observation, NIOSH developed the

Hazard Recognition Challenge (see Figure 1)

to bring the experience of the VISLab to a

larger audience.

Creating a Realistic Virtual

Environment

NIOSH researchers developed a virtual work

environment to study hazard recognition. To do 

this, they created 32 panoramic images of a surface 

limestone mine which were projected onto

10-foot screens in the 360° theater within the

VISLab. Because a goal of this research was to give 

participants a realistic and immersive experience, 

several steps were taken to create images that were 

true to life and represented hazards found at a real 

surface limestone mine.

Background 

Workplace examinations are not only required 

by federal regulations [Examination of working 

places, 2017], but are an essential practice used 

to keep mineworkers safe. Each day, mineworkers 

conduct routine workplace examinations at their 

worksites with the goal of finding hazards and 

mitigating them before they cause injury or death. 

To help the industry prepare its workers to perform 

more effective workplace examinations, NIOSH is 

conducting studies to better understand how and 

why mineworkers recognize workplace hazards.

In one study conducted at NIOSH’s Virtual Immersion 

and Simulation Laboratory (VISLab), researchers 

created a search task within a virtual work

environment to study how workers with varying years of 

work experience identify hazards. Participants,

who included safety professionals, mineworkers, and 

student volunteers, were instructed to search the

environment for hazards as if they were performing a 

real workplace examination. During the search task, 

safety professionals identified 61% of all hazards, which 

was more than the other three participant groups, but 

suggests there is room to improve hazard recognition 

skills for all levels of experience [Eiter et al. 2017].

After completing the search task, all participants in the 

laboratory study sat down with the researchers to talk 

about the hazards they identified and those they missed. 

The purpose of this discussion was to identify factors that 

affect hazard recognition. Many participants reported 

that performing the search task and receiving feedback 

improved their knowledge of mine site hazards. From this 

Summary

The Hazard Recognition Challenge—a 

web application developed by the National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health (NIOSH)—gives mineworkers the 

opportunity to test their knowledge of 

hazards in a virtual work environment. 

This challenge provides mineworkers a 

unique opportunity to practice workplace 

examinations in a safe location by 

using a personal computer or handheld 

device. After completing the challenge, 

mineworkers receive feedback on their 

performance along with supplemental 

information that can be used to increase 

knowledge of worksite hazards.

By Jonathan Hrica, MS,

 and Brianna Eiter, PhD

No. 561 November 2017 

Milestones in Mining Safety and Health Technology

NIOSH MINING PROGRAM

Technology News

Figure 1: A user virtually searching for worksite hazards via the Hazard Recognition Challenge.

Hazard Recognition Challenge Invites Mineworkers to Test Their 

Knowledge of Workplace Hazards

Photo by NIOSH
For More Information

For more information on the Hazard Recognition Challenge, contact Jonathan Hrica, (412-386-5237, JHrica@cdc.gov), Brianna Eiter

(412-386-4954, BEiter@cdc.gov), or the NIOSH Mining Program (mining@cdc.gov).

To receive NIOSH documents or for more information about occupational safety and health topics, contact:

After completing the challenge, users can use the supplemental information to 

learn more about each hazard. If the challenge is done in a group setting, this 

supplemental information can be used to start a discussion about a specific hazard 

or a type of hazard. For example, reviewing hazard results in a group setting may 

prompt discussion among workers about similar hazards found at their own mine 

site, and reveal ways that workers can better protect themselves.

How to Access the Hazard Recognition Challenge

The Hazard Recognition Challenge is accessible on the NIOSH Mining website at: 

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/niosh-mining/HazRec/.

References

Eiter BM, Bellanca JL, Helfrich W, Orr TJ, Hrica J, Macdonald B, Navoyski J [2017]. 

Recognizing mine site hazards: Identifying differences in hazard recognition

ability for experienced and new mineworkers. In: Cassenti D (ed.), Advances in 

human factors in simulation and modeling, AHFE 2017. v 591. Springer.

Examination of working places, 30 CFR 56/57.18002 (2017).

First, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) fatal reports and nonfatal 

days lost data were studied to identify examples of the different types of hazards 

mineworkers are exposed to during their workday. Next, subject matter experts 

(SMEs) with extensive experience in surface mining were consulted to determine 

the mine site locations where panoramic pictures should be taken and what 

hazards should be included at these locations. NIOSH researchers then created 

storyboards—visual and verbal representations used to plan pictures ahead of 

time—to anticipate which hazards could occur at specific locations. To ensure 

realism, efforts were made to stage the majority of hazards; those that were 

impossible or unsafe to stage were created through photo editing. Finally, SMEs 

reviewed the panoramic pictures and confirmed that they accurately represented 

hazards that could happen at a surface limestone mine.

About the Hazard Recognition Challenge

The Hazard Recognition Challenge is a web application viewable on a personal 

computer or handheld device. The application uses the same panoramic images 

used in the VISLab and gives mineworkers the opportunity to perform a virtual 

workplace examination at four locations at a surface limestone operation. Each 

of the included images contains multiple hazards, and the goal is to find as many 

hazards as possible within the scenes. Once the challenge starts, the user is taken 

to the first location—the shop (see Figure 2). The user can search the work

location by panning and zooming the field of view around the 360° image.

During the search task, users click or tap on any hazards they find. A marker

appears on the selected hazard, but users can easily remove the marker if they 

made the selection in error. Users have up to two minutes to complete the search 

task in each challenge, and when they finish they advance to the next location.

After completing the challenge, a results page (see Figure 3) shows where users 

clicked, which hazards they identified successfully, and which hazards they missed. 

This page also gives a brief explanation of each hazard along with supplemental 

information such as relevant accident and injury narratives, hyperlinks to “tools you 

can use” during training, and hyperlinks to relevant MSHA standards.

1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636), 1-888-232-6348 (TTY), or request information at the CDC website at 

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

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2018–104

Disclaimer: Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

Accessible Version: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/content/hazrec.html

Figure 2: Hazard Recognition Challenge 1—the shop.

Figure 3: Hazard Recognition Results Summary page.