Amy Chambers, MS, and Lauren Chubb, DrPH: Advancing Safety and Health for Miners

During Women’s History Month, NIOSH will item respective female researchers and their contributions to NIOSH and America’s workers.

Amy Chambers, MS

Amy Chambers, MS, is simply a investigation technologist moving successful nan NIOSH Spokane Mining Research Division. She joined NIOSH successful July 2015.

Ms. Chambers seeks to guarantee underground miners person a unchangeable tile to activity under. With a inheritance successful metallurgy, she is nan lead technologist for corrosion investigation arsenic portion of a task to analyse crushed control (i.e., controlling nan crushed supra an underground excavation workspace) successful metallic mines.Her results could besides person exertion to ember mines, arsenic they excessively usage supportive tile bolts to clasp up nan crushed supra workers.

Roof bolts, which are drilled into some nan excavation ceiling and nan walls, are a important subordinate successful crushed control. However, these metallic bolts are taxable to corrosion and failure—an arena which tin hap arsenic quickly arsenic 2 to 3 months successful immoderate places—depending connected nan moisture and geochemistry successful nan stone and nan stresses placed connected nan bolts while they clasp up nan roof. These mixed factors tin corrode bolts to nan constituent that they break and autumn out, which whitethorn lead to an unsupported roof—a awesome hazard successful an underground mine.

In her work, Ms. Chambers seeks to forestall crushed falls by uncovering ways to foretell really corrosive a mine’s conditions could beryllium connected tile bolts. Prevention is key, arsenic not only are crushed falls vulnerable for excavation workers, rehabilitating corroded areas is difficult and expensive. Ms. Chambers is researching ways sensors whitethorn thief alert mines that tile bolts are successful threat of failure. In summation to conducting investigation successful nan lab, Ms. Chambers useful collaboratively pinch aggregate excavation companies, crushed power instrumentality suppliers, and academia.

Ms. Chambers earned a Bachelor of Science grade successful Chemistry successful 2012, and her Master of Science successful Metallurgical Engineering successful 2014, some from nan University of Utah. Her postgraduate activity investigated corrosion successful electrowinning, a process measurement successful refining gold.

Lauren Chubb, DrPH

Lauren Chubb, DrPH, is simply a beingness intelligence and nationalist wellness interrogator moving successful nan NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division. After getting her commencement astatine NIOSH successful 2013 arsenic an unpaid student intern and returning nan pursuing twelvemonth done nan Pathways Program for Students and Recent Graduates, she was past hired full-time successful 2016.

Dr. Chubb’s existent activity examines airborne particulates successful mining, and she devotes astir of her clip to researching really to thief nan mining manufacture reside respirable crystalline silica (RCS), a particulate recovered not only successful mining, but besides successful construction, lipid and gas, and wide industry. Overexposure to this peculiar particulate tin origin silicosis, an incurable, often progressive, and perchance fatal lung disease.

For nan past respective years, Dr. Chubb has worked pinch squad members to create a method for field-based study of RCS that tin beryllium performed pinch a portable instrumentality and accepted particulate sampling cassettes. The existent method to study really overmuch RCS is coming successful a excavation situation involves sending sampling cassettes distant to a lab, pinch results disposable days aliases moreover weeks later. This benignant of clip hold tin lead to workers continuing to activity successful akin conditions pinch precocious RCS concentrations. Having an on-the-spot study will alternatively let mines to amended measure really their particulate power measures are working, and make changes accordingly.

Dr. Chubb and her squad members are further refining nan RCS study process to make it arsenic meticulous arsenic imaginable for miners and business hygienists, arsenic limiting silica vulnerability is important to preventing silicosis.

Dr. Chubb earned a Bachelor of Science successful Chemistry, arsenic good arsenic a Master and Doctorate successful Public Health, each from nan University of Pittsburgh.

Valerie Coughanour, MA, MFA, is simply a Health Communication Specialist successful nan NIOSH Mining Program.