Mining Publication: Experiments on Personal Equipment for Low Seam Coal Miners: IV. Incorporating Coiled Cord Into Cap Lamp Battery Cords

• Biomechanical hazards
• Cap lamps
• Equipment design
• Ergonomic design
• Low seam mining

The objective of this study was to determine optimal personal equipment design for use in low coal based on ergonomic, biomechanic, and safety considerations. This report describes a study designed to evaluate a proposed modification in the cap lamp battery cord intended to reduce the incidence of snagging and catching of the cord. A three-phase evaluation was performed comparing a prototype with the standard, currently available cord. In the first evaluation a "pull test" was performed to measure the reaction time of workers and the maximum force delivered to the helmet. The second evaluation was a body conformity experiment wherein the cords were studied to determine whether they conformed differently to workers bodies. The third evaluation involved workers performing common manual tasks in a low seam coal mine simulator. The results demonstrated significant safety advantages of incorporating coiled cords into the design of the cap cord.