What to know
The Mining Program conducts research projects lasting from one to five years to address the priorities set forth in its strategic plan.
Active research projects
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A Dissemination and Implementation Science Approach to Health and Safety Controls in Mining
Research to better understand previous strategies for disseminating findings and promoting the implementation of proven controls in mining health and safety.
Advancing Mining Safety Knowledge Exchange with Mining.Ai: Development of a Generative AI-Powered Intelligence Platform
Research to develop a generative AI-powered intelligence platform called Mining.Ai, designed to consolidate and streamline access to a vast repository of mining safety knowledge accumulated from decades of research conducted by the NIOSH Mining Program.
Advancing Sampling and Sensing Approaches for a Continuous Respirable Crystalline Silica Monitor
Research to improve sampling and sensing approaches in support of the development of a continuous respirable crystalline silica monitor to better protect miners' health and reduce respiratory illnesses.
Advancing the Development of Industrial Dust Sensing Networks
Research to expand interactions with the mining industry that will determine if and how real-time respirable dust monitoring through dust sensing networks in plants allows for the efficient and intelligent application of dust mitigation strategies.
Analytical Enhancement of Rapid Quartz Analysis
Research to improve both the analytical accuracy and the usability of rapid quartz analysis to increase adoption and implementation of this technique in the mining industry and thus more effectively address worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica.
Analyzing Industrial Hygiene Practices for Respirable Mine Dust
Research to investigate and document health, safety, and industrial hygiene risk management practices and processes associated with monitoring and controlling respirable dust and crystalline silica in hazardous work environments.
Assessing Wireless Technologies to Support Underground Mine Safety Systems
Research to assess the effectiveness and reliability of advanced wireless communication and tracking technologies in underground mines, where conditions such as narrow tunnels, large obstacles, and moving vehicles can severely impact communication performance.
Characterizing the Generation and Mitigation of Hazardous Gases during Lithium-ion Battery Failure Events
Research to characterize gas generation from lithium-ion batteries, used in battery electric vehicles in U.S. mines, during a battery failure event and to identify strategies to reduce this hazard.
Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP)
Research to maintain a Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) designed to identify the incidence and progression of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in U.S. coal miners.
Coexistence and Safety of Wireless Systems in Mining
Research to determine if existing regulations, standards, or guidelines developed for nonmining industrial, commercial, and medical sectors provide adequate ensurance of coexistence and safety of wireless systems in the mining sector.
Computational Research
Research to contribute to improving the health and safety of miners by providing essential information technology development activities for the NIOSH Mining Program.
Developing a Framework to Identify and Address Hazards Unique to Women in Mining
Research to better understand the specific needs of women mine workers and develop a framework to guide the design and redesign of work systems to more equitably address the needs of diverse workers.
Developing and Improving Respirable Dust Controls in Coal Mines
Research to develop and evaluate technologies and approaches to improve effective dust controls that can reduce respirable coal mine dust exposures in coal mines, focusing specifically on reducing respirable quartz dust.
Development of Engineering Guidelines for Shale Gas Wells Influenced by Longwall Mining
Research to conduct detailed analysis and instrumentation on unconventional shale gas wells, with the goal of addressing the lack of information on longwall-induced subsurface strata deformations and stresses and their effect on shale gas well casings.
Development of Seismic Potential Forecasting Methods
Research to provide the mining industry with engineering considerations that will further reduce the health and safety hazard associated with destructive seismic events.
Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Compatibility Considerations in Underground Mines
Research to determine if electromagnetic interference/compatibility challenges within the mining industry can be effectively resolved using existing standards and mitigation strategies applied in other industries.
Emerging Respirable Dust Sensing and Control for Metal/Nonmetal Mining
Research to demonstrate the suitability and efficiency of monitoring and control solutions to help lower the respirable dust exposure of metal/nonmetal miners.
Environmental Susceptibility of Mine Utility Vehicle and Rubber-Tired Mantrip Lithium-ion Batteries
Research to collect and analyze field data and develop lab testing procedures to study lithium-ion battery isolation system design, with the goal of determining whether these designs can safely endure the harsh mining environment without experiencing thermal runaway and other safety-related failures.
Escape, Rescue, and Training
Research to provide support for the planning, development, and distribution of training products and methods for the planning and implementation of escape and rescue activities for the NIOSH Mining Program.
Evaluation of Methods to Inform Development of a Near Real-time Monitor for Measuring and Reducing RCS Exposures in Non-coal Mines
Research to develop novel and improved monitoring solutions for respirable crystalline silica that can be commercialized and subsequently provided to mine operators for the assessment of hazardous conditions in the field.
