Search Documents

By (NIOSH) Publication

In 2004, a total of 2,011 coal mining operations reported employment to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Coal mines comprised 13.9% of all mining operations.

Sep 1, 2007

By NIOSH Publications

In 2004, 14,478 mining operations reported employment statistics to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Almost half (48.9%) were sand and gravel mines, followed by stone mines (30.4%), coal mines (13.9%), nonmetal mines (5.1%), and metal mines (1.7%).

Sep 1, 2007

By CDC CDC

In 2004, a total of 251 metal mining operations reported employment to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Metal mines were the smallest mining commodity sector, comprising 1.7% of all mining operations. • Gold mines

Sep 1, 2007

By J. Hanna

Four Ca-bentonitic clays from Alabama were evaluated for use in Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) or Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) fertilizer suspensions. The viscosity and gel strength of suspensions prepared with different proportions of a Western bentonite clay and sodium exchanged Alabama clays, were measured as a function of clay content and dispersant concentration. The results obtained suggested that three of the Alabama Ca-bentonites would replace about 40% of the more expensive Western bentonite in UAN and DAP fertilizer suspensions. The performance of the Na-modified clays, prepared according to the TVA soda ash method, was as good or even better than those observed for the Mg-, Na/Mg-or K-modified clays. The TVA clay modification procedure appears to be reliable and cost effective.

Jan 1, 1989

The mmmg of alluvial gold involves many deposits of theMesozoic, Tertiary, and Quaternary Ages in processing. Majorfeatures of the composition of such alluvial deposits are the lowcontent of gold and the small size of the gold particles. Atpresent, the gold-miners treat alluvial deposits in which a portionof fme gold (0.25 mm) exceeds 45 per cent. It is expected that by2000 these resources will be the main deposits mined (Zamyatinet aI, 1991).Under real industrial conditions the losses of minus 0.25 mmmetal are 50 per cent and more. The low level of recovery of finegold is observed not only at concentrators equipped with sluices,but also at concentrators equipped with modern diaphragm andpistonless jigs (Table 1).

Jan 1, 1993

Further discussion at the Mniing Institute of Scotland's annual general meeting held in Glasgow, 8th April 1916, of the paper published in Trans. I.Min.E. vol li, 1916, p.169-186 with discussion p.187-188, included oral and written contributions by McLaren R. and Waddell H.

Dec 1, 1916

Flag Day Celebrations Develop Practical Patriotism Among the hundreds of industries which celebrated Flag Day on June 14, were a number of mines, and a report- from the United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Co. tells how the programs were carried out at Mammoth and Chrome. In the first place, Flag Day was not observed by knocking off work, but by short exercises, after which work was resumed with re-doubled energy. In this crisis, that method of showing devotion to the flag and country might be termed "practical patriotism." In other words, it could be expressed as "Hats off to the flag and sleeves up for it." Harry Hunt, first-aid man at the Mammoth mine, reports that the flag raising was marked by the spirit of high enthusiasm, which included every man, woman and child belonging to the camp. "The miners in their working clothes, still wearing their carbide lamps on their caps, with faces covered with dirt, just as they came from the mine, and the ladies and children with their bits of bright color, made a picture worthy of the brush of a master painter. The program rendered was that arranged by the National Bureau of Education." First came a bugle call, "To the Colors," given by Assistant Superintendent C. W. Plumb. Then Foreman Carpenter W. R. (Bill) Young, raised the stars and stripes to the peak, and as the banner unfurled to the breeze, all heads were bared, and the salute was given by the workers, whose toil at home is strengthening our army in France. Then the miners joined in the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner," and repeated the "Pledge of Allegiance," and the "American's Creed." Shift-boss W. J. Phinazee then addressed his fellow workers, telling them how the flag stands for their protection and that of their loved ones, and how it should be loved and respected, not only by the native born, but by all who live here under its protection. Those of alien birth, who have come here because of the greater opportunities offered in America, owe a special honor to the stars and stripes, and the point was made that these men from other lands should not love their old home less, but their adopted country more. The majority of those present were foreigners, and their hearty applause showed that they appreciated the point made by their shift-boss, who, because of his position, was able to address them as man to man.

