Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
2004 Health and Safety Innovation Awards
2004 QUEENSLAND SAFETY & HEALTH
INNOVATION AWARDS
Project title: Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
Project profile: Southern Colliery has developed a manually powered
ventilation fan for emergency use in an underground refuge bay. The fan
operates similar to an exercise bike, without the resistance, but provides
emergency ventilation for up to 70 men. The fan is connected to the surface
via a borehole and will provide the refuge bay with a continuous supply of
fresh air for an extended period in the event of an emergency.
Company name:
Anglo Coal Capcoal Management (Southern Colliery)
Contact person:
Gareth Jones
Position:
Operations Manager
Address:
Private Mail Bag
City:
Middlemount
State
QLD
Postcode
4746
Phone
(07) 49 850 585
Fax
Email:
[email protected]
(07) 49 857 953
Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
2004 Health and Safety Innovation Awards
The Problem
In the event of a mine disaster or emergency, the reliable supply of fresh air to
underground mineworkers is a critical aspect of any rescue or emergency response.
Modern self escape strategies rely on the progressive gathering or recharging of
breathing apparatus to ensure mineworkers have sufficient oxygen to evacuate from
the underground environment. Underground refuge bays / stations may be established
as a “Place of Safety” for mineworkers unable to escape from the mine in the event of
emergency. The duration of “refuge” is principally dependant on the availability of
fresh air.
Stored breathing apparatus (BA), or stored compressed air (CA) may be available,
however the life of stored BA or CA is dependant on the number of units or capacity
of storage and the consumption rate of mineworkers in the refuge. In the event of a
protracted incident or high numbers of trapped mineworkers, stored BA or CA may be
insufficient to provide adequate air or oxygen for an extended period.
The Solution
Southern Colliery has developed a simple Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan to provide
trapped or resting mineworkers with uncontaminated fresh air for, potentially, an
indefinite period.
The fan is a pedal powered (exercise bike style) small centrifugal fan connected to a
cased 10” borehole directly to the surface. The fan when pedalled at a comfortable
pace will supply approximately 2800 l/m. (70 men at 40 l/m).
Whilst the main fan is running the ventilation pressure (approximately 1000 Pa) is
sufficient to supply similar quantities of air and can be controlled using a simple valve
arrangement. In the event of a main fan stoppage the valves can be closed, and the fan
pedalled to provide similar quantities of air.
Alternatives were considered; the refuge Bay Fan considered superior for emergency
use for the following reasons:
Alternative
Surface compressor.
Stored Breathing Apparatus.
Stored Compressed Air.
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Disadvantage
Requires maintenance.
Needs to be started.
Unreliable.
Capital cost.
Finite duration.
Capital cost.
Shelf life.
Needs an integrated escape plan.
Finite duration.
Capital cost.
Maintenance of cylinders.
Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
Alternative
Swedish Bomb Shelter Fan.
2004 Health and Safety Innovation Awards
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Disadvantage
Capital cost.
Hand cranked.
Limited Capcaity.
The Benefits
Mineworkers and Mine Management know that in the event of an emergency the
refuge bay can provide a continuous supply of fresh air for a large number of men for
an extended period.
The system is simple and it is a manual process. It has very little maintenance
requirements and is very easy to operate.
The truth is that it will probably never be used in an emergency. The benefit is that if
it does it has the potential to save a lot of lives.
Significance
As mines continue to develop, the distance for self escape continues to increase. For
mineworkers unable to self escape through injury, conditions, fatigue, or fitness a
refuge bay becomes an essential component of a mine’s Evacuation Plan.
For Incident Management Teams, the prospect of mineworkers requiring aided escape
with a limited supply of air will require urgent use of extensive resources to ensure a
safe rescue.
The Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan is a simple, practical, solution to the continuous
supply of fresh air to mineworkers in an underground refuge bay. It doesn’t need
electricity, diesel, or any special training. All you have to is pedal and you will have
fresh air.
As previously identified, alternatives have both benefits and disadvantages. The aim
of this fan is to provide a solution to the need to provide fresh air to mineworkers in a
refuge for an extended period.
Transferability across industry
The Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan may be implemented at any mine or operation with a
refuge bay. There is no special technology, no approvals, no electrical circuits and no
special training required.
Innovation and originality
Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
2004 Health and Safety Innovation Awards
A world wide search was initiated to find a solution for the supply of air to the refuge
bay. The closest thing that could be found was a bomb shelter fan from Sweden.
These models are about 3 times the price of the Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan and about
half of the capacity. The other difficulty with the Bomb Shelter fan is that it is hand
cranked. The pedal fan is comfortable and may be operated for an extended period
without fatigue. For the comfort of the user the pedal fan maintains its own inertia and
does not pose resistance to motion in the same way an exercise bike does.
Utilising a local manufacturer, a custom fan was designed and manufactured to suit
the specifications of the Southern Colliery Refuge Bay.
Application of risk management principles
No new hazards have been introduced into the work place with the development and
installation of the Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan.
This fan is in itself a control to an identified hazard. The risk is that; after some time
mineworkers in a refuge will run out of air. This simple Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
goes a long way to alleviating that risk.
Summary
Southern Colliery is proud to nominate the Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan for the 2004
Health and Safety Innovation Award. Even more, Southern Colliery is committed to
resourceing solutions to identified hazards in the mining industry. It is hoped that at
the very least, through this nomination, this project can be publicised to the industry
and others too will see the value in providing refuge bays with reliable sources of
fresh air.
Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
2004 Health and Safety Innovation Awards
Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan
2004 Health and Safety Innovation Awards