Recognizing mine site hazards: Identifying differences in hazard recognition ability for experienced and new mineworkers

Abstract

To perform a successful workplace examination, miners must be able to find and fix hazards. The goal of the current research project was to identify differences in how workers with varying amounts of work and safety experience search and identify hazards. The NIOSH research team created true-to-life panoramic images that safety professionals, experienced miners, inexperienced miners, and students searched for hazards. The effects of the image context and experience level of the participants on the overall accuracy are explored. The research findings suggest that safety experience and hazard familiarity play a large role in a miner’s ability to identify hazards. Findings from this study will be incorporated into training programs focused on improving hazard recognition ability for surface stone, sand, and gravel miners.