your mining operations, including training to teach workers how to recognize and 

report risk factors for MSDs, guidelines for implementing an ergonomics process, and ergonomics audits for 

several types of operations. Many of these tools can be implemented by observing work habits and taking 

fairly simple measurements. Once deficiencies are noted, you can help workers to redesign the tasks to 

eliminate or reduce the hazards. 
Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors

A musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk factor is an action or condition that has been found to contribute to 

discomfort or injury. There are four fundamental risk factors. 

 Forceful Work is any task or activity where the body must exert high levels of effort.

- Lifting or carrying heavy objects

- Forcefully pulling, pushing, or prying

- Forceful gripping

 Poor Posture is when we assume any position other than neutral posture, which makes us less capable

of generating force and may cause pinching of nerves.

- Trunk bent over more than 20 ̊ degrees

- Twisting the trunk or head

- Working with elbows above shoulders

- Extended reaches in front of or behind the body

- Kneeling or squatting

- Static posture—even good posture is harmful when sustained for a prolonged period

 Repetitive Work is when we repeatedly use the same muscles and tissues to perform a task or activity,

irritating our tendons, increasing pressure on the nerves, and keeping our body from healing properly.

- Pinching bags to seal them

- Manually tightening bolts

- Using mobile equipment controls such as joysticks

- Using manual grease guns

 Vibration Exposure comes in two forms: hand-arm and whole-body. Vibration exposure can decrease

blood flow, damage nerves, contribute to muscle fatigue, and cause low back pain.

- Driving a haul truck or other mobile equipment on uneven terrain

- Operating a crusher

- Using a jackhammer

Note: Multiple musculoskeletal disorder risk factors may occur simultaneously. When more than one 

risk factor is present, there is an increased risk for injury. 

2
Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards

Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) are the second leading cause of injury at surface mines. Below are some common 

causes. 

 Inadequate Ingress and Egress Systems create hazards by not accounting for human capabilities. 

These systems may contain high or inconsistent step heights, lack handrails, or contain uneven 

thresholds. 

 Unstable Working Surfaces can initiate falls due to the unexpected movement of the surface. 

Unexpected movement is a common cause of falls when working on ladders. 

 Inadequate Barriers may fail to protect workers from falling or fail to prevent inadvertent access 

to areas not suitable for bearing weight (such as skylights).

 Not Using Personal Fall Protection Systems creates a risk of falling that can lead to serious 

injuries. Improper harnesses or inadequate tie-off locations further increase the risk for serious 

falls. 

 Not Maintaining Three Points of Contact may lead to a fall due to a worker’s inability to catch 

himself or herself at the initiation of a fall. Carrying an item in your hand while climbing ladders, 

stairs, or inclined walkways makes it difficult or impossible to maintain three points of contact. 

 Contaminants on Walking Surfaces increase the risk of an STF. Some contaminants can be 

especially dangerous when wet and can increase the likelihood of a slip. 

 Poor Visibility of Walking Surface reduces a worker’s ability to detect and avoid hazardous 

conditions that may exist on the walking surface. Recognizing the hazard is the first step to 

eliminating, avoiding, or being careful around it. 

3
Greasing

Greasing is a routine task at many mine sites. Workers can spend an entire shift walking to different 

locations throughout the mine to grease belts, motors, and other pieces of equipment. The location of the 

greasing fittings can make access difficult or require awkward postures. 

Risk Factors: poor posture, repetitive work 

Problem: Without an access line, the worker 

has to bend to access the grease fitting and for 

the remaining time spent greasing. 

Solution: Add an access line so the worker 

can stand upright while greasing. 

Additional Improvements: Supply workers with powered grease guns to reduce the repetitive 

squeezing motion required for manual grease guns. Care should be taken to ensure the weight of 

a powered gun does not create an additional hazard. Sealed bearings that do not require manual 

greasing may also be appropriate. 





4
5

Palletizing

Palletizing is common at many mining facilities where the product is bagged for final use. Often, the 

workers palletize bags manually by stacking bags in a desired pattern. The act of lifting and lowering bags 

frequently can cause fatigue and lead to injury. Injury risks are increased only when the locations of the 

pallets are not ideal or the weight of the bags is excessive. 

Risk Factors: poor posture, repetitive work, forceful work 

Problem: When starting a pallet, it is common to work on a low 

surface. 

Solution: Provide a self-adjusting lift table to improve access and 

safety by ensuring workers are working near elbow height. When 

possible, use a rotating lift table to reduce reaching to access the 

differing areas on the pallet. 

Alternative Solution: If a rotating lift table is too expensive, raise 

the height of the lower pallet by creating a stack of supporting 

pallets. Then, palletize the bags mid-height before removing the 

pallet from the stack and continue to palletize the already stacked 

pallet on the floor. 

