[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 121 (Monday, June 24, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29519-29520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13351]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Docket Number CDC-2019-0016, NIOSH-325]
Mining Automation and Safety Research Prioritization; Reopening
of Comment Period
AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice and reopening of comment period.
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SUMMARY: On March 18, 2019 the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing
that NIOSH had recently established a research program to address the
rapidly expanding area of automation and associated technologies in
mining, and that NIOSH was requesting information to inform the
prioritization of research to be undertaken by The Institute's Mining
Program. NIOSH is seeking input on priority gaps in knowledge regarding
the safety and health implications of humans working with automated
equipment and associated technologies in mining, with an emphasis on
worker safety and health research in which NIOSH has the comparative
advantage, and is unlikely to be undertaken by other federal agencies,
academia, or the private sector. Written comments were to be received
by May 17, 2019. In response to a request from an interested party,
NIOSH is announcing the reopening of the comment period.
[[Page 29520]]
DATES: Electronic or written comments must be received by August 23,
2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by CDC-2019-0016 and
NIOSH-325, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, NIOSH Docket Office, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, MS C-34, Cincinnati,
Ohio 45226-1998.
Instructions: All information received in response to this notice
must include the agency name and docket number [CDC-2019-0016; NIOSH-
325]. All relevant comments received will be posted without change to
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov. All information
received in response to this notice will also be available for public
examination and copying at the NIOSH Docket Office, 1150 Tusculum
Avenue, Room 155, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey H. Welsh, NIOSH Office of Mine
Safety and Health Research, 315 E Montgomery Ave., Spokane, WA 99207.
Phone: 412-386-4040 (not a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The mining industry has been undergoing significant
changes as companies look to adopt automation technologies to decrease
costs and increase efficiency and, according to some companies, improve
safety. These new technologies include automated mobile equipment,
robotics, teleoperation, wireless communications and sensing systems,
wearable sensors and computers, virtual and augmented reality, and data
analytics. Surface iron ore mines in Western Australia are moving
rapidly to adopt automation technologies, and they appear to be the
closest in achieving completely autonomous mining. In U.S. mines, the
adoption of automation technology is gaining momentum, with some of the
first automation having been applied to processing facilities, drilling
equipment, underground coal mine longwalls, and now pilot projects with
automated haulage trucks and loaders.
Information Needs: To prepare for expanded use of automation
technologies, NIOSH seeks to both proactively address worker health and
safety challenges that may be associated with automation, as well as
leverage new technologies to improve miner health and safety. To
understand the state of automation technologies, their implementation
in the United States, and the health and safety concerns associated
with the technology, NIOSH seeks public input on the following
questions:
1. To what extent will automation and associated technologies be
implemented in mining and in what timeframe?
2. What are the related health and safety concerns with automation
and associated technologies in mining?
3. What gaps exist in occupational health and safety research
related to automation and associated technologies?
While the above questions have priority, NIOSH also seeks public
comment on the state of the technology and the health and safety
concerns associated with the following specific topics related to
automation:
4. What are the major safety concerns associated with humans
working near or interacting with automated mining equipment? Have other
organizations addressed the safety concerns associated with humans
working near or interacting with automated mining equipment? If yes,
please provide a description.
5. What research has been conducted, or approaches taken, to
address the potential for human cognitive processing confusion,
misunderstanding, and task or information overload associated with
monitoring or controlling automated mining equipment or other
monitoring systems (e.g., fleet management, environmental monitoring,
safety systems, health care systems)?
6. What is the state of the art for display methodologies and
technologies to provide mine personnel and equipment operators with
information on operational status, location, and sensory and
environmental feedback from automated mining equipment or systems?
7. What sensor technology improvements are needed to ensure the
safety of humans working on or near automated equipment?
8. How are existing methods of big data analytics applied to
automated mining equipment or systems? Are there health and safety
benefits to these applications? If yes, please describe.
9. Are there any needed improvements to guidelines or industry
standards for automated mining system safe design and operation
practices? If yes, please describe.
10. Are there any needed improvements to training materials,
training protocols, and operating procedures for system safety design
principles related to automated mining systems? If yes, please
describe.
NIOSH is seeking feedback on the research areas identified above
and on any additional knowledge gaps, ideas, innovations, or practice
improvements not addressed by these research areas, as well as feedback
on how the research areas should be prioritized. NIOSH is especially
interested in any creative and new ideas as they relate to protecting
the health and safety of miners today and in the future. When possible,
NIOSH asks that commenters provide data and citations of relevant
research to justify their comments. NIOSH is also seeking key
scientific articles addressing worker safety and health related to
mining automation that could inform our research activities.
References
DoD [2000]. Standard practice for system safety. U.S. Department of
Defense, MIL-STD-882D.
Endsley MR [1995]. Toward a theory of situational awareness in
dynamic systems. Hum Factors 37(1):32-64.
USBM [1988]. Human factors in mining. By Sanders MS, Peay JM.
Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, IC
9182.
John J. Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2019-13351 Filed 6-21-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P