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By C. A. Herbert

"The Workman's Compensation Law of Indiana, enacted in 1915, amended in 1917, 1919, 1923, and 1927, and in 1929 named the Indiana Workmen's Compensation Act of 1929, provides for a weekly compensation for disability due to accidents of 55 per cent of the average weekly wage of the employee, to start on the eighth day of disability. Compensation is computed from a maximum and minimum weekly wage of $30 and $16, respectively. Thus, the maximum weekly compensation is $16.50 and the minimum $8.80; the total compensation paid is not to exceed $5,000.In addition to the compensation the employer is required to pay all medical, surgical, hospital, and nurse fees for a period of 30 days and may be required to pay such fees for an additional 30 days at the direction of the Industrial Board of Indiana. In the case of fatalities the employer must contribute $100 toward funeral expenses.The law also stipulates that ""the employer shall keep a record of all injuries, fatal or otherwise, received by his employees in the course of their employment,"" also that the employer shall report within one week of their occurrence all accidents that cause either the death of the employee or the loss of more than one day's work. However, no standard form is furnished or required by the industrial board on which the employer shall keep a record of accidents, neither is he required to report the time of return to work of the injured employee unless the period of disability exceeds seven days and the accident thus becomes compensable. Hence, no record is kept of noncompensable accidents other than the first report sent to the industrial board by the employer.If the employer were required to keep a complete and concise record of all accidents, in duplicate, on a special form either furnished or required by the board, giving all of the essential data in regard to the accidents, and if he were required to submit a copy of this record to the board at the end of the fiscal year, the data thus assembled would not only be of material assistance to the board, particularly in making up its annual report, but would also furnish information of much value in the study of accident causes and what may be done to remove them.Those industries that have made marked progress in reducing accidents keep such records, as it is only through a full knowledge of how accidents occur that intelligent steps can be taken to prevent their recurrence. Unfortunately, the mining industry as a whole in Indiana has not kept pace with many other industries in reducing accidents, and it is urged as an aid to improvement that a thorough and complete record of mining accidents be kept."

Dec 1, 1932

This chapter focuses on smoke as it relates to escape from underground mine fires. Among the topics discussed are the measurement of visibility in smoke; smoke-related hazards such as the production of CO, hydrochloric acid (HCI), or other byproducts of combustion; and miners' personal experiences while escaping through smoke. Smoke Measurement and Visibility In general, smoke consists of hundreds of thousands of very small particles. These particles have some "size," usually expressed in terms of their diameters, and they have some concentrations, usually expressed either in the number of these particles per unit volume or the total mass of the particles per unit volume. Humans cannot see individual smoke particles because they are too small. Similarly, "umber concentrations" and "mass concentrations" of smoke particles do not have much meaning to people unless they are trained technically. Still, individuals know that they can see smoke, independent of all the technical jargon used to describe it. Also, they know that when the smoke level gets too high, it is no longer visible. In fact, nothing is visible because the smoke absorbs all of the light in its surroundings. The eye is only sensitive to light in the wavelength region from about 400 nm to about 700 nm. The maximum sensitivity of the human eye is to light that has a wavelength of about 555 nm. It is important to know how the eye responds to light because if its response is known, it is possible to use a light detector that has almost the same response as the eye. Such a detector can then be used to quantify the visible characteristics of smoke because it responds in the same manner as the human eye. Smoke is visible because it either scatters or attenuates (diminishes) light. In some instances, smoke is visible because the smoke particles reflect light which is then detected by the eye. The eye actually "sees" an intensity of light that has been reflected from a cloud of smoke particles. Imagine shining a flashlight into a cloud of smoke. Someone off to the side can actually "see" the beam of light as it traverses the smoke cloud. This is called scattering. Smoke is also visible be¬cause it attenuates light. Imagine having someone shine a flashlight into your eyes. As smoke begins to build up along the beam of the flashlight, the light begins to dim. The smoke is visible because it is now reducing the intensity of light that falls upon the eye. As the smoke level increases, it is said to obscure our visibility. When the beam is no longer visible, the smoke obscuration is said to be 100%. In other words, none of the light energy from the flashlight makes its way through the cloud of smoke. Another way of saying that the obscuration is 100% is to say that the transmission of light through the cloud is zero.

