Western Mining Safety and Health Resource Center: Translating Training to Competency

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burgess J ; Ross BJ
• Description:
  The University of Arizona (UA) created the Western Mining Safety and Health Training Resource Center in 2010. The project has changed the way mine safety training is conducted with safety leadership training, active learning, and gaming strategies. We have increased the safety-focused, total-health aware, leadership competency of front- line supervisors, superintendents, and managers representing operations throughout the U.S., spanning all major commodity sectors in surface and underground mining, as well as contractors. The Center has implemented health and safety-focused leadership competencies that respond in near real-time to changing workforce needs and environments of Western U.S operations. Further, we continue increasing the capacity, tools, and methods to reduce miner exposure risks associated with heat, noise, and aerosol particulates. Phase 1 of the Center was conducted from September 1, 2010 to August 31, 2014. Phase 2 of the Center was conducted from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2017. We have five aims for Phase 2 of the Center: 1) We propose to network the best mine safety professionals to create the Health and Safety Technical Partnership (HSTP) to assist in writing or reviewing training materials that are based on competencies that will improve transfer of safety learning from the training room to the workplace. 2)We will run a high-level training clinic to train trainers to use these best practices and we will provide a certificate of completion for each level completed. 3) We will measure the effectiveness of the training methods by requesting trainers collect data and follow up with us. 4) We will adapt our computer simulation software platform to measure safety competencies. 5) Our Mine Institute for Supervisor Leadership (MISL) will be modified to include competency measures. All of our materials and training practices will accommodate English Language Learners, low literacy learners, and education disadvantaged learners (e.g. dyslexia). We will have a particular focus on serving the needs of small and medium sized mines. Some of the key outcomes of past training efforts of the UA Center are: 1)Trained 3,647 workers and mining professionals from October 2014 to August 2017; total personnel trained since 2010 is over 12,500; 2) Translated 52 modules of the Part 46 Toolbox Training Modules to Spanish http://miningsh.arizona.edu ; 3) Created a teaching strategies training program for mining trainers. Phase 1 (first version) of the course, Teaching Strategies for Mine Safety Trainers, was provided to >20 trainers. Phase 2, High Performing Trainer (HPT) Clinic, was provided to 189 trainers; 4) Developed Mine Institute for Supervisory Leadership (MISL), in which more than 125 supervisors participated over 4 years; 5) Created the MineSAFE platform and a suite of computer- based training programs, or serious games, called Learn with Harry. The first serious game, Harry's Hard Choices, is being commercialized in spring 2017, and two others are being readied for use. Furthermore, the platform has been substantially upgraded to support new scenario development, rapid and extensive customization, and integration of evaluation tools. Approximately 338 miners have been trained with Harry's Hard Choices; 6) Created a network of highly engaged western mine safety professionals through the Health and Safety Technical Advisory Committee, representing over 30 companies and agencies (now called the Health and Safety Technical Parternship, HSTP); 7) Disseminated our training materials nationally (175 copies of our Active Learning Handbook for Mine Safety Training and >50 copies of our Handbook for High- level Safety Training). Handbooks are also available on our website http://miningsh.arizona.edu Identified deficiencies in training and safety culture through evaluations. The feedback and input provided by our stakeholders and HSTP have guided each phase of our Center; 9) Researched validated evaluation tools for training. We tested the Louisiana State University Andragogy in Process Inventory (API) instrument for evaluation of mine safety training and found the survey mechanism to be unworkable for the mining industry. We refocused evaluation in Phase 2 with the use of "clickers" during training to capture evaluation data; and 10) Created the first mine safety trainer competency model which we are preparing to publish through the United States (US) Department of Labor. 11) 228 publications, presentations, exhibits, meetings, and training sessions to disseminate our activities and findings. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mining Occupational Health Safety Software Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Computerized Simulation Computer Software Effectiveness Research Information Dissemination Injury Prevention Mining Industry Occupational Health Programs Partnership Safety Culture Safety Education Safety Programs Training Worker Safety

  More +
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Final Cooperative Agreement Report
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-224
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053211
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-100193
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U60-OH-010014, 2017 Oct; :1-224
• Contact Point Address:
  Director, Sponsored Projects Services, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 3308, Tucson, AZ 85722-3308
• Email:
  sponsor@email.arizona.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Performing Organization:
  University of Arizona, Tucson
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20100901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20260831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3101534578c7be75e961bc674560a825ed242f70248e5cb1d3e5a0661442365fc3e22d8f10d34303cc321fd9ff08200fe9eb9222c187593e3502ba25c3220f3c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218756/cdc_218756_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.71 MB ]