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Our nation's miners often rely on emergency responders to save their lives in the event of an underground emergency, such as a fire, explosion, roof fall, or water inundation. Approximately 675 underground coal and 260 underground metal/nonmetal and stone mines operate in the U.S. According to a recent Mine Safety and Health Administration survey, the U.S. has 236 state and company mine rescue teams. These rescue team members must be provided with the latest personal protective equipment, be well trained and physically fit, and fully understand the hazards of rescue, exploration and recovery operations. Miners are often the first responders to a mine emergency such as a fire. Fire preparedness and response plans are essential, as are realistic training and technology. Good communication and decision making skills are also important. Enhanced methodologies and training interventions are needed to ensure that mine personnel possess the communication and decision making skills required to "do it right".Overviews
Coal Mine Communications (PDF, 351 KB, 2006)
The tragic events at the Darby, Alma, Sago, and Brookwood No. 5 coal mines have highlighted the need for reliable communications between miners working inside a mine and those outside.
Emergency Response Planning for Small Mines: Who Needs It? (PDF, 8693 KB, 1994)
This paper discusses emergency response planning with a special emphasis on small minesites. It addresses the importance of an emergency response plan and offers some tips for developing a useful document.
History
An Oral History Analysis of Mine Emergency Response (PDF, 697 KB, 2004-04)
A compilation of accounts by 30 veteran mine emergency response experts. In their own words, the experts discuss the circumstances of specific explosions, fires, rock falls, and other mine emergencies from their personal experience, the procedures they and their colleagues used in responding to the emergencies, and lessons learned from those experiences.
Measurement & analysis
How Smoke Hinders Escape from Coal Mine Fires (PDF, 337 KB, 1992)
This study predicts the level of smoke that miners might meet while trying to escape a coal minefire and describes how smoke would impede their safe escape.
A Profile of Workers' Experiences and Preparedness in Responding to Underground Mine Fires (PDF, 5633 KB, 1996)
The purpose of this study was to determine mine workers' state of fire-fighting preparedness and the technology being used to detect and respond to underground coal mine fires. To investigate this problem, 214 underground coal miners were interviewed. Frequency distributions of workers' responses are presented, along with segments of narrative accounts, to profile miners' fire-fighting capabilities. The data indicated that much variability exists from mine to mine and that there are several important changes operators may undertake in order to make miners better prepared to deal with fire underground.
Ranking Factors Impacting Survival During Coal Mine Fires (PDF, 675 KB, 1993)
This study ranks the factors impacting survival during a coal mine fire. These authors found that a combination of actions was most effective. This combination was: installing lifelines; moderately decreasing air leakage; and decreasing the fire growth rate.
Using Major Hazard Risk Assessment to Appraise and Manage Escapeway Instability Issues: A Case Study (PDF, 462 KB, 2007)
A Major Hazard Risk Assessment (MHRA) is a structured process that identifies the characteristics of major hazards, assesses and ranks the risk they present, and evaluates engineering and administrative controls to mitigate them. This paper provides a case study example as to how the MHRA approach might be used to mitigate the risk of roof instability and fire hazards in US underground mines.
Engineering controls
Evaluation of a Signaling and Warning System for Underground Mines (PDF, 1087 KB, 1997-05)
A report evaluating a wireless signaling and warning system for underground mines applicable to both coal and non-coal mines. A TeleMagnetic Signalling Systems wireless ultra-low-frequency electromagnetic signaling system was installed. A commercial smoke sensor was interfaced to a remote portable transmitter, and the alarm of the sensor was used to trigger the central evacuation and paging transmitter system during experimental mine fires.
Administrative controls
Emergency Response Veterans Share the Lessons They've Learned (PDF, 1024 KB, 1996)
Since 1991, researchers have recorded extensive interviews with 30 individuals who are recognized as experts in the area of mine emergency response. These veterans related stories and observations from events experienced during as many as 47 years of response activities.
Fire Response Preparedness for Underground Mines (PDF, 2006)
This report deals with the preparedness of miners to respond to underground mine fires. It is intended to aid the mining industry in understanding the various roles of emergency responders and the training techniques used to increase their skill levels. The report also presents a technology overview to assist in effective response to mine fires.
