Omni - Safety Oriented Mining Equipment

Occupational hazards are a substantial problem plaguing the modern mining industry. This includes problems such as traumatic injuries, occupational diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders. The scope of this thesis proposal is to help mitigate occupational hazards that underground mining personnel face on a daily basis by providing a new, innovative way of working safely in this situationally hazardous environment. A variety of research methods were used to gain insight into the life of the user, the current products they use, and the practices currently put in place to help this issue including user interviews, benchmarking, and observational studies. In order to understand the user experience, a full scale ergonomic model was produced to create metrics and understand and document user interactions. By creating a design solution to promote a safe working experience, the mining personnel benefit with the ability to work with safety and confidence, and the industries that rely on the efficient procurement of materials benefit due to the streamlined workflow.