LONG TERM OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFIC AIMS: This project will investigate technologies and intervention strategies for reducing injuries and fatalities from powered-haulage equipment in the mining industry through improved worker training using Virtual Environments (VE). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The project will be divided into three distinct steps. 1) Identify training needs related to powered haulage in the mining environment based on publicly available statistics and data collected from field work. Using the data and information gathered, identify areas that can be effectively addressed using VE technology. 2) Design, create and test VE training applications to address these specific training needs. 3) Evaluate VE-based training applications to asses the level of VE required to address the training needs, as well as the efficacy of the training. RESEARCH RATIONALE AND TECHNIQUES: Personnel will work with industrial and regulatory partners to identify specific training areas that are 1) high priority, based on incident statistics, field observations, and interviews and 2) where it is reasonable to expect that improved training may result in incident reduction. The research team will develop VE-based training applications using a process known as usability engineering process, which includes user-centered design and rapid prototyping. Industrial and regulatory partners will test the effectiveness of the applications. At the end of the project period, testing statistics will be collected and effectiveness of the VE training tools will be evaluated.
TO PUBLIC HEALTH: Despite many technological and work environment advances, mining remains one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. The fatality rate in mining is six times higher than the national average for other industries. Additionally, the severity of injuries for mining exceeds all other industries with the highest percentage of lost work days per incident.
