What do they talk about at an IMRB conference?

Anything mine rescue-related is fair game, a quick survey of papers presented at previous International Mines Rescue Body (IMRB) conferences shows.

General topics include case studies of significant mine rescue emergencies, overviews on mine rescue organizations in different countries and jurisdictions, examinations of specific mine rescue hazards or risks, the use of mine rescue equipment, and innovations in mine rescue.

Trevor Watts, the general manager of New Zealand Mines Rescue Service, says that while all presentations offer the opportunity to learn, he finds the case studies presented at the conferences as the most significant.

At the last IMRB conference in 2011 in Beijing, delegates were treated to presentation on the international mine rescue effort to save 33 trapped miners at a Chilean mine in 2010, a disaster that occupied the world’s attention for months.

See ‘Case’ on Pg. 3

Submissions are now being accepted for the sixth biennial conference of the International Mines Rescue Body

(IMRB), October 5 to 10, 2013, in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Mine rescuers from around the world will gather at the event hosted by the Canadian mining industry, Canada’s Chief Inspectors of Mines and mine rescue organizations, to share their knowledge and expertise in emergency response to make mining safer.

IMRB Canada 2013 organizers wish to invite speakers to share information about their organization, expertise, equipment, research, lessons learned at mine rescue incidents, and more at this international gathering of mine rescue organizations.

Organizers also welcome speakers to present their emergency response experiences and cross-training that address not only the underground setting but also surface and non-traditional rescue work.

Previous IMRB conferences around the world have discussed breathing apparatus,

emergency preparedness, heat stress, training methods, legislation affecting mine rescue, specific mine emergencies, as well as different national approaches to mine rescue, and more.

Submission forms can be completed online at www.minerescue.org/conferences and must include a title, the topic area, and a brief 200-word abstract.

“The conference is an international social and professional networking opportunity that is an invaluable source of information,” says Barrie Simoneau, Director of Risk

Management, Mines Accident Prevention Association of Manitoba, and a co-organizer of the conference.

More information on IMRB 2013 can be found on the IMRB (www.minerescue.org) and IMRB 2013 (www.IMRB2013.ca) websites.

Come join us – share the vision and the knowledge as IMRB 2013 reaches towards our common purpose, promoting and improving mine rescue at an international level through global cooperation.

Issue #14 May 2011

Sharing Vision & Knowledge

Sharing Vision Sharing Knowledge

Summer 2012, No.2

INTERNATIONAL MINES RESCUE BODYCONFERENCE 2013

Mine rescue topics soughtTo Submit a Paper

IMRB 2013 Conference issues call for papers

The International Mines Rescue Body is seeking submissions for its 2013 conference.

Visit: www.minerescue.org/conferences

or www.IMRB2013.ca

and complete the online submission form

Or Contact:alexgryska@

workplacesafetynorth.ca

Delegates to an IMRB conference, including Georg Bresser, head of Germany’s Mine Rescue Centre (coal mines), listen to a speaker.

Sharing Vision Sharing Knowledge

Pg 3

IMRB overcomes language difficulty

With about 10 appearances between the two of them, Christo de Klerk and Wolfgang Roehl

are old hands at making presentations to International Mines Rescue Body (IMRB) conferences.

“I have made presentations at all of the conferences held to date,” says de Klerk, the general manager of Mines Rescue Services Ltd. South Africa, who was the IMRB president during the first conference in South Africa.”

“It is not difficult to present in English,” says de Klerk. The questions asked by non-native English speakers or their translators, “can be difficult to understand” but that is not an insurmountable problem.

Roehl has also made a presentation at every IMRB conference, but as head of Germany’s Central Mines Rescue Organization for non-coal mines, he experiences the language difficulty from the other side.

“Non-native (English) speakers like me understand the content of the presentations, but a lot of us are not willing to discuss the results in front of the audience,” says Roehl, adding that non-native English speakers may also have difficulty following the quicker-paced discussion of English speakers.

Roehl offers advice to both native and non-native presenters -- speak slowly and clearly during the presentation and set that as an example in any following discussion.

Georg Bresser, head of Germany’s Mine Rescue Centre for coal mines, who has made presentations at two conferences, says that for non-native English speakers the challenge includes preparing a presentation in English.

Slow, clear communication, and respect key to success

Christo de KlerkMines Rescue Services Ltd. South Africa

For more information . . .

On the IMRB www.minerescue.org

On IMRB 2013www.IMRB2013.ca

On Niagara Falls, Canadawww.niagarafallstourism.com

On Previous IMRB Conferenceswww.minerescue.org/

presentations

To Contact Usalexgryska@

workplacesafetynorth.ca

See ‘Simple’ on Pg. 3

Pg 2

But that too “is not insuperable”, says Bresser, who has made presentations on German Mine Rescue Brigades and Mine Emergency Management.

Compounding the language problem somewhat, says Alexander Sin, head of the Department of Mines Rescue Services, Emercom of Russia, is modern mining technology terms that may be new to many or may not translate easily.

Still, says Sin, “It’s not difficult to present topics in internationalized community, because a lot of people understand English very well, and translators also help to overcome language barriers.”

“Of course it’s necessary to be tolerant, to respect people from different cultures,” he says.

Alex Gryska, manager of Ontario Mine Rescue, who has presented at several conferences, agrees the English skills of most non-native speakers is generally strong, but he follows a few simple measures.

“It’s important to use clear language and universal terms when speaking,” he says, and to use pictures and illustrations in presentations, rather than lots of text.

IMRB2013.caalexgryska@workplacesafetynorth.ca

Sheraton on the Falls Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada

October 5-10th, 2013

Pg 3Pg 3

Continued from Pg. 1

Among the case studies that have been reviewed were the Pike River Mine fire in New Zealand, the Sago Mine fire in the United States, the Petrila Mine explosion in Germany, and the Halemba Coal Mine explosion in Poland.

“These scenarios provided me with some invaluable learning, particularly the one in the U.S.A when decisions had to be made

on deploying mines rescue teams into a mine following an explosion,” says Watts, who several years later was faced with a similar scenario.

Among the case studies that have been reviewed were the Pike River Mine fire in New Zealand, the Sago Mine fire in the United States, the Petrila Mine explosion in Germany, and the Halemba Coal Mine explosion in Poland.

Presentations on how various mine rescue organizations operate offer another opportunity to learn

from each other, says Alex Gryska, the manager of Ontario Mine Rescue, who has presented on Canadian mine rescue, as well as his own organization.

Mine rescue organizations from Poland, Norway, China, Germany, South Africa, Australia and other countries have outlined the who, what, when, where, why and how of their operations, or their specific approaches to common mine rescue issues such as risk management, standardized training, mine rescuer fitness, and emergency management.

Presentations may also cover how the organizations handle specific hazards such as fire, inrush of water, spontaneous combustion and heat stress, or use equipment such as gas detectors, ropes, self-rescuers and breathing apparatus.

Speakers frequently discuss research and innovations their organizations are conducting or sponsoring, such as into virtual reality training and nitrogen infusion technology. And equipment manufacturers share their developments as well. Over several conferences Dräger representatives updated delegates on the development of its rehydration face mask, as well as introduced the CAREvent DRA Automatic Rescue Resuscitator.

Many of these presentations and others from previous conferences are available for download from the IMRB website at www.minerescue.org/presentations.

Case studies popular subject

Continued from Pg. 2

Trevor WattsNew Zealand Mines Rescue Service

Wolfgang Roehl, manager of Germany’s Central Mines Rescue

Alexander SinDepartment of Mine Rescue ServicesEmercon of Russia

Simple measures aid communication