Jan 10, 1918

Reduce longwall shearer operator's dust exposure by selecting the best drum water spray sys-tem for minimizing dust generated durinq cutting. Approach Three of the most commonly-used drum water spray systems were installed on the same set of shearer drums and compared to determine which system best suppresses dust. The spray systems studied were: ? pick-point flushing ? cavity filling ? water-through-the-it Instantaneous and gravimetric sampling instruments were used to measure the respirable dust exposures of the shearer operators and dust concentrations downwind of the shearer. The Three Systems: Longwall shearer drums are routinely equipped with internal drum spray systems since these systems have been shown to be more efficient than external systems in terms of dust suppression per gallon of water applied. All U.S. longwall shearer faces utilize some type of internal water delivery spray system. The two most common systems are bit-or pick-point flushing and cavity filling. Pick-point flushing uses nozzles mounted in the bit blocks or in special blocks immediately in front of the bits. Cavity filling utilizes spray nozzles installed in a pipe manifold mounted on the drum hub between the scrolls or along the edge of the vane scrolls; water is sprayed radially from the manifold towards the adjacent vane scroll.

Jan 1, 1986

By B. Jones, W. Zhang, Q. Li

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical materials to the United States due to the imbalance between their supply and demand. Considerable research and development efforts have been devoted on REE recovery from coal refuse using inorganic acids as lixiviants, however, the cost of inorganic acids is normally high, and the environmental friendliness is low. As alternatives to inorganic acids, organic acids of small molecules such as lactic acid and succinic acid have been used as efficient and green lixiviants for metal extraction. In addition to the supply risk of REEs, food waste generation and disposal is another emerging and critical issue since nearly one-third of the edible food is lost or wasted each year. In this research, organic acids were microbially converted from food waste and used as lixiviants to leach REEs from density fractions of an Illinois Basin coal. Experimental results indicate that REE recovery increases of up to 15 absolute percentage points were obtained using organic acids relative to inorganic acids. The conversion of food waste into value-added, renewable, and environment-friendly chemicals promotes the economic viability of REE recovery from coal refuse.

Mar 2, 2022

By R Burgess-Limerick, J Haight

A review of mining automation experiences was undertaken on behalf of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The research included a review of literature and guidance materials; analysis of automation related incidents and visits to surface and underground mines in Australia, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Sweden and the USA.

Apr 16, 2024

By B P. Banerjee. S Raval, P M. Ranasinghe

Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) is an important technology that enables autonomous robots to navigate independently and create detailed, real-time maps of their surroundings. This capability is crucial in underground mining settings, where it enhances operational efficiency and significantly strengthens safety in these subterranean environments. SLAM algorithms typically rely on identifying and using distinct geometric features, such as plane and edge features, to understand the spatial layout of the environment and to track how it evolves as the sensor moves through it. In underground roadways, the scarcity of noticeable edge features, coupled with the repetitive nature of walls and corridors, poses a significant challenge, making it difficult for these systems to distinguish one area from another. Furthermore, the absence of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals in underground adds more challenges, leading to the accumulation of errors in both the mapping and localisation.

Sep 1, 2024

By M. B. Cooke, A. D. Bauer, E. W. Dean

The Bureau of Mines is collecting and analyzing representative samples of crude petroleum from all the producing fields in the United States , and the results are being published in a series of reports that are preliminary to the issue of a bulletin covering the entire survey . The bureau has recently completed a survey of crude oils from the Kansas district . In all 27 samples were collected and analyzed , under the direction of A. W. Ambrose , chief petroleum technologist of the Bureau. Valuable assistance was received through the cooperation of oil companies operating in the State , especially the Prairie Pipe Line Co. , and the Empire Pipe Line Co. The present report issued as Serial 2322 , on the Kansas crudes , forms the fifth of the series . Of the four previous papers , the first ( No. 2202 ) deals with crudes from the Eastern fields of the United States , the second ( No. 2235 ) with crudes from the Rocky Mountain district , the third ( No. 2290) gives additional data , cn viscosities and pour tests , for the crudes from these two fields , and the fourth ( No. 2293 ) covers the fields of northern Texas , northern Louisiana , and Arkansas . The details of the methods of collecting samples , making laboratory tests and interpreting results , have been discussed in these earlier reports . It has also been pointed out that the only adequate method of interpreting analyses of crude oils is to compare the individual reports with the analysis of some crude oil that is familiar to the operator . For this reason , no comprehensive discussion of the results of the Kansas survey is attempted, although some general statements may be made .