Jan 1, 2000

To provide a practical method to reduce hand and arm injuries during roof bolting operations.

Jan 1, 2000

Rock mass classification is widely used throughout the underground mining industry—in both coal and hard-rock mines. The technique has been successful because it— • Uses simple measurements to rate rock mass strength. • Helps mine planners to make the best use of geologic information in mine design. • Makes it possible to compare ground control experiences between mines, even when the geologic conditions are very different.

Jul 1, 2007

Modify conventional mining practices to reduce significantly the amount of material brought to the surface from underground mines, or to ?re-mine? existing surface mine dumps by backfilling empty underground stopes.

Jan 1, 1994

By T. Brady, R. Langston, J. C. Johnson, H. Kirsten

An experiment is described in which instrumented rock bolts were used to measure strain in the rock mass during drift development at the Stillwater Mine, Nye, Montana, USA. Two strain-gauged rock bolts were grouted into the middle of the rib next to the face. The drift was excavated in three advances, each one-half drift wide. Strains were recorded hourly by a data logger. Results show that the average change in axial bolt strain for the first and second advance was about the same and that there was almost no change in strain after the third advance. Bending strain was observed 19 cm from the head of the bolt.

Table XXXIII itemizes the cost associated with the installation of an irrigation system and the application of latex and water in the three experimental areas at Lanse. There were no external labor charges (non- Research Center) except for the installation of the water meter. Cost of pipe and fitting are high because long lines were required at each of the three different locations; these costs were minimized by using plastic instead of metal pipe. Fifteen of the seventeen drums of latex received were used, five drums for each area. [ ] In tank-car lots latex would cost about $0.25/lb so that raw material cost for a 4000 lb/acre application would be in the range of $1,000 per acre. Equipment costs for setting up and irrigation are sensitive to size of area to be irrigated, design of system, and availability and cost of water. A realistic range is estimated to be between $200-500/acre.

Jan 1, 1972

By T. M. Barton

This paper presents several case studies in which a mechanics-based boundary-element program is used to back-calculate the surface subsidence associated with various panels at several northern Appalachian coal mines. The program used in this case study is called LAMODEL, which incorporates a frictionless, laminated overburden into a general-purpose displacement-discontinuity code primarily designed for calculating the stresses and displacements in coal mines or other thin-seam or vein-type deposits. In this paper, the program is used to calculate both the underground convergence and the resulting surface subsidence at five longwall panels and a room-and-pillar section. The fitted subsidence from the model is compared with the field measurements and analyzed. The results from this work show that the LAMODEL program is not as accurate as available empirical subsidence-predictive methods: the expected correlation between the geology and the optimum input parameters is not evident. However, for a mechanics-based program, LAMODEL does provide moderately accurate subsidence calculations, and it is one of a few programs that can even attempt to practically calculate both underground stress and convergence and the resulting surface subsidence.

By Christopher Mark

Since it was first introduced, the Coal Mine Roof Rating (CMRR) has been widely accepted as a tool for geologic characterization and mine planning. This paper discusses the application of the CMRR to another practical ground control problem. Extended cuts (cuts greater than 6 m (20 ft) in length) are commonly used with remote control continuous miners. Extended cuts can greatly increase productivity, but they have been associated with a number of fatal roof fall accidents. When extended cuts are attempted in weak roof, the roof may collapse before it can be bolted, causing hazardous conditions. Until now, it has not been possible to predict where conditions may not be suitable for extended cuts. In this study, data on the CMRR and extended cut experience were collected at 36 mines in 7 states. It was found that when the CMRR was greater than 55, deep cuts were routine in nearly every case. When the CMRR was less than 37, extended cuts were almost never taken. Between 38 and 55, extended cuts were feasible sometimes but not others. The data also shows that extended cuts are less likely to be stable if either the entry span or the depth of cover increases.

