Investigating the Effect of Human Factors on the Underground Mine Evacuation Process Using Agent-Based Simulation

Details

• Personal Author:
  Augustine PC ; Moniri-Morad A ; Sattarvand J ; Shahsavar M
• Description:
  Human factors play a critical role in underground mine evacuations, significantly impacting performance during emergencies. Traditional mine evacuation strategies rely on predetermined routes and static signs, but these methods do not account for the dynamic and unpredictable nature of real emergencies or the diverse behaviors of individuals. This research addresses these limitations by using agent-based simulations to explore evacuation behavior and performance in underground mines. The study involved three key steps. First, agent-based simulations were deployed to model both individual and group behaviors during emergencies. Second, evacuation performance was compared across three scenarios: miners following traditional passive signage, those making decisions in chaotic conditions, and miners equipped with smart evacuation devices. Finally, evacuation times were quantified to assess the effectiveness of each approach. The results revealed that miners using smart devices improved evacuation efficiency by 35% compared with those relying on passive signage and by 37% compared with chaotic decision-making scenarios. The median evacuation time was reduced from 10.8 min with passive signage to 7 min when using smart devices, taking varying stamina levels into account. These findings underscore the importance of integrating intelligent systems that account for pre-evacuation and wayfinding behaviors, offering new insights and setting a higher standard for emergency protocols in underground mining. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agent-based Simulation Author Keywords: Mine Evacuation Dynamic Evacuation Emergency Egress Human Factors Human Factors Engineering Mine Escapes Simulation Methods Underground Mines
• ISSN:
  2076-3417
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Nevada ; San Francisco Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  24
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070546
• Citation:
  Appl Sci 2024 Dec; 14(24):11773
• Contact Point Address:
  Javad Sattarvand, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
• Email:
  jsattarvand@unr.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  University of Nevada, Reno
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20190901
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Sciences
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:11cc885f74ff75e77ececfef79009686496093558ab9c77e7d0716186b930ca307879419b2dc5ec9c8f2d1a0110a6d5793a5e74e219c622782f233530ba0b503
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208731/cdc_208731_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.96 MB ]