The app, ErgoMine, is available for Android devices and provides an ergonomic assessment for three types of operations in the mining industry: bagging, maintenance and repair, and haul truck operations. By asking users a series of questions about work tasks and worksite conditions, ErgoMine produces recommendations for ergonomic improvements in a final summary which details the results of the audit. The app also provides the option for users to email the recommendations to themselves or others for further review.

NIOSH said the new app gives mine workers without formal ergonomics training a tool for auditing their workplaces and identifying issues with their workplace conditions or with the way work is performed.

Users of the app might review the tools and equipment on a worksite or other factors such as postures adopted while working. The ergonomics and safety improvements suggested by the app can help prevent musculoskeletal injuries and promote health, safety, and efficiency.

ErgoMine is modular, and the app automatically selects appropriate modules based on the responses to questions about the nature of the operations at a particular site. The user can also choose to complete all or some modules to allow flexibility such as when doing a before-and-after comparison of a particular workstation.

The app, created by NIOSH’s Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, is designed to work on Android smartphones and tablets, and is available at the Google Play store.