Search Documents

By Launa Mallett, Charles Vaught, Michael Brnich, ROBERT PETERS

Interviews of 48 miners who escaped underground coal mine fires revealed that none of them had ever, before that incident, worn their self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) either in training or in a real emergency. Consequently, they were ill-prepared to use this emergency breathing apparatus. One persistent problem stemmed from the fact that miners had no notion of breathing resistance, nor of the fact that it would get more difficult to breathe the longer they wore their device. As a result, many of those who were interviewed had simply removed their mouthpieces and breathed ambient air. This is obviously behavior that should be trained out of the workforce. Unfortunately, because of high costs and difficult logistics, miner training is unlikely to ever include donning and wearing an apparatus on a regular basis. In order to give workers a better idea of what to expect from their devices, therefore, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health researchers developed a tabletop (paper and pencil) simulation based upon actual predicaments evacuees had reported encountering. The simulation is designed to emphasize important points related to donning and wearing a self-contained self-rescuer in a mine fire escape, and, by doing so, to bring miners' expectations more in line with what their actual experiences would be. The simulation was field tested in six training classes at three different mining operations. In all, 99 individuals were involved in completing the exercise and rating its properties. In their ratings 88% of the respondents indicated they thought the scenario could definitely happen in real life, and over 80% agreed they had learned something new. From the field test data it was concluded that the simulation had authenticity and potential value as a teaching tool. The simulation was therefore used in a pre-test/post-test control group experiment to determine whether it led to improvements in miners' scores on a true-false test of their SCSR's functional capabilities and proper usage. Eighty-three miners were included in this part of the study. As expected, miners who had participated in the training exercise scored significantly higher on their post-test than miners who had not.

By Terrence J. Stobbe

The authors investigated the nature, cause and treatment of 234 back injuries which occurred in 156 different situations in underground coal mines. A detailed interview was conducted with each injured miner as 137 variables were explored to provide a complete picture of the injury scenario. The miners worked at 23 mines in six states. An important finding of the study was that sudden movement, which occurred in 527 of the injuries, is a more frequent factor than heavy lifting in causing hack injuries. Along with sudden movement, other major injury causing factors were equipment seat design, lifting, cable handling, and slips/trips. No significant differences were found between the injury scenarios associated with lost time and non-lost time injuries; thus, both sets of scenarios should he used in doe loping back injury control strategies. Medical treatment and rehabilitation varied in content and quality. Dialogue between the medical, rehabilitation and mining communities is needed to develop an effective treatment strategy. Back injury control related training was found to be inadequate in most mines. Mine specific training for physical stress recognition and potential sudden torte release should he added to the training currently given. Based on the information collected in this study, recommendations were made regarding equipment design, mechanical assists and procedures for material handling, training, etc., which, if implemented, will assist in reducing the frequency of back injuries in underground coal mining.

Jan 1, 1989

By Paul C. McWilliams

This Bureau of Mines report analyzes data on the physical properties of quartzite rock from the Crescent mine, Coeur d?Alene mining district, Kellogg, Idaho, to demonstrate the use of multivariate techniques. After regression, factor, component, cluster, and discriminant analyses are discussed, these techniques are applied to the Crescent mine data. Three appendixes contain some of the required mathematical and statistical detail plus heuristic examples of three multivariate techniques --component, cluster, and discriminant analysis.

Jan 1, 1978

By J. S. Coffman

Wyoming is estimated to have more than 700 million tons and Utah more than 2.5 billion tons of +10 percent P2O6 phosphate rock considered to have some future economic potential. In Wyoming, the +24 and +18 percent P205 rock potential resources total nearly 250 and 450 million tons, respectively. In Utah, the +31, +24, and +18 percent rock total approximately 33 million, 222 million, and 2.2 billion tons, respectively. These resources are all located above the local drainage levels and do not include latent resources. All of the mining and beneficiation of phosphate rock in the two States is done by San Francisco Chemical Co. The facilities include open pit mines at Vernal, Utah, and Leefe, Wyo.; an underground mine in the Crawford Mountains, Utah, and beneficiation plants at Leefe and Vernal. One of the principal markets for the phosphate rock is Western Phosphates, Inc., fertilizer plant at Garfield, Utah. Recent exploration and development has been under-taken by different companies in the Southeastern Wind River Range, Sublette Range, and Crawford Mountains. The facilities at Leefe and Vernal are in the process of expansion. Some of the areas of western Wyoming contain vast quantities of phosphate rock in minable units, but, because of their remote location, are classed as latent areas. In these areas, there are estimated to be about 700 million, 2 billion, and 3 billion tons of phosphate rock in the +24, +18, and +10 percent P205 grade classes, respectively. The Snake River Range of Idaho and Wyoming is also estimated to contain roughly 21, 106, 177, and 214 million tons of potential resources in the +31, +24, +18, and +10 grade categories, respectively. This area also contains a large amount of latent rock in the more remote areas.

