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Ms Nikky La Branche
Ms

Nikky La Branche

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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

11 works between 2016 and 2024

1 - 11 of 11 works

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.

Characterising the Nature of Respirable Dust in Underground Coal Mines to Inform the Assessment and Management of Respiratory Health Risks to Coal Mine Workers

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

Method for the analysis of respirable airborne particulates on filter using the mineral liberation analyser

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

Characterization analysis of airborne particulates from Australian underground coal mines using the mineral liberation analyser

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

Characterization of particulates from Australian underground coal mines

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.

Respirable coal dust and silica exposure standards in coal mining: science or black magic?

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.

What don't we know about dust? A strategic assessment of gaps in the understanding and management of particulates in the resources sector

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.

Emerging trends in injuries in the underground coal sector: an analysis of Queensland data from 2006-2017

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.

Improving respirable coal dust exposure monitoring and control

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.

Emerging trends in injuries in the underground metalliferous sector - an analysis of Queensland data 2006-2016

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.

Organisational factors in fatalities and high potential incidents

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.

Safety management planning for gas management

Funding

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2027
    Gap Analysis of Return to Work for Mine Dust Lung Disease Affected Workers in the Mining and Artificial Stone Industries
    Queensland Government Office of Industrial Relations
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    Evaluating Risks for Adverse Respiratory Health in Queensland Workers Exposed to Coal Mine Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica: Exploration and Integration of Existing Data Systems
    Queensland Government Office of Industrial Relations
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    Physico-chemical characteristicstry and toxicity of coal mine and artificial stone particulates: Identifying factors critical to the pathogenesis and severity of cola workers' pneumoconiosis and <..>
    Queensland Government Office of Industrial Relations
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2022
    Characterisation of Particulates for MMG Underground Mines (101MMGBG21)
    MMG Australia Limited
    Open grant
  • 2021
    Strategic Assessment of Gaps in the Understanding and Management of Particulates in the Resources Sector (102GLENPARTIC)
    Glencore Australia Holdings Pty Limited
    Open grant

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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