Mining accidents

Regulations. The U.S. Bureau of Mines, Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) studies hazards and advises on accident prevention. MESA also adrninisters laws dealing with safety in mines. Individual states may also have departments of mines to adrninister state standards. 

Previously, the facility had several mullimillion dollar accidents, and near misses. After each accident, investigations were made and corrective actions taken. However the large fire precipitated a risk evaluation of the entire mining complex to find latent accidents. 

The mining facility consists of four major operations 1) mining, ore extraction and transportation, 2) ore processing - treatment with chemical solvents to remove minerals, 3) removing impurities and 4) utilities e.g., electricity, steam, water, air and natural gas provided by the facility s power plant and by off-site suppliers. Accidents in any of these operations can stop the whole process. 

The FRR required 8 calendar months to complete. It was performed by a team of three risk analysts who expended 2 staff-years of effort conducting the analysis. During the FRR, the mining lacility provided 15 people who collectively expended about 4 staff-months of effort providing the risk analysis with facility design information and estimating accident impacts. 

Nuclear reactor accidents d d Pesticides d Uranium mining d Asbestos d PCBs Nuclear weapons... 

Nuclear weapons (war)d d Underwater construction d Sport parachutes d Coal mining accidents d General aviation... 

Kuchta, J. M. 1985. Investigation of fire and explosion accidents in the chemical, mining, and fuel-related industries-A manual. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 680. 

Mitchell CW, Y ant WP. 1925. Correlation of the data obtained from refinery accidents with a laboratory study of hydrogen sulfide and its treatment. From Investigation of toxic gases from Mexican and other high-sulfur petroleums and products. Smith etal. 1925. Report by the Dept of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, to the American Petroleum Institute, Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office, pp 59-80. 

Figure 6-5 Maximum pressure for methane combustion in a 20-L sphere. The flammability limits are defined at 1 psig maximum pressure. Data from C. V. Mashuga and D. A. Crowl, Process Safety Progress (1998), 17(3) 176-183 and J. M. Kuchta, Investigation of Fire and Explosion Accidents in the Chemical, Mining, and Fuel-Related Industries A Manual, US Bureau of Mines Report 680 (Washington, DC US Bureau of Mines, 1985).

Reactor accidents have been greatly publicized, but there has not been one death associated with an American nuclear reactor accident. However the dependence on automobiles results in more than 40,000 deaths each year. All forms of energy generation, including alternatives like solar and wind involve industrial deaths in the mining, manufacture, and transport of materials they require. Nuclear energy requires the smallest amount of resources and thus has the lowest risk of deaths. 

International forums, international mine action standards, manual and mechanical clearance, dogs, risk education, equipment, EOD/UXO safety, accident database, victim assistance, and much more. 

Although fire damp/ which is mainly methane, and choke damp (carbon dioxide) are frequent causes of mine accidents, Dr. William Brownrigg learned how to make good use of them. In 1741 he communicated to the Royal Society several papers on the gases of coal mines, but preferred to withhold them from publication until he could prepare a comprehensive treatise on the subject. His laboratory at Whitehaven was provided with several gas furnaces of his own design and a constant supply of fire damp from the nearby mines. Because of his skill in foretelling explosions by the rapid fall of the barometer, mine operators often consulted him. 

Alexandre-Emile Beguyer de Chan-courtois, 1820-1886. Inspector-general of mines and professor of geology at the Ecole Sup neure des Mines in Paris He made geological explorations m France, Asia Minor, Iceland, and Greenland. As a humanitarian reform to prevent accidents from firedamp, he compelled mine owners to sink two shafts for each coal mine His most important contribution to chemistry was his spiral periodic arrangement of the elements Courtesy Mme. Jean Presne and the Ecole Sup6rieure des Mines, Pans... 

Richards, H. P. 1951. Accidents. In Mason, E. (ed) Practical Coal Mining for Miners (second edition). Virtue and Company, London, 337-341, vol. I. 

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