MINE RESCUE
Procedures:
Establishment of surface control
For dealing emergencies like explosions, fires, heating,
outbursts at any mine, the first step is to establish a
surface control. The senior management of mine
concerned and senior inspector together decide to
establish a surface control.
Objectives:
To decide:
1. Specific conditions of mine to be explored
2. Route of travel, familiarity with location
3. Rescue team available and limitations in terms of manpower and
apparatus
MINE RESCUE
Objectives of rescue work
1. Locating trapped men and bringing them to surface
2. Locating and combating incipient or active fires
3. After the emergency is over, examination of the mine to determine that
there is no dangerous concentration of noxious gases
Procedures prior to entering an irrespirable zone:
Constitution of a rescue team:
Rescue team: 5 to 8 trained rescue men
A captain and a vice-captain
MINE RESCUE
Equipment:
The minimum apparatus to be carried by a rescue team
besides their breathing apparatuses:
Captain: Folder, cards, watch, pen and plan
V. Captain: axe, chalk or markers
No. 3 man: bag containing oxygen therapy unit, resuscitator
No. 4. man: first aid equipment, tools, lights, spare oxygen cylinder and
captain’s book.
No. 5 man: collapsible stretcher
No. 6 man: escape units.
MINE RESCUE
Additional equipment: Based on circumstances
Link lines
Life lines
gloves,
Knee pads
Gas sampling and testing equipment
Communication equipment
Escape apparatus
Fire fighting equipment
Miscellaneous tools
Flash proof clothing
MINE RESCUE
The Fresh Air base:
Place from where rescue and recovery work in irrespirable
environment is conducted.
Location:
 may be on surface or underground depending upon the
emergency situation but as near as possible to the scene of
operation.
 The location must involve minimum risk of environmental
hazards like contamination by gases, etc.
 It should be located in a positive air current to avoid
contamination.
 Necessary conditions of the environment should be checked
before establishing the base at a particular site.
MINE RESCUE
Fresh air Base Location:
 An assured supply of fresh air
 An assured travel way for men and materials
 Effective communication with surface control
 The best possible illumination
 Sufficient work room for efficient operation
 Good roof conditions
MINE RESCUE
Management of fresh air base:
When rescue teams are at work beyond the fresh air base, the following
should be available at the base:
Two men of whom one should understand the breathing apparatus and first
aid.
A spare rescue team
Two or more oxygen revivers , stretchers and suitable means for gas
testing.
Rescue officials:
Duties



communication with surface control
Advising colliery officials
Sending gas samples to surface control as soon as possible

Checking the atmosphere for possible presence of noxious gases
MINE RESCUE
Colliery officials:
Important duties:
Briefing operational, gas testing, and stand by teams
Noting the time of departure and return of inby team
Organizing standby team to search for an over due rescue team
Keeping record of every body proceeded into mine
Ensuring adequate supply of materials and supply needed for
rescue work
Receiving written report from the captain
MINE RESCUE
Standby Team
Functions and duties:
• To search for the inby team if they become overdue
• To take message from the inby team to return in case of
danger
• To assist the inby team if survivors are located
• To assist inby team in the event of a collapsed team
member
MINE RESCUE
Briefing of rescue team (Important points)
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Nature of emergency
Status of information
Mine plan
Whether lives are involved
Status of standby team
The details of mine entries
Status of ventilation
Status of electric power
Details of work already
completed
Ground water conditions
o The type of roof support
o Location of fire fighting
equipment
o Communication system and its
status
o Availability of medical aid
o Main and alternate routes
o Contact persons with whom the
team shall coordinate
o Results of gas analysis since the
emergency
MINE RESCUE
Responsibilities:
The captain’s responsibilities
Discipline, safety, work performance by the team
The team member’s responsibilities
Complete checks on his breathing apparatus
Keeping plan of the area
Knowing his place and responsibility in the team
Ensuring that he is comfortable in the apparatus
MINE RESCUE
Procedures after entering an irrespirable zone
Order of travel
The team captain will always lead the team
Man No. 4
Man No. 3
Man No. 2
V. Captain
Rate of travel:
Weakest or slowest member of the team as a standard
Other factors:
 Visibility
 Obstructions
 Amount of oxygen available
 Burden to be carried
Captain
MINE RESCUE
The first stop
• Shortly after entering the irrespirable zone
•
Duration is approximately 2 minutes
•
This stop allows team members to adjust
themselves to the conditions
•
Captain performs essential checks on each
member of the team
Route marking
Captain or V. captain will mark the route of travel
by specifically noting the following
•
Team name
•
Time
•
Date
•
Direction of travel
MINE RESCUE
Route marking:
Marking at:
1. Every intersection or each 100 meters
2. Every turning from the straight road
3. Passing through ventilation doors, regulators, stopping
Communication
•
Communication between the team captain and fresh air
base through radio contact.
• Where underground telephone system is available that
may be used.
MINE RESCUE
Communication
Where there is no radio communication between
team members, following codes shall be used.
One hoot
distress or help wanted
Two hoots
halt
Three hoots
Retire
Four hoots
advance
Five hoots
Attention
Captain’s and team members responsibilities after
entering in irrespirable environment
MINE RESCUE
Smoky conditions
Using lifelines or link lines
Sail
To prevent back lush of smoke in intake airway
while fighting fire.
Portable sail made up of curtain, brattice cloth, etc
can be used. The purpose to reduce the area of the
airway and to increase the velocity of air. The
increased velocity tends to push the smoke back
towards fire.
MINE RESCUE
Return to fresh air base
After completing the rescue work or reaching the safety limits of
oxygen supply, the team shall return to fresh air base along the
same route as traveled inby. Alternate route shall only be used if it
is hazardous to follow the main route.
The team shall also return to fresh air base before the completion
of the task for any of the following reasons:
•
A breathing apparatus malfunctioning or oxygen shortage
•
An injury or any related problem to a team member
•
A change occurred in the mine environment
•
The team encountered unexpected adverse conditions
•
The team is called back from the fresh air base
•
Survivors in need of assistance are discovered.
MINE RESCUE
Search for survivors
After a gas or coal dust explosion, the most hazardous
task for rescue team is to search for survivors. In case
of fires, etc. large amounts of afterdamp is possible that
could adversely effect surviving workers. One possible
approach in such case is to barricade themselves and
isolate their position and wait for rescue team. Besides
danger of afterdamp, there may exist dangerous roof
conditions.
The rescue teams should first make the roof secure
before proceeding but in some cases this may
endanger lives of those trapped and have limited time
to survive.
MINE RESCUE
Barricades
Procedures:
•
All useful things including tools should be collected
•
Suitable place should be chosen to built a barricade
•
Construction must be started without delay
•
To provide a maximum quantity of air as much territory as possible in drifts
and cross cuts should be included into the barricade
•
After constructing the barricade, make sure that there are no openings
from where hazardous gases could enter.
•
Men should keep as quite as possible to avoid exertion
•
Only one cap lamp should be kept alight to save batteries.