Abstract
Ergonomics is the scientific discipline that investigates the interactions between humans and systems to optimize both human and system performance for worker safety, health, and productivity. Ergonomics is frequently involved either in the design of emerging technologies or in strategies to alleviate unanticipated human performance problems with emerging technologies. This manuscript explores several such emerging issues and opportunities in the context of the mining sector. In mining, the equipment, tools, and procedures have changed considerably and continue to change. Body-worn technology provides a number of opportunities to advance the safety and health of miners, while teleoperation and autonomous mining equipment stand to benefit significantly from ergonomics applications in other sectors. This manuscript focuses on those issues and opportunities that can impact the safety and health of miners in the near term.
Highlights
Mining has long been characterized by strenuous work carried out in demanding environments underground and at surface facilities and pits
Compared to other industry sectors such as manufacturing, there has been relatively less attention to and implementation of ergonomics in mining. This can be an advantage as the extensive research on basic principles and implementation in other sectors can serve as a basis for guiding research in mining
A benefit of the technologies discussed in this paper is that they have the potential to increase the percentage of the population accommodated by the respective mining tasks, which is a fundamental goal of ergonomics
Summary
Mining has long been characterized by strenuous work carried out in demanding environments underground and at surface facilities and pits. By their nature, these environments are continuously changing as mining advances, with significant variability within and between mines in work system features such as walkways, height and width of passageways, and environmental conditions. Like other sectors, mining continues to see an evolution of processes and equipment that generates ergonomics challenges. There is an opportunity to learn from past and current ergonomics research in other sectors that has direct relevance to technologies being adapted for mining applications
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