Additional Improvements: Provide a vacuum hoist to support the weight of the bags, 

significantly reducing physical effort associated with manually handling the bags. 






6

Bag Weighing

Many mining sites bag product manually which is weighed for quality control purposes. Typically, this 

involves a worker placing a bag onto a scale, and based on weight, adding or removing product. At some 

sites, every bag is weighed. 

Risk Factors: poor posture, repetitive work, forceful work (pinch grip) 

Problem: Manually weighing a bag when the scale is on the 

floor requires bending of the torso while supporting weight. 

Solution: Locate the bottom of the scale such that the worker’s 

hands are near waist height when weighing the bag. This scale 

should be in-line with the bag filling location to eliminate the 

need to carry the bag to the scale. 

Additional Improvements: Bag weighing is a quality control concern. Ensure quality 

improvements so that routine bag weighing is not needed. Additionally, encourage workers to 

hold bags using a power grip, not a pinch grip, to reduce forceful gripping. 




7

Discarding Items that Fail Inspection 

Small bags and other heavy items that fail inspection (due to weight discrepancies or damage) need to be 

discarded or reprocessed to meet quality standards. These items are often placed into large waste bins or 

dumpsters to await further processing. The height, location, and design of these bins can threaten 

musculoskeletal health. 

Risk Factors: forceful work, poor posture 

Problem: When scrap materials need to be moved from 

conveyers to dumpsters with a high lip, the material may 

need to be lifted at or above shoulder height and lead to 

musculoskeletal injuries. 

Solution: Provide a redesigned dumpster with a 

lowered front edge to facilitate lifting in the power zone 

between the waist and shoulder. This reduces the stress 

associated with working at or above shoulder height. 

Additional Improvements: Eliminate lifting by having scrap materials and items that fail 

inspection feed directly into the dumpster.




8

Shrink Wrapping Pallets

At many mining sites, dry product packaged in bags must be shrink wrapped to keep the moisture out. Once 

the wrap is applied to the pallet, the worker then walks around with a torch and propane tank to shrink the 

wrapping and ensure tightness. 

Risk Factors: forceful work (lifting) 

Problem: A worker may walk around the pallet while 

holding a heavy propane tank and use a torch to shrink 

wrap the pallet. 

Solution: Supply a wheeled cart for the propane tank. 

This allows the worker to pull the cart instead of 

manually carrying the tank, which may weigh over 20 lbs. 

Additional Improvements: Mount gas lines overhead. This allows workers to only support the 

torch, eliminating the need to carry around a tank. Heat guns may also be provided instead of 

torches as they do not require a worker to transport a tank. 




9

Bulk Bag Closing and Sealing

Nearly all flexible intermediate bulk containers (bulk bags) must be closed, sealed, or both to prevent 

material from escaping and contaminants from entering the bulk bags. If a particular worker’s task is to 

fill and seal bags only, closing and sealing bags can lead to repetitive strain injuries. 

Risk Factors: repetitive work, forceful work, poor posture 

Problem: Using the “snaking method” to close bulk 

bags, where the bag is twisted and then folded over, can 

require more physical effort than other methods. Using 

strings, B-locks, cable ties (tie wrap) or wire ties can also 

require additional physical effort to seal bulk bags, even 

when applied with pull-twist tools and manual cable tie 

guns. 

Solution: Encourage workers to use the “flowering 

method” to close bulk bags, where the bag material is 

just gathered at the top and the worker uses a pneumatic 

cable tie gun with cable ties to seal the bulk bag. This 

method lowers injury risk when closing and sealing bulk 

bags.

Additional Improvements: Attach the pneumatic cable tie gun to a tool balancer. 




10

Area Guarding

Area guarding is frequently used to prevent inadvertent contact with dangerous equipment. Guards are 

often large and heavy and require high force to lift and move. In addition, owing to their size and a lack of 

handles, area and machine guarding may require awkward postures to lift and move them. 

Risk Factors: poor posture, forceful work 

Problem: Area guards are typically large, wide, and 

difficult for one worker to handle manually. 

Solution: Design area guards so they are easily handled 

by a single worker. Guards may be mounted on door 

hinges that allow them to open easily when access is 

needed. 

Additional Improvements: Add handles to guards to improve coupling and prevent exposure 

to pinch points. 




11

Equipment Access

Equipment access for maintenance and repair is a common issue at mines. Many large pieces of 

equipment are guarded to prevent unintentional contact with machinery. However, when access is 

needed, guarding is either removed or defeated to provide access. Designing equipment for 

maintainability can protect workers from unintentional contact and allow them proper access when 

needed. 

Risk Factors: poor posture, inadequate ingress and egress system 

Problem: At some mine locations, workers may be 

forced to climb over handrails and guards when 

access is needed to perform routine or emergency 

maintenance activities. 

