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The effect of cap lamp lighting on postural control and stability
John J Sammarco1, Jonisha P Pollard1, William L Porter1
1Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 626 Cochrans Mill Rd, PO Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA.
International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics
|October 17, 2015
Summary
This study investigated how mine cap lamp lighting affects miner balance. While cap lamp technology did not significantly alter balance measures in controlled tests, actual underground mine conditions significantly impaired postural stability.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Mining Engineering
- Human Factors Engineering
Background:
- Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) represent a significant cause of nonfatal injuries in underground mining.
- Hazard recognition, postural balance, and age are key factors contributing to STFs.
- Mine illumination research aims to enhance miner safety by addressing these contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of mine cap lamp lighting on static postural stability.
- To determine if light-emitting diode (LED) cap lamp technology impacts measures of center of pressure (CoP) displacement and velocity.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated static postural stability using measures of center of pressure (CoP) displacement and velocity.
- Compared balance performance under different cap lamp lighting conditions in a laboratory setting.
- Assessed the impact of the underground coal mine environment on postural stability.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in static postural stability were found between the tested cap lamp lighting conditions.
- Postural stability significantly declined (p < 0.05) when tested in an actual underground coal mine environment compared to laboratory conditions.
- This suggests the mine environment itself poses a greater challenge to balance than variations in cap lamp illumination.
Conclusions:
- Current cap lamp technology did not demonstrate a significant effect on static postural stability in this study.
- The underground mining environment presents significant challenges to miner balance, irrespective of cap lamp illumination.
- Further research is needed to explore environmental factors and advanced lighting solutions to improve miner safety and reduce STFs.