The generally disappointing results obtained in the present study, together with the high material costs involved, preclude any general recommendation for a continuation of the work. One recommendation arises, however, from some observations on the application of latex to spoil banks. It was found that dilute latex used on a slope of spoil bank material at an application rate of 400 lbs per acre (dry basis) stabilized the soil and made it much more resistant to washout by rainfall. It is recommended that a study be conducted to use latex for temporary stabilization and/or sealing of spoil banks before and during reclamation procedures, on coal slurry ponds and coal refuse piles.

Jan 1, 1972

By E. C. Lane

"INTRODUCTION This is the fourth in a series of reports on properties of commercial motor fuels, made in accordance with a cooperative agreement between the Cooperative Fuel Research (C.F.R.) Committee and the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior. The first report gave data on motor gasolines sold during the winter of 1935-36 3/. The second resort gave the same data for motor gasolines sold during the summer of 1936 4/. The third report of the series gave the same data for motor gasolines sold during the winter of 1936-37 5/.This report covers 63 brands of gasoline represented by 1,136 samples excluding the Pacific Coast. Those from the Pacific Coast were averaged by the Pacific Coast technical group before being submitted and are published exactly as they were submitted. In some areas reports were received from five or six companies on the same brands of gasoline, whereas in other areas only one company reported on a brand. Thus, it can be seen that some of the data are more representative than others."

Dec 1, 1937

By S. McGinn, G. Schnakenberg, D. Petrie, A. Bugarski, M. Grenier

As part of the Diesel Emissions Evaluation Program (DEEP) consortium, Noranda Inc. has undertaken a field project to evaluate the overall performance of the latest diesel particulate filter technology (DPF) at its Brunswick Mine in Bathurst, New Brunswick. Performance of the filtration systems is evaluated with respect to their ability to reduce tailpipe emissions and concentrations of diesel particulate matter (DPM) and noxious gases in mine air, efficiency of filter regeneration process, maintenance requirements, reliability, and acceptance. Four different particulate filter systems deployed on heavy production vehicles are subjected to an 18-month field evaluation. Over the evaluation period the vehicles will have accumulated approximately 4000 operating hours in production. This paper presents the results of testing conducted mid way through the 18-month field trials. The 400- meter section of the mine drift at 525-5 sub level, hereinafter referred to as the "isolated zone" was isolated between intake and exhaust fan systems and sealed with bulkheads against leakage. The isolated zone was ventilated at the rate required per CSA Standards and issued by CANMET for the engines tested. Four vehicles, two load-haul-dumps (LHDs) and two trucks, retrofitted with particulate filter systems were tested along with a new identical model LHD and truck equipped with exhaust systems consisting of a catalytic converter (DOC) and muffler. The test vehicles were operated individually inside the isolated zone for approximately 4 hours over simulated production duty cycles. Measurements of ambient concentrations of particulate matter, tailpipe emissions, and engine parameters were performed for each of the tested vehicles. The DPM samples for carbon were collected at the most up- stream end of the isolated zone, at the vehicle next to the operator, and at the most downstream or exhaust end of the isolated zone. The DPM samples were analyzed for total (organic and elemental) carbon using NIOSH Analytical Method 5040. Ambient concentrations of particulate matter at the exhaust end of the zone were also measured using Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), and real time PAH monitor (PAS 2000). Efficiency of the filters was also evaluated on a basis of tailpipe measurements performed using raw exhaust instruments the NanoMet and the UGAS. In addition, relevant engine parameters were obtained using Detroit Diesel Diagnostic Link (DDDL) and from exhaust backpressure and temperature measurements. Results from the tests proved conclusively that diesel particulate filters can significantly reduce the concentrations of air- borne DPM, but not without careful monitoring of both ambient and tailpipe emissions and not without careful attention with respect to maintaining the integrity of the DPF systems.

