Musculoskeletal injuries account for around 40% of all nonfatal injuries, and they tend to increase and become more severe with age. The median age for workers in the US mining industry is greater than that of the civilian labour force and will only increase in the next ten years according to figures from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). The same issue faces Australian operations, with numerous instances recently of retired mine workers being brought back into service to cope with growing shortages of skilled workers.

“Without any targeted age-related ergonomic interventions, it is expected that the number and severity of injuries to our older mine workers will increase,” NIOSH associate director for mining and construction Jeffery Kohler said.

To help this problem NIOSH is conducting research specifically to develop training and age-related ergonomic interventions that aim to reduce the risk of injury to older mine workers.

According to Kohler, there is a void in research on the impact of aging on miners. Recent NIOSH projects aim to develop a fuller understanding of the physical capabilities and limitations of the aging miner population so that jobs may be designed to reduce the threat of injuries and disorders to this population.

A recent NIOSH project involved Bridger Coal, which was interested in exploring proactive means of reducing worker injuries. This involved the development of an ergonomics process that emphasised employee participation.

The Bridger approach uses seven elements that NIOSH recommends for developing an ergonomics program for musculoskeletal concerns. Bridger Coal’s ergonomics committee has implemented several interventions and the first five elements of the NIOSH approach.

As part of this new project, NIOSH researchers will continue to work with Bridger Coal to fully develop its process and evaluate the process effectiveness.

“Research has shown that establishing a comprehensive ergonomics process is the best way to reduce injury and the cost of injury, as well as to improve work performance,” Kohler said.

Furthermore, although many industries have established ergonomic processes, few scientific evaluations of ergonomic program effectiveness have been undertaken. And for dynamic work environments like mining, the documented evidence consists of only time-limited or quick-fix actions that address specific problems.

Kohler was speaking at the 31st Biennial International Conference of Safety in Mines Research Institutes in Brisbane, organised by Queensland government testing station Simtars.