EXAMiner Software Helps Miners to Improve Hazard Recognition Skills

MEDIA CONTACT: Nura Sadeghpour, uvg2@cdc.gov, 202.245.0673

Safety trainers can now create, save, and share training scenarios with the latest release of the EXAMiner software—a tool used to train mineworkers to find and address hazards in their workplace.

The software, developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is a Windows-based application that allows users to perform a virtual workplace examination, testing and strengthening their hazard recognition skills for when they are on the job.­­­­­

EXAMiner comes with 31 preloaded scenes (24 with and 7 without hazards) that were developed specifically to test mineworker hazard recognition ability. The preloaded scenes are panoramic images of four locations at a surface limestone mine: the pit, the plant, the shop, and a series of haul roads or other roadways.

Additionally, trainers can customize the software by uploading panoramic images from their own worksites and labeling hazards for workers to find. Users can also save their training scenarios to revisit later or export them to share with colleagues. Exported files can be emailed or added to shared folders and imported into EXAMiner by other users.

Highlighting hazards, such as a worker climbing a ladder in an unsafe manner.

“EXAMiner serves to find the gaps between what mineworkers think they know about workplace hazards and the reality of what they see when they are in the work environment,” said Dr. Jessica Kogel, NIOSH Associate Director for Mining. “It is a versatile tool that safety trainers can use to increase their workers’ ability to find hazards before they face those hazards on the jobsite.”

NIOSH researchers designed EXAMiner so that it could easily be adopted into current training programs, such as Part 46 or Part 48 annual refresher training. Once downloaded and installed, EXAMiner does not require an internet connection, so it can be used for a variety of training situations: as part of new miner training in a classroom, during monthly training meetings, or as toolbox talks.

You can download EXAMiner from the NIOSH Mining website.

NIOSH is the federal institute that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. For more information about NIOSH, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/.