The notion of wayfinding, as conceptualized by planners, geographers, and psychologists, denotes the ability of an individual to move from one point to another through physical space. In order to achieve this movement, a person relies on a cognitive map of spatial representations [Passini 1984]. Which features of this cognitive mapping will be stressed depend, in part, on the researcher's perspective. A planner, for instance, would tend to emphasize the effect of physical structures on mobility. A psychologist, on the other hand, might focus on individual differences in how human minds encompass and represent physical space [Evans et al. 1984]. There is yet another dimension to wayfinding that needs consideration, and it rests upon the idea that reality, as experienced by human beings, is mediated: "[People] have preselected and preinterpreted this world by a series of commonsense constructs ... which help them find their bearings in their natural and socio-cultural environment and to come to terms with it" [Schutz 1967]. These "common sense constructs" are arrived at socially and constitute the agreed-upon schemas that guide people's everyday activities. According to this principle, cognition is governed by some nonlogical factors that reflect not only individual procedures but collective ones as well. These group strategies, which are shaped by shared rules and values, influence "the information gathered, the ways it is processed, the inferences that are drawn, the options that are being considered, and those that are finally chosen" [Etzioni 1992]. From this perspective, cognitive maps, rather than being individual-centered templates of environmental images [Rovine and Weisman 1989] or representations of spatial relationships [Evans 1980], are partially group-centered schematic processes. As such, they are subject to reinterpretation, revision, and outside intervention [Kaplan and Kaplan 1982]. As intermediaries between the environment and behavior, cognitive maps serve as bases for decision-making. Traditionally, it has been assumed that good maps facilitate correct decisions, which in turn leads to optimal performance during wayfinding [Hunt 1984]. Given the argument that there is a social (non¬cognitive) facet to cognitive mapping, however, this image of a cognitive map as some sort of static reference construct that motivates individual action is too narrow and mechanistic. If cognition involves less a knowledge of the environ¬ment than it does the process of "giving it meaning through imposing an order on it" [Rapoport 1976], then wayfinding behavior is not j ust a function of setting and individual differences, but is also a function of one's "normative-affective" structure [Etzioni 1992]. Rapoport [1976] used such an assumption as the base for a set of hypotheses about the connection between "external demands" and "organismic factors." One significant assertion deriving from Rapoport's ideas is that environmental

Jan 1, 2000

By Fred C. Turin, Lisa J. Steiner, Kim M. Cornelius

Like many experienced workers, remote control continuous miner operators perform their everyday jobs making choices and decisions that they may not consciously think about. While performing tasks, they are continuously processing feedback and cues which guide them for the next move. Initial training teaches the operators the tasks necessary to operate the equipment and perform the job. However, with experience they are better able to deal with hazardous conditions and non routine situations. To better understand what potential cues and feedback help to guide the operators, a questionnaire was developed to learn what factors affect decisions. Operator responses address issues related to specific tasks, equipment operation, visibility, lighting, and communication issues. The information collected is useful to understand what cues experienced operators use to make task performance decisions. Results will be used to develop interventions and training for safe and effective operator performance.

By Arthur L. Murray

"Putting safety over , " using the accepted meaning of the word " Safety " as the elimination of personal injury , resolves itself into the prevention or disassociation of a combination of two distinct circumstances . Opportunity for accidents is afforded by conditions that are likely to cause injuries , but such injuries are effected only when the human body is placed in a position to be injured . As will be discussed later , in mining , as in most other industries , the degree of safety experienced depends upon the disassociation of these two circumstances , first , by making working conditions as free from hazards as possible , thus affording the minimum opportunity for accidents to occur , and secondly , the training of employees to recognize dangerous conditions and adopt measures to protect themselves and their fellow employees against injury . The responsibility for preventing accidents rests upon every person employed in an industry from the directing head down through the individual workers , and the safety of that industry will be proportionate to the extent that each member appreciates and accepts his individual responsibility . Hence , safety becomes decidedly a personal equation . Whether the personal equation will be so applied as to result in the greatest freedom from accidents , however , depends largely upon the initiative of those directing the industry . Putting safety over in a small mine presents the personal equation in a more intensified manner than the same endeavor in a large mine . Large mines , owing to their size and financial standing, can usually main ta in and support an effective safety organization with one or more directors who devote all their time to the supervision of safety work . Most small mines with a limited number of employees and limited capital can not afford and are not justified in supporting a paid safety organization , and must depend upon the close cooperation of their working force in maintaining safe working conditions . On the other hand , if proper supervision is exercised the small mine has in some respects advantages not afforded by the large mine . The limited workings in a small mine should afford less opportunities for dangerous conditions to arise and permits more frequent inspection of the entire mine . The small working force permits more latitude in the selection of employees known or believed to be either safe workers or amenable to safety educational work. Likewise , a small working force facilitates the carrying on of safety educational work and allows a closer personal contact between the superintendent and his employees .

