ENVIRONMENT

Best practices issued after May fatalities

THE US Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued best practice guidelines after the recent underground explosion that killed five coal miners and injured one other in Kentucky and the death of a miner operating a battery-powered scoop in West Virginia.

Staff Reporter

On Saturday, May 20, at about 1.00am local time, an underground explosion occurred at Darby No. 1 mine in Kentucky that resulted in the deaths of five miners.

The accident occurred at the start of the maintenance shift and four of the six miners underground, including the survivor, were located in the active working section at the time of the explosion.

MSHA said mine operators should adhere to the following best practices to avoid future incidents similar to the one at Darby No. 1 mine:

Maintaining sufficient ventilation is the first line of defence against an ignition or explosion;

Generous applications of rock dust can prevent the propagation of coal dust explosions;

Gas tests should be made more frequently during periods of dropping barometric pressures. Also, gas tests must be made at all locations that could be contacted by flame or sparks immediately before and continuously during any welding, cutting, or soldering activity, which shall not be conducted in air that contains 1% or more of methane;

Monitoring the efficiency of ventilation systems is critical to ensure gases are continuously diluted and carried away from active workings. Examinations should also ensure that seal water traps contain sufficient fluid to maintain effective isolation; and

Clean up loose coal, coal dust and other combustible material. The possibility of a fire or explosion can be diminished by reducing the fuel supply.

The five deaths brought to 17 the total number of fatalities classified as Ignition/Explosion of Gas/Dust in 2006.

On May 24 this year at about 2.30pm, a 34-year-old man with 7 months of mining experience was fatally injured while operating a battery-powered scoop. While tramming the scoop to the surface, a plank, three inches thick by nine inches wide by 12 feet long, entered the operator's compartment striking and fatally crushing the victim.

MSHA said mine operators should adhere to the following best practices to avoid similar future incidents:

Conduct thorough pre-shift examinations to determine the presence of any hazards in areas where mobile equipment is to be operated;

Examine active roadways as often as necessary to ensure safety, particularly when hauling loose materials;

Maintain all haulage ways and travel ways free of extraneous materials that may pose a hazard to equipment operators, passengers or miners; and

Emphasise safe operating procedures for equipment and maintenance of roadways in all training programs.

The death was the fifth fatality classified as Powered Haulage in 2006.

TOPICS:

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations using autonomous solutions in every region and sector, including analysis of the factors driving investment decisions

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2023 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of current exploration rates, trending exploration technologies, a ranking of top drill intercepts and a catalogue of 2022 Initial Resource Estimates and recent discovery successes.