Effective utilization of man shift through sustainable workload testing for underground mining machine operators. An ergonomic based man-machine interface approach

Abstract

Abstract Insight of man-machine interfaces during mining machine operations, better co-ordinance with human efficiencies and suitable workload selection in underground mining machine operation are the main viewpoints of the study. Total 12 side discharge loader (SDL) and load haul dumper (LHD) operators [N = 12] have been taken as participants of the study. The methodology is divided into two parts first part is devoted to measuring and analyzing workload response of machine operation with polar heart rate monitor. Machine operator’s heart rate ratio (HR ratio) for the whole shift is recorded and metabolic rate (MR) has been analyzed. Additionally, fatigue sustainability (FS) and degradation of muscle force (MF) are recorded for each work cycles up to exposure time period (ETP) of 360 minutes. In the second part of the methodology, based on the HR ratio recorded during the mining operation, a workload simulation study is undertaken on a treadmill at the surface following BRUCE protocol. At treadmill, based on HR ratio, workload achieved from mines along with three different workloads i.e. low, moderate and high has been tested. Differences in FS and degradation rate of MF after each workload experiment have been recorded. A result from the underground operational study shows that there is about 43.2% and 32.4% of decreasing MF for SDL and LHD operators after end of spells at mines. Additionally, a negative correlation (r = −0.99) is found between ETP and MF. The workload simulation study shows that there are significant differences between FS (p < 0.05) and MF (p < 0.05) data of mining and treadmill experiment with the same workload. In comparison to an underground operation, FS rate of low, moderate and high workload is recorded 60%, 35%, and 15% higher respectively than of mine workload. Higher FS rate may achieve due to availability of good environment. Among the tested workload only low kind of workload is found suitable for mining machinery job as degradation of MF is found significantly (p < 0.05) low and FS is found significantly (p < 0.01) high in this kind of workload. Therefore, it can be concluded that in mining machinery operation better to adopt low workload for effective utilization of man shift (EUMS) as it gives comparatively low MF degradation and better FS during continuous work.