Jan 1, 1967

By Robert H. Peters

Several significant problems associated with employee turnover among underground miners are described in this Bureau of Mines report. Although a vast amount of research has been conducted on turnover among employees in nonmining industries, there has never been an attempt to empirically investigate the causes of turnover among underground miners. This report presents the results of empirical research on employee turnover in other industries and describes and critiques the research methods that have been used to investigate turnover. Using the findings on employee turnover in other industries and known data about miners and the mining industry, a conceptual model of the factors that cause turnover among miners was generated. This model, which is expected to provide a basis for later empirical studies, is presented. Several recommendations for controlling miner turnover are also presented.

Jan 1, 1986

By R. R. Allen

[The utilization of Western coals and lignite is a continuing study of the Bureau of Mines, and storage of these fuels is of paramount importance. Since the seasonal demand for coal in the Western States triples between the summer and winter months, successful storage of these low-rank fuels would tend to level out this variation and should reduce fuel costs. The time is rapidly approaching when the West Coast States, particularly California, will annually import several million tons of coal from the Rocky Mountain States for additional power production. This will necessitate storage of large quantities of coal, and it is thefore important to develop experience in such storage. Dry surface storage, by virtue of its flexibility and low cost, is particularly adapted to the stockpiling of large quantities of coal. This report will, therefore be primarily concerned with such storage. Inasmuch as the problems of dry, open-pit storage are quite similar to those of surface stockpiling, experiences in pit storage will be discussed briefly. Although spontaneous combustion is a hazard in storing coal, experience has proved that heats can be avoided by proper stockpiling procedures. The purpose of this report is to show that the most reactive coals can be stored satisfactorily on the surface by avoiding segregation and by thorough compaction.]

Jan 1, 1954

By Mark S. Sanders

There is a growing awareness among mining professionals that the human factor plays a significant role in safety and productivity. Since the 1960's, the science of human factors, or ergonomics, has been making inroads into the mining industry, and a considerable amount of research has documented human-factor-related mining problems and solutions. This Bureau of Mines report is directed toward summarizing the application of human factors to improving safety, productivity, and the general physical and psychological working conditions of miners. The aim of this report is to familiarize the readers with the role of human factors in the mining industry and the benefits that can accrue by systematically applying available human factors principles and data. The text contains 10 chapters dealing with human, equipment, and environmental factors. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter; therefore, it is recommended that the chapters be read sequentially However, if the report is used as a supplemental text, say in a mining safety course, chapters can be assigned in any order to supplement other readings.

Jan 1, 1988

By Richard C. Moore

The U.S. Bureau of Mines contracted a study to review the air and water monitoring requirements of five Federal environmental acts (the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) and to compile information on the currently available monitoring instruments. A literature review of the acts and their associated regulations was conducted to determine applicability to the mining industry as well as any air and water monitoring requirements. In addition, an industry search and literature review was performed to assess the instrumentation available to comply with the monitoring regulations. Based on this research, the instruments are classified by general applicability to air, surface water, or ground water monitoring, then catalogued by monitoring parameters. A discussion is provided on recommended and innovative monitoring techniques.

Jan 1, 1981

By Wendell L. Reich

Percussion drilling dates back to the hand operated star drill and hammer. Eventually steam and compressed air were substituted for muscle power and the mechanical percussion drill was born. From the hand held jack hammers, driving a forged steel bit into the rock, there evolved the jack leg, the rubber tired and crawler mounted drill carrier with automatic feed, increasing power and reducing man?s muscle requirements. Because the reaction of a blow on one end of a piece of steel has to be transmitted to the other end there is a limit to the depth or length of drill steel that can economically be used in out of the hole percussion devices. During the late 1800?s there is evidence that designers were attempting to put the percussion tool at the bottom of the hole, directly on the bit, in order to avoid the long drill steel which absorbed much of the blow, leaving little to be applied to the bit and the rock being drilled.

