NIOSH will hold an automation topic selection meeting at MINEXCHANGE 2025. Conference attendees can register to participate. Identified topics will be considered for a later agenda setting meeting.
Potential topics
The Partnership leaders compiled an initial list of topics based on their experience and expertise. Meeting participants will help review these topics and suggest others that might be missing. They will then participate in selecting key topics for the May 2025 agenda setting meeting.
If you are interested, please review the list and send suggestions to Joel Haight (jhaight@pitt.edu). You may also bring your suggestions to the meeting.
Workforce Challenges
- Retaining talent
- Retraining talent
- Recruiting talent
- Getting worker buy-in
Workplace Challenges
- Identifying new hazards
- Optimizing health and safety
- Human System Integration (HSI) design
- GPS denied environments
Data Infrastructure Requirements
- Wireless requirements
- Wireless co-existence
- Hazard identification/tracking
- Data security
- Critical safety systems
Regulation and Best Practices
- Rulemaking processes
- User interface design standards
- The language of automation
- Administrative challenges
- Implementation processes
- Design standards across OEMs
Implementation in Small Mines
- Economies of scale
- Marginal benefit
- Stepwise implementation
- OEM flexibility
Emerging Technology
- Evaluating opportunities
- Avoiding safety pitfalls
- Lifecycle introduction and planning
Maintenance Challenges
- New LOTO protocols
- Impact on productivity vs safety
- Automated inspection
Global Perspectives
- Motivations for implementation
- Lessons learned
- Overcoming acceptance obstacles
- Getting worker buy-in
- Planning for autonomy
Situational Awareness (SA)
- Worker SA
- Machine SA
- Distributed SA
Upcoming Challenges
- Strategic planning
- Keeping up with technology
Content Source:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Mining Program