Mar 1, 1923

By Charles Vaught, Michael J. Brnich, Henry P. Cole, John V. Haley, William J. Wiehagen

Forty-eight workers who bad escaped large underground coal-mine fires were interviewed using an open-ended protocol. This information, and the actual experiences of one eight-person mine-section crew who escaped from a Fire, were used to construct an 18-frame (page) table-top simulation exercise, which was then field tested with 134 miners. The exercise is a research toot that measures miners' proficiency in the information-gathering and decision-making skills related to escaping from a mine fire. It also helps miners to learn and practice these cognitive skills. The exercise was found to be valid and reliable. All miners reported that the exercise was authentic and would help them to remember important information. The exercise total score, and all but two item scores, significantly discriminated among miners with different levels of training. The two items that did not discriminate dealt with whether or not to abandon a helpless fellow miner. When the exercise total score data were pooled, only 13.6% of the miners achieved a desirable score of 90% mastery or greater. The simulation is important because it teaches and assesses critical judgment and derision-making skills that are rarely addressed in miner training. Index Terms- Coal mining, critical skills, decision making, emergency escape and evacuation, escape from fire judgment training, mining, safety training, simulation training, under-ground mine fires.

By Oliver Bowles

"The introduction into mines, quarries and manufacturing plants of machines and tools operated by compressed air has revolutionized methods of operation to an extent comparable only with that occasioned by the invention of explosives and the utilization of electricity. The use of compressed air in pneumatic tools, in rock drills, and for the operation of pumps and other machinery is well known to most miners and quarrymen, but its application as a substitute for explosives for breaking rock in a few granite quarries has received little publicity.In the region of Lithonia, a few miles from Atlanta, Georgia, is a dome of massive granite used widely for building stone and for paving blocks. The most remarkable structural feature of the granite is the absence of joints and sheeting planes. The term ""joints"" is applied to open fractures that commonly occur in rocks, usually vertical in direction or nearly so, and spaced from a few inches to several feet apart. On the Lithonia granite outcrop, however, one may walk over the bare rock surface for hundreds of feet without finding any indications of a joint, ""Sheeting planes"" are open fractures at various levels, approximately parallel with the rock surface. The presence of such planes when spaced several feet apart greatly facilitates quarrying, and where absent, as at Lithonia, the necessary fractures must be made artificially.The forcing of artificial sheeting planes is accomplished as follows: Two holes of about 3-inch diameter arc drilled close together and to a depth of about 8 feet. Two men work at these holes all summer, and sometimes part of a second summer. A very small charge of black blasting powder, not more than a spoonful, is placed in each hole, tamped with clay, and the charges are fired simultaneously with an electric battery. This starts a small fracture running outward from the bottoms of the holes. There is in most granites one direction of easy splitting known among quarrymen as the ""rift"", and as the rift direction in the Lithonia granite is horizontal the fracture follows a horizontal plane,"

