This research compares how the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) prevent the occurrence of and respond to incidents of workplace explosions in their industries. This was a qualitative study that utilized interpretivism as the theoretical framework. The study sought to answer four research questions. (1) What are the explosive hazards present in the coal mining and sugar refining environments? (2) What explosion prevention methodologies are available? (3) What MSHA regulations apply to coal mine explosions and what OSHA regulations apply to refinery explosions? (4) Are there differences in the way that the agencies enforce regulations when faced with a similar catastrophic event?
","abstract_html":"<p>This research compares how the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) prevent the occurrence of and respond to incidents of workplace explosions in their industries. This was a qualitative study that utilized interpretivism as the theoretical framework. The study sought to answer four research questions. (1) What are the explosive hazards present in the coal mining and sugar refining environments? (2) What explosion prevention methodologies are available? (3) What MSHA regulations apply to coal mine explosions and what OSHA regulations apply to refinery explosions? (4) Are there differences in the way that the agencies enforce regulations when faced with a similar catastrophic event?</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Burba, Jessica Dawn"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Safety, Security, and Emergency Management","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:13Z","subjects":["explosion mitigation","explosion pentagon","mine explosions","regulatory agency","sugar refinery explosions","workplace explosions","Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2011 Jessica Dawn Burba"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/24","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Burba, Jessica Dawn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Safety, Security, and Emergency Management"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["explosion mitigation","explosion pentagon","mine explosions","regulatory agency","sugar refinery explosions","workplace explosions","Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2011 Jessica Dawn Burba"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/24"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research compares how the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) prevent the occurrence of and respond to incidents of workplace explosions in their industries. This was a qualitative study that utilized interpretivism as the theoretical framework. The study sought to answer four research questions. (1) What are the explosive hazards present in the coal mining and sugar refining environments? (2) What explosion prevention methodologies are available? (3) What MSHA regulations apply to coal mine explosions and what OSHA regulations apply to refinery explosions? (4) Are there differences in the way that the agencies enforce regulations when faced with a similar catastrophic event?
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"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/24"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2011 Jessica Dawn Burba"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["explosion mitigation","explosion pentagon","mine explosions","regulatory agency","sugar refinery explosions","workplace explosions","Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene"],"dc:title":["Workplace Explosions: A Comparison of the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Safety, Security, and Emergency Management"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:13Z"}