Field Evaluation of Task Requirements of Mining Jobs in Nigerian Quarry Mines: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders remains a major constraint to mining task performance. Task analyses were conducted of different mining jobs from several work shifts. The 3DSSPP program was utilized for biomechanical stressors evaluation in mining jobs. The energy cost and muscle activities of Latissmus Dorsi and upper Trapezius muscles of miners were assessed for different job categories using heart rate, VO2 max and electromyogram. The muscle activities showed right dominance among the miners. There were high energy demand on miner’s tasks, with compressive and shearing forces for most jobs exceeding safety NIOSH scores. There is need for task formalization considering miner’s capabilities.