Jan 1, 1972

By Oliver Bowles

Under a cooperative agreement between the Bureau of Mines, the United States Geological Survey, and the United States Bureau of Standards, a study of the stone-quarrying industries of the country was begun in 1914. The results of investigations made have been published from time to time.1 During the World War the Bureau of Mines centered its attention on problems relating to national defense, and detailed studies of stone-quarry problems were not undertaken except for an investigation of labor saving at limestone quarries, reported in Technical Paper 203, which related to a question of military importance. Since the return of peace, the high cost of materials and labor has made more imperative than in prewar times the conduct of investigations for aiding the quarrying industries in every way possible to adopt more economical methods and to utilize the most efficient labor-saving equipment. The publications already issued have had a wide demand, and in the interest of the quarry industries the bureau proposes to issue additions to the series as rapidly as funds are available. In an endeavor to promote economy and the reduction of waste in the slate industry, a study of slate quarrying was begun in 1920 and covered a period of about two years. Sixty-five active quarries were visited, and a detailed study made of all problems bearing on their successful operation. Field study was supplemented by a study of all information available in books or published articles on slate quarrying.

Jan 1, 1922

By William Hustrulid

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), as part of a comprehensive program to improve mine safety through the widespread acceptance of careful excavation principles in drifting, have revisited standard drift round design concepts. Although the initial emphasis was on contour row design and providing improved design tools for blasting with de-coupled charges, the focus has broadened into the development of a general gas pressure-based drift round design approach. The concept of a damage radius (Rd) for a given explosive-hole-rock mass combination is introduced. With the damage radius as the basic building block, the blast holes are positioned on the face, beginning with the buffer row, to achieve the desired excavation size, shape and smoothness. The design of the contour row of holes is also performed using a pressure-based approach. The paper presents in some detail the overall approach and the required gas pressure-based design equations.

Jan 1, 2007

By Kenneth E. Hay

The Bureau of Mines collected coal and coal waste aggregate material from two different mine sites to determine their strength characteristics for use in concrete. The concrete would be placed underground as support walls for ground control in adverse conditions or unique mining applications. A standard mix design was established for a "wet" mix using a water-to-cement (w/c) ratio of 1.0 to facilitate pumping into place. Later, material was collected from four more mine sites and used to make 2-by 2-by 2-ft test blocks with the same w/c ratio. A pull-out cone device and borehole shear tester were used to determine the in situ material strength of the test blocks. These techniques will provide a simple and quick way of determining support wall strength in an underground environment. Test results from the pullout cone de-vice showed a good correlation of 0.98 to test cylinder compressive strengths of the same mix. Results of the borehole shear tester were inconclusive.

Jan 1, 1986

By K. P. Wang

Mining and metallurgy have had a long history in China, and resources there have always been considered promising. Under the People's Republic of China (PRC), a remarkable industrial renaissance is underway that should further gain momentum in the years ahead. Rapid development of minerals have not only brought the PRC prominence in industrialization, but also in world affairs. Chinese mineral developments, especially petroleum, have been increasingly in the news. Oil and gas may have great potential, but a very large coal industry is already in existence. The steel industry ranks fifth or sixth in the world. The PRC is also prominent in fertilizer, cement, and salt production. The export metals are well known. Also, the country is buying heavily in nonferrous base metals. The need to know and the intense interest in the subject have prompted this study. The world significance of Chinese minerals is pointed out. The history of growth and PRC's mineral supply position are reviewed. Evaluations are made of policy considerations and regional and technical factors affecting mineral development. PRC's mineral trade and efforts to obtain equipment, supplies, and know-how are assessed. Specific reviews are made of major mineral sectors, including coal and power, oil and gas, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, industrial minerals, and fertilizers and chemicals. The overall outlook is summarized.

Jan 1, 1975

By E. J. Murphy

The Bureau of Mines developed a fast, reliable modification of the Griess-Ilosvay procedure suitable for field analysis for NO2 in the fumes from explosives. Known concentrations of NO2-air mixtures were analyzed for the nitrous acid or nitrite formed in the reaction with three Griess-Ilosvay-type reagents by diazotizing and coupling. Comparison was made of the Rider-Mellon, Saltzman, and Patty-Petty procedures; the three procedures are in agreement if sufficient time of contact between NO2 and the reagents is allowed. In experiments to obtain an accurate factor for converting NO2 to nitrite, overnight contact was allowed in order to be sure conversion was complete. The factor was found to be 75 percent with a standard deviation of ±3.2. Low and erratic results were found using either the Saltzman or Patty-Petty reagents as absorbing liquids unless several hours' contact was allowed. If dilute NaOH solution was used as the absorbing liquid instead of a Griess-Ilosvay-type reagent, 92 percent of the overnight conversion factor was found after a 3-minute shaking time and a la-minute standby time. The Saltzman reagent was preferable for fieldwork with the dilute NaOH solution as the absorbent because of its easy application, rapid reaction, and intense color even at low NOB concentrations.