Innovative Strategies for Mine Fire Preparedness (PDF, 152 KB, 1998)
During the past 15 years the number of reportable mine fires has declined. A decline in the number of reportable fires is a gross indicator that allows experts to say something about the underground coal industry generally: There has been some improvement in overall mine fire preparedness. However, such an indicator is less reliable as a predictor of readiness at any particular operation.
Mine Emergency Response Command Center Training Using Computer Simulation (PDF, 1237 KB, 2002)
This paper discusses the Mine Emergency Response Interactive Training Simulation (MERITS), a computerized simulation for providing mine emergency command center training.
NIOSH Docket Number 125: Refuge Alternative Research (HTML, 10 KB, 2008-02)
NIOSH prepared a report to summarize the findings of its research into refuge alternatives in underground coal mines, as mandated in Section 13 of The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act). This docket contains the supporting information and key reference materials concerning the utility, practicality, survivability and cost of various refuge alternatives.
An Underground Coal Mine Fire Preparedness and Response Checklist: The Instrument (PDF, 1179 KB, 2000)
Provides a detailed description of a data collection instrument used to profile the fire prevention and response capabilities of a mine site.
Personal protective equipment
Raw Data Files for the SCSR Long Term Field Evaluation Combined Eighth and Ninth Phase Results (HTM, 13 KB, 2006-11)
These are the raw data files for the SCSR Long Term Field Evaluation Combined Eighth and Ninth Phase Results
Self-Contained Self-Rescuer Long Term Field Evaluation: Combined Eighth and Ninth Phase Results (PDF, 1624 KB, 2006-10)
NIOSH and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) are conducting a Long Term Field Evaluation (LTFE) program to evaluate deployed self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs). The objective of the program is to evaluate how well SCSRs endure the underground coal mining environment with regard to both physical damage and aging when they are deployed in accordance with Federal regulations (30 CFR 75.1714). This report presents findings of the combined eighth and ninth phases of the LTFE.
Training exercises
MERITS - Mine Emergency Response Interactive Training Simulation
MERITS provides trainees an opportunity to gain command center experience during a simulated underground coal mine emergency. This computer-based training allows trainees to practice information gathering, situation assessment, decision-making, and coordination skills without risk to personnel or property.
The Emergency Communication Triangle
This safety talk focuses on the content of emergency warning messages. Research has shown that when an emergency occurs, people often do not get the information they need for the purpose of taking appropriate action. This safety talk presents a procedure, using mental cues that can be used by senders and receivers of emergency warnings. Graphics for use during the talk and references are included.
Training
Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Sterilizing Self-Contained Self-Rescuer Mouthpiece Assemblies Used in Hands-On Training (PDF, 928 KB, 1989)
This report addresses issues involved in using a limited number of training apparatus to give hands-on self- contained self-rescuer (SCSR) training to a succession of miners, and provides guidance regarding methods for minimizing the spread of infectious diseases.
Training Future Mine Emergency Responders Part 2: What Topics Should be Included? (http://holmessafety.org/1997/NOV97.pdf) (PDF, 1044 KB, 1997-11)
This is the second of two articles which report experts responses to questions about training for future mine emergencies. During the interviews they discussed how training should be conducted, who should be trained, and what topics should be included. This article will cover the third area: Topics that should be included in training for mine emergency response managers.
Videos
Escape from Mine Fires
This videotape deals with the experiences of two miners in escaping an underground coal mine fire in 1988. It illustrates the importance of knowing effective self-rescue and escape procedures.
Emergency Response Planning (Who Needs It?)
This video focuses on the importance of small mine operations having an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) and discusses the planning, development, and proper use of the ERP. It would be useful to any small operation considering their state of readiness for an emergency.
Recovery of Farmington #9: An Interview with Danny Kuhn
This video is designed to acquaint mine rescue personnel with certain aspects of rescue work that are not traditionally taught - the strain caused by continual work under adverse conditions; the problem of "survivor guilt" - being spared the fate of one's deceased buddies; and the possibility that post-traumatic stress can occur during the sometimes lengthy task of body recovery.
Training theory & methodology
Knowledge Management and Transfer for Mine Emergency Response (PDF, 173 KB, 2006)
US coal mining organizations are losing the knowledge they need in order to be able to respond to emergencies. Knowledge management provides a useful perspective from which to view the problem, but the debate about what constitutes knowledge should be broadened to include a debate about what constitutes management.
| Emotional stress | |
| Explosions | |
| Fires |