Ergonomic design of a cooling vest in deep and ultra-deep mining environments

BACKGROUND: Ever deeper mining is exposing workers to increasing heat and humidity, which can threaten their health and safety. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to create a matrix of criteria that will eventually be used to design a personal cooling vest that will meet the needs and wants of miners. METHODS: A literature review was done to identify the constraints and requirements of miners in ultra-deep mining conditions; a field study was conducted in which information was acquired by measurement (temperature, humidity), observation (work rate) and semi-directed interviews of a convenience sample, 20 volunteer participants (age, weight, height, shirt size, personal protective equipment currently worn and opinion about a cooling vest). The data was then structured, compiled and interpreted to create a matrix. RESULTS: Participants were found to be in the >> 50% percentile of the population regarding weight and height. All reacted positively to the idea of a cooling vest to help in their work. A matrix containing nine users and seven design-related criteria was created. CONCLUSIONS: The matrix must still be tested as to its validity. Its usage could then be extended to other fields of work in which heat is a health and safety concern for workers.