Imminent danger: Characterizing uncertainty in critically hazardous mining situations

Mining Engineering , 2018, Vol. 70, No. 9, pp. 47-52

Eiter, B.M.; Hrica, J.; Willmer, D.R.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19150/me.8490

Mineworkers are routinely tasked with making critically important decisions about whether or not a hazard presents an imminent danger. Researchers from the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health collected formative data to investigate mine safety professional perspectives on workplace examinations, which revealed a potential gap in how mineworkers are assessing risk. During interviews, participants revealed not having a systematic methodology for mineworkers to use to determine if a hazard is considered imminent danger. In this paper, we identify and describe three distinct categories of imminent danger complexity and discuss potential steps that could lead to improved identification of imminent danger situations. Finally, we identify potential practices to incorporate into risk management efforts, including feedback, communication and specialized training, to increase awareness of imminent danger situations.