Evaluation of Virtual Reality Mine Rescue Training Platform
Research to evaluate NIOSH's recently developed Virtual Reality Mine Rescue Training platform as a supplemental training tool, which would help to address the issue that high-fidelity, holistic training may not be available to all mine rescue teams and is costly in both time and resources.
Exploring Integrated Approaches for Mine Worker Well-being
Research to identify the intersection of fatigue, substance use/misuse, and health hazard recognition and risk management, all of which affect mine worker well-being.
Health Communications in Mining
Research to contribute to improving the health and safety of miners by providing essential health communications and support and strategies for distributing communications materials for the NIOSH Mining Program.
Highwall Safety: Rockfall Catchment Design and Slope Performance Monitoring at Surface Mines and Quarries
Research to increase the safety of open pit mines through improving upon or developing new rockfall catch bench design guidelines and improving slope performance monitoring capabilities at open pit and quarry sites.
Identifying, Assessing, and Analyzing Data to Improve Miners' Health
Research to maintain the use of hazard and health data to guide and improve workplace policies and procedures, thereby informing priorities for research and interventions to improve miners’ health and well-being.
Identifying Needs Regarding Exposure Assessment and Decision-making Practices in Metal/Non-metal Mining
Research to examine the efficacies of different exposure assessment strategies in the prioritization and mitigation of high exposures and risk of illness in the mining industry.
Improving Mine Ventilation and Reducing Contaminant Exposure in Large-Opening Stone Mines
Research to develop practical and economic engineering controls, guidelines, and translational solutions for improving the quality and quantity of airflow in large-opening stone mines.
Information Dissemination during Mine Emergencies
Research to develop an eLearning module to share with potential command center leaders and mine rescue team members to help them successfully address the risks to endangered workers and responders during mine emergencies.
Integrated Analysis of Coal Pillar and Entry Stability
Research to reduce ground fall injuries and fatalities in underground coal mines through the application of improved analysis procedures that will facilitate the design of pillars, entries, and ribs as an integrated system.
Investigation of Methane Control and Ventilation Effectiveness in Gassy Longwall Mines
Research to provide quantitative data on the performance of an operator’s existing methane control system, changes occurring in the gas in place near the mine, and an assessment of the mine’s ventilation system.
Machine Situational Awareness - Framework and Algorithms for Assured Autonomy in Mining
Research to explore methods to ensure that autonomous mining equipment is safe for operation near personnel.
Managing Ground Support for Long-Term Stability in Underground Mines
Research to elucidate effective ground control management strategies and develop tools that help to forecast time-dependent processes in relation to rate or possible outcome.
Measurement and Analysis Tools for Elongate Mineral Particle Exposure in Mining
Research to better understand elongate mineral particle exposure in mining by comparing validation procedures to the current standard asbestos analytical methods and then finalizing development of the methods.
Methods to Reduce Potential for Massive Ground Collapses in Underground Stone Mines
Research to investigate massive ground collapses and determine ways to reduce the potential for these events in underground stone mines.
Panel Optimization and Support Around Gas Wells
Research to better understand stone mine interactions with gas wells and conduct related case studies that will improve the safety of approximately 700 miners in 11 operating stone mines and the nearly 5,000 miners working in 16 underground longwall panels in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Predicting the Impact of Heat Strain on Cognitive Functions in Miners
Research to establish whether easily measured physiologic and environmental parameters can effectively predict heat strain-related cognitive impairment among miners.
Surveillance & Statistics
Research to develop and strengthen the use of surveillance data to identify priorities, trends, and emerging issues within the mining industry.
Tailoring Opioid Awareness Training Resources for the Mining Industry
Research to engage the mining industry through a participatory evaluation approach to facilitate the tailoring of opioid awareness training resources and guidance for mine operators and other interested parties.
The NIOSH Noise Mapper App for Noise Assessment in the Mining Industry
Research to evaluate and improve the accuracy and reliability of the NIOSH Noise Mapper Application before implementing it for industry use, with the ultimate goal being to help scientists and occupational safety and health professionals build job exposure databases and promote better hearing health and hearing loss prevention efforts.
Unconventional Monitoring and Design for Mine Stability in Sedimentary Rock
Research to provide a larger arsenal of tools to the underground softrock mining community for assessing ground-failure-related hazards.
Using Exoskeletons to Reduce Overexertion Injuries
Research to evaluate exoskeletons in real-life scenarios to determine their efficacy for reducing physical demands in the mining environment and their potential to reduce the risk of overexertion injuries.