Overview
Background
Nikky specialises in occupational health and safety research for the mining industry. She is currently working on characterisation of dust exposures in the mining and engineered stone work industries and its relation to occupational lung dieseases.
Nikky is a driven researcher with 18 years of experience in mining engineering with a focus on occupational health and safety research. Her research interests include respirable dust, real-time monitoring, accident and injury data analysis, emergency management and self-escape. She has underground and surface coal experience having worked in Australia, North & South America with a focus on strategic planning, project management and mine planning.
Research Interests
>Management of Particulates in the Resources Sector
Strategically assessing knowledge gaps in the understanding of particulates including inspirable dusts, respirable dusts, fine particles (including diesel emissions) and ultrafine particles and the growing awareness of the contribution of silica to respiratory disease. Establishing the current state of knowledge, gaps, and future opportunities for human exposure and health, monitoring, control effectiveness, non-coal mining, diesel particulate matter, and cumulative impacts. Trialling and comparative testing of gravimetric and real-time respirable dust monitoring technologies.
>Incident Management
Improving incident management practices by conducting Queensland Level 1 Emergency exercises and assessing the actions of the mines incident management team. Reviewing previous Level 1 exercise report recommendations and collating key themes to produce a best practices guide for industry. Aligning emergency management systems across all Queensland underground coal mines including escapeway markings, non-verbal communications, lifeline and hard hat colours. Establishing design criteria for built-in-place emergency shelters in underground mines.
>Injury Analysis and Accident Investigation
Reviewing and analysing fatality, high potential incident, serious accident and lost time injury data. Recoding data and creating a new injury classification taxonomy better suited to mining industry conditions to convey the trends in the data. Identifying organisational factors contributing to fatalities and high potential incidents. Reviewing occupational health statistics and disease surveillance systems with particular interest in relation to geographical distribution of disease prevalence.
Qualifications
>Bachelor of Science, Mining & Minerals Engineering, Virginia Tech
>Masters of Business Administration, Finance, University of Alabama Birmingham
>Registered Professional Engineer Queensland
>Chartered Professional AusIMM
Availability
- Ms Nikky La Branche is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Board Member, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
Works
Search Professor Nikky La Branche’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Other Outputs
Characterising the Nature of Respirable Dust in Underground Coal Mines to Inform the Assessment and Management of Respiratory Health Risks to Coal Mine Workers
LaBranche, Niccolle (2024). Characterising the Nature of Respirable Dust in Underground Coal Mines to Inform the Assessment and Management of Respiratory Health Risks to Coal Mine Workers. PhD Thesis, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland.
2023
Journal Article
Method for the analysis of respirable airborne particulates on filter using the mineral liberation analyser
LaBranche, Nikky, Wightman, Elaine, Teale, Kellie, Johnstone, Kelly and Cliff, David (2023). Method for the analysis of respirable airborne particulates on filter using the mineral liberation analyser. Minerals, 13 (12) 1526. doi: 10.3390/min13121526
2022
Journal Article
Characterization analysis of airborne particulates from Australian underground coal mines using the mineral liberation analyser
LaBranche, Nikky, Teale, Kellie, Wightman, Elaine, Johnstone, Kelly and Cliff, David (2022). Characterization analysis of airborne particulates from Australian underground coal mines using the mineral liberation analyser. Minerals, 12 (7) 796, 796. doi: 10.3390/min12070796
2021
Journal Article
Characterization of particulates from Australian underground coal mines
LaBranche, Nikky, Keles, Cigdem, Sarver, Emily, Johnstone, Kelly and Cliff, David (2021). Characterization of particulates from Australian underground coal mines. Minerals, 11 (5) 447, 1-10. doi: 10.3390/min11050447
2021
Conference Publication
Respirable coal dust and silica exposure standards in coal mining: science or black magic?
LaBranche, Nikky, Cliff, David, Johnstone, Kelly and Bofinger, Carmel (2021). Respirable coal dust and silica exposure standards in coal mining: science or black magic?. 2021 Resoure Operators Conference, Wollongong, NSW Australia, 18-20 February 2021. Wollongong, NSW Australia: University of Wollongong.
2020
Conference Publication
What don't we know about dust? A strategic assessment of gaps in the understanding and management of particulates in the resources sector
LaBranche, N. and Cliff, D. (2020). What don't we know about dust? A strategic assessment of gaps in the understanding and management of particulates in the resources sector. 2020 SME Annual Conference and Expo, Phoenix, AZ, United States, 23 - 26 February 2020. Englewood, CO, United States: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.
2018
Conference Publication
Emerging trends in injuries in the underground coal sector: an analysis of Queensland data from 2006-2017
LaBranche, Nikky (2018). Emerging trends in injuries in the underground coal sector: an analysis of Queensland data from 2006-2017. 18th Coal Operators' Conference, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, 7-9 February 2018. Wollongong, NSW, Australia: University of Wollongong.
2018
Conference Publication
Improving respirable coal dust exposure monitoring and control
Cliff, David, LaBranche, Nikky, Shepherd, Mark and Djukic, Fritz (2018). Improving respirable coal dust exposure monitoring and control. 2018 Coal Operators ' Conference, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, 7-9 February 2018. Wollongong, NSW, Australia: AUSIMM.
2017
Conference Publication
Emerging trends in injuries in the underground metalliferous sector - an analysis of Queensland data 2006-2016
LaBranche, Nikky (2017). Emerging trends in injuries in the underground metalliferous sector - an analysis of Queensland data 2006-2016. 13th AusIMM Underground Operators Conference 2017, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 16-18 October 2017. Gold Coast, QLD Australia: AusIMM.
2016
Conference Publication
Organisational factors in fatalities and high potential incidents
LaBranche, N. and Callinan, G. (2016). Organisational factors in fatalities and high potential incidents. International Mine Management 2016, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 22-24 August 2016. Brisbane, QLD Australia: AusIMM.
2016
Conference Publication
Safety management planning for gas management
LaBranche, N. (2016). Safety management planning for gas management. 2016 SME Annual Conference & Expo, Phenix, AZ USA, 21-24 February 2016. Englewood, CO USA: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.
Supervision
Availability
- Ms Nikky La Branche is:
- Available for supervision
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Media
Enquiries
Contact Ms Nikky La Branche directly for media enquiries about:
- black lung
- coal mine dust
- dust characterisation
- dust lung diseases
- engineered stone
- Mine dust lung diseases
- particulate characterisation
- respirable dust
- underground coal
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