Feb 1, 1922

Researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have developed a training module to educate both new, inexperienced miners as well as veterans on important issues related to self-rescue and escape procedures. These include: (1) physical and environmental conditions that can be encountered in a mine after a major explosion, (2) knowledge of emergency meeting locations and escape routes, (3) the importance of using self-rescuers, even in seemingly clear air, to keep the lungs isolated from contaminants, and (4) why miners should not go off to look for others who are missing. In addition, the module may stimulate miners to think about and discuss mine explosions and the devastating effects of such an event.

May 1, 2009

By BLAKE DAWSON WALDRON

I must acknowledge my strategic adviser, Mr Lance Grimstone, who contributed to the development of this paper, and collated the text and figures.

Jan 1, 1994

By Y. V. Vasylchuk

An algorithm is presented for optimizing the classification of surface mine material subject to excavating constraints. High-resolution, expected-profit models are optimized to classification maps subject to site-specific excavating constraints. This optimization problem defies traditional closed-form analytical solutions. A practical heuristic algorithm quickly determines the optimum final destination for material subject to realistic selectivity constraints. The expected profit could be calculated from an estimated model if the value calculations are all linear; otherwise, simulation could be used. In both cases, a single expected profit for all destinations on a high-resolution grid is the starting point for dig limits optimization. Maximizing expected profit in a risk-neutral manner is correct given the repeated nature of grade-control decisions over relatively short timeframes.

By Yuanhong Qi, KUN CUI, Tao Fu, XUNFU WANG, Yingyi Zhang, Jie Wang, Junmao Qie

Indonesia is the world’s largest supplier of nickel ore, with its nickel laterite resources mainly distributed in the Moluccas and Sulawesi regions. However, there is scant research on the mineralogical characteristics of nickel laterite deposited in southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. This study aims to investigate the mineral phase structure, chemical analysis, thermal properties and element distribution characteristics of the middle and lower part of the rotten rock zone located in the southeast Sulawesi ophiolite belt.

By Kwangmin Kim, Taehee Lee, Minkyu Kim, JUNHYEOK PARK

Mine tailings storage facilities (TSFs) can be a significant source of fine, respirable dust. About 25 percent of the mass fraction of tailings from a hard-rock mine consists of particles of a respirable size (smaller than 10 μm) [1]. This dust poses concerns, especially for nearby communities, because of its detrimental impact on respiratory health. Respirable tailings dust, primarily composed of quartz or free silica (SiO2), may cause silicosis, chronic pulmonary disease, bronchitis, collagen vascular diseases, and chronic granulomatous infections [2]. 

Jan 1, 1903

By RAYMOND C. HARTVIKSEN

The Drumbo Mine is located near Highway 401 between Woodstock and Kitchener in southwest Ontario. The tabular flat-lying gypsum bed is between 1.5 to 2.4 m thick and is situated near the base of the Salina Formation, about 116 m below surface. The mine is owned and operated by Westroc Industries Limited. The 3.8 m diameter shaft was drilled using a Hughes CSD 820 drilling rig and a liner sinking technique new to the North American continent. The shaft was completed in the fall of 1977, and remaining facilities were finished in the fall of 1978. Gypsum production started in December 1978, employing the conventional room-and-pillar method of mining.

Jan 1, 1984

By Jürgen F. Brune

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, that of digital technologies and their application, is rapidly impacting the mining industry, as it is manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, trade, and most other industries. Mining is about 40,000 years old and has its origins in Africa. Since its earliest days, it has experienced four distinct “revolutions” that each resulted in significant improvements in production, productivity, and safety and health: The First Revolution in the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries brought technologies that improved miners’ lives and health, including pumps, forced and mechanical ventilation with wind catchers and bellows, the wire rope and black powder, to name a few. Many simple, muscle- or water-driven machines have been pictured and described in great detail by Agricola who wrote De Re Metallica in 1556. Agricola was familiar with, and concerned about, accidents where miners fell off rotten, wooden ladders, acrid smoke, and dust that caused respiratory illnesses and diseases. He also knew the dangers of fatigue and recommended that miners should sing aloud to prevent them from falling asleep.