Solution: Improve equipment access by replacing 

sections of guarding with secured gates. This 

prevents workers from unintentional contact with 

equipment while allowing them access when 

needed. 

Additional Improvements: Paint all access areas a unique, uniform color allowing workers to 

easily identify them. Provide signage clearly identifying access areas to encourage workers to 

use these areas instead of climbing over existing guards. 




12

Transporting Tools or Supplies on Ladders

Many maintenance workers are assigned their own tools that must be transported to their work areas. 

Unfortunately, many mining plants are prone to very narrow access areas and tool belts can become caught 

and stuck in these spaces, forcing miners to carry tool bags or buckets. Not only can tool bags be heavy and 

cumbersome, but they also prevent three points of contact when walking on inclined surfaces, stairs, or 

ladders. Not maintaining three points of contact when ascending or descending ladders increases fall risk. 

Risk Factors: not maintaining three points of contact, forceful work 

Problem: A worker climbing a ladder while 

transporting tools in a bucket or bag is not capable of 

maintaining three points of contact. This is common 

among mobile equipment operators who may transport 

supplies or even lunch boxes onto their mobile 

equipment while climbing access ladders. 

Solution: Supply workers with a backpack to hold lightweight tools while climbing a ladder to ensure safe 

transport of tools while maintaining three points of 

contact. If the tools or supplies are heavy, they should 

not be carried (even in a backpack) up or down a ladder. 

Additional Improvements: Store frequently used tools at multiple locations and on all levels 

so that workers won’t need to transport several tools around the facility to complete assigned 

tasks. 




13

Transporting Supplies into and out of 

Mobile Equipment

Mobile equipment operators often need to transport supplies with them when getting on or off of 

equipment. These operators carry work items such as cleaning supplies or personal items such as a lunch 

box. 

Risk Factors: not maintaining three points of contact, forceful work 

Problem: A driver climbing a ladder or stairway when 

boarding mobile machinery and carrying a lunch box is 

not able to safely maintain three points of contact. 

Solution: Supply drivers with a backpack to transport 

their personal items safely while maintaining three points 

of contact. 

Additional Improvements: In some cases, operators need to transport work supplies in 

addition to their personal items into the cab. When possible, store tools and supplies required 

for routine maintenance/cleaning in the cab or on the mobile equipment’s platform. 




14

Reducing the Height of the First Step on 

Mobile Equipment

The first step of a ladder on heavy mobile equipment may be awkwardly higher than is comfortable for a 

worker to get on and off safely. 

Risk Factors: inadequate ingress and egress system 

Problem: When parking heavy mobile equipment on a 

level surface, the distance from the ground to the first step 

of the access ladder may be large. This makes ingress 

more strenuous and can increase injury risks when 

stepping off of the equipment. 

Solution: Create a parking ditch in a designated parking 

area. Resting the front wheels in the ditch lowers the 

height of the front of the equipment, and thereby 

decreases the height of the first step. This serves also to 

further immobilize the equipment. 

Additional Improvements: Design a parking area with an access platform and stairs that 

allow mine workers to access the equipment at cab level.




15

Equipment Refueling

Fueling mobile equipment often requires working above shoulder height. This is a poor posture that can 

increase the stress at the shoulders and back. 

Risk Factors: poor posture

Problem: Mobile equipment fueling stations commonly 

have nozzles and fueling points located at or above 

shoulder height. Similarly, the gas tank cap may also be 

located above shoulder height. Reaching above shoulder 

height can increase the risk of injury to the arms and 

shoulders. 

Solution: Add portable or permanent access platforms or 

step stools to areas where fueling or lubricating occurs. 

This encourages workers to use them while fueling or 

lubricating mobile equipment, such as haul trucks, at the 

ideal working height near waist level. 

Additional Improvements: Install hose reels to prevent fuel lines and hoses from becoming 

tripping hazards or requiring forceful work to move and carry. 




16

Scaffolding 

Maintenance tasks frequently require multiple workers to ensure safety. When working on elevated 

objects, workers may choose to use multiple ladders. 

Risk Factors: unstable working surface 

Problem: Two workers using ladders near each other is 

a safety concern. If either loses balance or control, it may

result in a fall for one or both workers. 

Solution: Supply scaffolding when multiple people are 

working on elevated objects. Care must be taken to 

ensure that workers are not situated above the highest 

level of the scaffold and that the platform is guarded on 

all sides. If scaffolding is designed and used 

appropriately, it can also eliminate the need to use 

personal fall protection. 

Additional Improvements: Provide scaffolding materials in multiple locations and on all levels 

within facilities to decrease material handling. 




17

Working around Floor Openings

Floor openings are often used to move material, supplies, and equipment from one level to another and can 

be created when parts of the floor are removed for replacement. Working around openings in the floor can 

pose a significant fall hazard. 