Jan 1, 1967

By L. A. Eros

The U.S. Bureau of Mines and Western Fuels Utah, Inc. entered into an agreement to plan, install, and evaluate a micro-computer based monitoring and control system at Deserado Mine, an underground coal mine. The U.S. Bureau of Hines contracted the Colorado School of Mines (CSN) to independently evaluate the project. CSM evaluated and documented costs, benefits, problems, and management and labor perceptions in this report. Recommendations are provided for mine operators and monitoring system vendors considering future installations.

Jan 1, 1986

This publication contains eight papers presented at a Bureau of Mines Technology Transfer Symposium in Charleston, W, on June 22, 1983, Five of the papers describe the results of Bureau-sponsored research on cabs and canopies for low-coal underground mining equipment. The other papers describe the efforts of three underground coal mining equipment manufacturers (FMC, Joy, and Lee-Norse) in the area of cab and canopy design.

Jan 1, 1985

By Byron S. Kutscher

This report summarizes the program to develop and construct an improved light-scattering dust monitor (ILSDM). This improved light-scattering dust monitor, which operates on the forward light scattering principle, provides instantaneous measurements of airborne dust concentrations in units of mg/m. The program was divided into two phases. Phase I involved the design of the ILSDM which was reviewed by the Bureau of Mines. Phase II included the fabrication of a prototype ILSDM based upon the design developed during Phase I. After completion, the ILSDM was delivered and demonstrated at the Bureau of Mines. A description of the final ILSDM design, operating instructions, maintenance instructions and recommendations for additional work are also included in this report.

Jan 1, 1980

By J. P. Connell

The U.S. Bureau of Mines awarded a contract to Morrison-Knudsen, Inc., to evaluate the use of roadheaders in underground mining operations. Road-headers were found to be widely used in mines as construction support units, as development miners, and as stoping machines. However, road-headers were found to have mechanical and electrical problems, to suffer reduced productivity when integrated into the mining cycle, and to create dust problems. Also high capital costs and low utilization and avail-ability cause high amortization costs per ton. This report identifies the roadheader operating problems and offers suggestions for improved mechanical and electrical design as well as manufacturer and owner responsibilities for improved availability. The development of a complex integrated excavation and ground support sys tern is no t warranted until the roadheader itself is made much more reliable.

Jan 1, 1980

By Eldon C. Pattee

THE BUREAU OF MINES began an investigation of tungsten resources of Montana in September 1953. This report presents information obtained from July 1955 to September 1957 on tungsten deposits in and near the Mount Torrey batholith. The batholith comprises part of the Pioneer Mountains of Beaverhead County in the southwest corner of Montana. Included in the report are assays and preliminary-examination data on 22 properties. Tungsten minerals are known to occur in 19 of the properties. The major producer is the Brown's Lake mine which has produced more than 625,000 tons of ore. Nearly all of the deposits are in the Lost Creek, Utopia, and Bald Mountain mining districts along the east and south margins of the Pioneer Mountains. The districts are less than 27 miles from Dillon, Mont.

Jan 1, 1960

Applications of helium in aerostatics, cryogenics, space, and undersea work are described in papers from the Helium Applications Symposium. Specific subjects include investigations of X-ray sources by means of balloon-borne instruments, meteorological soundings by balloons, powered lighter-than-air flight, tethered balloons, refrigeration techniques, large superconductive magnets, electronic devices, superconducting transmission lines, high-precision thermal conductivity analysis, He3-He4 dilution refrigerators, uses of helium in the atomic energy program, helium-cooled nuclear reactors, power- plant applications for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, helium welding of stainless steel tubing and pipe, development of helium-shielded arc welding, helium as a diluent in spacecraft atmospheres, helium utilization in the Saturn-Apollo program, and helium utilization in diving environments. Papers from the Helium Centennial Symposium at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society cover the history of the discovery of helium, the history of its development by the Bureau of Mines from a laboratory curiosity to an important item of commerce, the source of helium in natural gases, the world of liquid helium, and liquid helium-3.

Jan 1, 1969