A focus group study of the first moments in an underground mine emergency response was conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Office for Mine Safety and Health Research. Participants in the study included mine rescue team members, team trainers, mine officials, state mining personnel, and individual mine managers. A subset of the data consists of responses from participants with mine rescue backgrounds. These responses were noticeably different from those given by on-site emergency personnel who were at the mine and involved with decisions made during the first moments of an event. As a result, mine rescue team behavior data were separated in the analysis and are reported in this article. By considering the responses from mine rescue team members and trainers, it was possible to sort the data and identify seven key areas of importance to them. On the basis of the responses from the focus group participants with a mine rescue background, the authors concluded that accurate and complete information and a unity of purpose among all command center personnel are two of the key conditions needed for an effective mine rescue operation.

The 19 fatalities in two explosions and a mine fire in underground coal mines in 2006 raised a number of issues about mine emergency preparedness and response. Reviews of federal investigation reports for these incidents indicated that investigators had concerns about miners’ ability to don and use self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs); miners’ judgment and decision making abilities; miners’ familiarity with escape procedures; and emergency communications (Murray et al. 2007; Light et al. 2007; Gates et al. 2007). | Following the three major mine incidents in 2006, the National Mining Association’s (NMA) Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission (MSTTC) reviewed National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) prior research on mine emergency decision-making. In addition, the commission conducted a survey to seek the opinion of industry and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) safety professionals on issues related to “training for preparedness.” Of the 79 participants in the survey, 76% felt there was a need to improve training on how to make decisions during mine emergencies, including those involving self-escape and aided rescue (Mine Safety Technology and Training Commission, 2006). | NIOSH has conducted research focusing on judgment and decision-making in mine emergencies. A study by Vaught et al. (2000) looked at judgment and decision-making in the context of escaping a mine fire. In 2010, researchers conducted interviews with personnel from six coal mining operations to understand how they approach judgment and decision-making when developing quarterly mine escape training (Brnich and Hall 2013).

Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted seven focus groups and 10 individual interviews to gather data on what happens in the first crucial moments of a mine emergency. The goal of the project was to learn about responses on-site during the initial phases of a mine emergency to further improve response. The subjects represented underground coal and salt mines in the southern, western, mid-western, and eastern parts of the United States. They included on-site responders, mine rescue team members, and experts in mine emergency response with extensive experience in managing mine disasters. The types of disasters the subjects experienced were diverse, including explosions, fires, and inundations (sudden floods of water or inrushes of dangerous gases). This study was unique in its focus on the first moments in an emergency response, in studying underground coal mine emergencies and in utilizing a focus group methodology. Results indicated that there were common themes in initial response, which included the importance of mine emergency planning and training, quantity and quality of communication providing information for decision-making, leadership and trust, plus individual personal issues. Previous relevant studies are presented and the researchers discuss the data providing specific examples. The article concludes with recommendations to enhance initial response in the first critical moments of an emergency.