Hazard Reduction in Surface Mining of Sand and Gravel Sand and gravel mines are being studied to evaluate the economic and social consequences of an injury to a miner. Provide data on the economic and social costs of workplace injuries and fatalities at sand and gravel operations based on the use of actual accident cases. The true costs of a mining injury or fatality involve more than just the direct costs to the mining company or its insurer, but presently there is little or no good information on such costs. Direct costs may include such things as medical and insurance administration costs. Indirect costs include lost earnings, lost home production, lost fringe benefits, employer costs of retraining and restaffing, coworker costs of lost productivity, and time delays.
Indirect costs can often exceed direct costs.
This task will involve collecting available information on direct costs with the assistance of various collaborators. In addition, a protocol will be developed to measure indirect costs associated with a worker injury or fatality. This protocol will include a literature search, enhancement of the existing system of obtaining direct and indirect costs, and collection of associated social and economic impacts through personal and professional interviews. This task will be completed during the first year of the project when a pilot study will be done of a benchmark group. The benchmark group is envisioned to be a small sand and gravel operation with six or fewer workers that has not necessarily experienced an accident.