Sociotechnical communication in an underground mine fire: a study of warning messages during an emergency evacuation

This paper discusses social and technical factors associated with underground coal miners' reactions to their operation's warning message system. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with workers who escaped a major fire at their mine and have identified specific junctures at which individual interpretation and response became particularly problematic. It is concluded that the implementation of a few relatively simple human factors principles could have improved the efficacy of warning communication systems at that mine. Since the delay between flame propagation and a decision to evacuate is one of the most important variables in assessing survival chances, these improvements could have invaluable payoffs for other operations as well.