Aug 1, 1920

By D. Harringtong

"There has been much writing and argument on the subject of giving bonuses to miners, quarrymen, metallurgical and chemical workers, and others as a stimulus for safe work and for work safely done. Theoretically, everyone should be careful and should not need monetary or any other type of encouragement for the prevention of accidents; as a. fact, few people are careful, and this is primarily the reason way many if not most accidents occur. A bonus, however, is not simply money given away by an employer; it must be earned, so to speak, before it becomes due; in other words, if the standard established is not reached, no bonus is paid, and in many cases some disciplinary action is taken.The United States Bureau of Mines Is asked from time to time for suggestions for rewards to mine workers who have a good attitude toward working safely or who need some stimulus to cause them to make greater or more earnest efforts toward safety for themselves and their co-workers. A recent inquiry prompted the collection of data on some safety bonus systems from reports of this bureau's field engineers and others, and some of these Now given. Bonus practice at both coal and metal mines is included because a system used at metal mines is generally adaptable to coal mines; in fact, in numerous cases, bonus systems recently started at some coal mines are based on systems in vogue and giving satisfaction some metal mines; in-some instances, also, metal mines have been able to get good suggestions from coal mines or from the cement or petroleum industries. it .should be understood that a bonus, even as applied to the encouragement of safety, does not necessarily mean payment of money; in fact, some successful bonus systems have in them no direct money exchange; hence, the bonus as treated in this paper is that defined as ""Something given in addition to what is ordinarily received by, or strictly due to, the recipient.""Acknowledgment is given here to members of the safety division of the Bureau of Mines who sent in some of the information here presented; to the Engineering and Mining Journal and Mining Congress Journal, from which some items were abstracted; to various mining officials who gave data in one form or another; and to M. von Bernewitz, of the United. States Bureau of lines who aided in framing parts of this paper."

Jun 1, 1932

By R. R. Sayers

"According to the dictionary,3 an accident is an event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation, often an undesigned, sudden, and unforeseen occurrence of an afflictive or unfortunate character. However, actual experience with accidents, the second most important cause of death in the United States,4 and a more extensive and scientific inventigation of their causes indicate that from 75 to 90 per cent of accidents are avoidable.5 This is borne out by the results of a three-year study of the accident records of 64,000 motor vehicle operators in New York6 which show that certain drivers are prone to accidents, that accident experience is traceable to certain causes, and that accidents don't just ""happen,"" It is estimated that 97,000 persons were killed by accidents in the United States in 1929 and 15,000,000 were injured. Of these about 23,000 deaths were due to so-called industrial accidents. In a list of accident rates by industries, compiled by the National Safety Council7 from reports of member establishments, mining heads the list, in both frequency (74.43 per 1,000,000 man-hours worked) and severity (9.9 days lost per 1,000 man-hours worked). These figures are very much higher than for any other industry; theindustries showing figures most comparable to mining are meat packing with a frequency rate of 55.94 and a severity rate of 1.47, construction with a frequency rate of 50.41 and a severity rate of 4.62, and refrigeration with a frequency rate of 43.35 and a severity rate of 3.04.While there is no way to determine the actual cost of all accidents from a monetary standpoint, estimates indicate that the cost will run into hundreds of millions of dollars annually.Cost of accidents in metal mines.- The United States Bureau of Mines obtains accurate figures on the number of lost-time nonfatal accidents as well as fatal accidents in the metal-mining industry.8 In 1926 the metal mines employed 127,823 men; 430 men were killed and 30,350 men received lost-time but nonfatal injuries as a result of accidents. Each of these fatal and nonfatal injuries averaged 114 days lost time, computing a fatality as 6,000 days lost time. This is equivalent to 3,523,944 days time lost due to accident, or at $5 per day per man, to a wage loss of $17,619,720. Deducting one-ninth of this figure for compensation paid, the metal miner loses in wage annually about $15,700,000, or about $122 per individual. This average loss per individual includes the cost of fatal accidents reckoned at 6,000 days or $30,000, but even if the loss in time due to fatal accidents be deducted, the average cost to each individual metal miner each year for nonfatal accidents is about $32. Estimating the loss to the metal-mine employer as about the same as that to the employee, the annual cost of metal-mine accidents to the employer is about $15,700,000 and to the employer and miner is $31,400,000."

Oct 1, 1930

Ever since the problem of mine pollutant waters has been under consideration, different mining methods have been investigated to abate the pollution problem. Two such methods which have been reported are inert gas operation and revised mining methods.

Jan 1, 1970