Risk Factors: inadequate barriers, not using personal fall protection systems 

Problem: Individuals can fall through a floor 

opening that lacks appropriate barriers or if they are 

not using a personal fall arrest system. 

Solution: Encourage workers to use a personal fall 

arrest system when working near the opening of any 

unguarded area. Having only one side of an opening 

accessible with a safety gate and providing barriers 

on all other sides can further prevent falls through 

the opening. 

Additional Improvements: Guard, clearly mark, and identify floor openings or other nonweight bearing locations (such as skylights) when permanent barriers are not in place due to 

active work. 




18

Shared Landings

In many mining facilities, fixed ladders and stairways are commonplace. In some locations, a fixed ladder 

may share a landing with a stairway. In these areas, the risk of falling may increase due to the proximity of 

the ladder landing and the entrance to the stairway. 

Risk Factors: inadequate barriers 

Problem: Shared landings create unique hazards at 

facilities because a fall from a ladder can also cause a fall 

down the stairs. 

Solution: Ensure the tops of stairways and ladders are 

offset and equipped with self-closing gates that open 

inward to reduce the potential for workers to fall. 

Additional Improvements: Block and guard stairs, gates, and doors to prevent inadvertent 

contact with the ladder when using temporary ladders close to stairs. 




19

Maintaining Clear Walkways 

When using a mechanical system such as a conveyor or belt to transfer materials, there is a potential for 

some spillage, resulting in contamination of neighboring walkways with debris or loose product. Spillage 

of material into designated walking areas poses a significant risk for a slip, trip, or fall accident. 

Risk Factors: contaminants on walking surface, poor visibility of walking surface 

Problem: Spillage from conveyers and belts can 

encroach onto neighboring walkways or paths of travel 

and lead to a slip or fall. When wet, some materials can be 

especially dangerous in that these materials may increase 

the likelihood of slips. 

Solution: Add a barrier adjacent to the walkways to 

prevent spillage from entering walkways and causing 

slips. For example, a toe plate added along a conveyor and 

adjacent to the walkway could stop conveyor spillage 

from entering the walkway. If the toe plate is brightly 

colored and clearly marked, it helps prevent tripping 

when working close to or under the conveyor. 

Additional Improvements: Fix spillage at the source to prevent it from collecting on the walking 

surface. 




20

Visibility of Stair Edges

When the edges of stairs (nosing) are not clearly discernible, workers can misstep, trip, or fall. This is 

especially true when descending stairs, and in conditions when ambient lighting is not ideal. 

Risk Factors: poor visibility of walking surface 

Problem: When the edge of the stairs (nosing) is not 

clearly visible, it can lead to trips, missteps, and falls. 

Solution: Clearly mark and highlight the edge of the 

stairs (nosing) using caution yellow or other highcontrast paint to increase the visibility of the nosing. 

Additional Improvements: Increase ambient lighting to ensure visibility of all walking surfaces. 

Additionally, install a high-contrast non-skid/non-slip plate or use abrasive paint to highlight the 

nosing on stairs while increasing traction. 




21

Additional Resources

Reducing exposures to musculoskeletal disorder risk factors can be simple! The NIOSH Mining Program has a 

number of resources available to further aid you in identifying and reducing ergonomic risk factors at your 

mine sites. 

Ergonomics and Risk Factor Awareness Training for Miners was developed to help 

reduce injuries and illnesses resulting from exposures to risk factors. The training is 

designed specifically for the mining industry and should increase awareness of risk factors 

and encourage miners to take action to report and reduce their exposures to risk factors. 

Download: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/works/coversheet582.html

Ergonomics Processes: Implementation Guide and Tools for the Mining Industry was 

developed to help mining companies establish ergonomics processes at their sites. 

Download: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/works/coversheet597.html

ErgoMine is an ergonomics audit tool designed specifically for mining. It includes audits 

for bagging, haul truck, and maintenance and repair operations at surface mining and 

processing facilities. Based on your responses to the audit questions, ErgoMine provides 

recommendations when there is an opportunity for ergonomics improvement. 

ErgoMine can be downloaded for free on Android devices from the Google Play Store. 

Download: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/works/coversheet1906.html

Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazard Identification, Investigation, and Remediation at Surface 

Mining Facilities is a NIOSH project to reduce slips, trip, and falls at surface mining 

facilities. 

Visit: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/researchprogram/projects/HazardIdentification.html

NIOSH Ladder Safety App is a mobile application designed to improve extension and step 

ladder safety. 

Visit: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/falls/mobileapp.html
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To receive NIOSH documents or more information about 

occupational safety and health topics, please contact NIOSH:

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348

CDC INFO: www.cdc.gov/info 

or visit the NIOSH website at www.cdc.gov/niosh 

For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to 

NIOSH eNews by visiting www.cdc.gov/niosh/eNews.

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2018–117