DO YOU UNDERSTAND MINE EMERGENCIES? ARE YOU

PREPARED FOR A MINE EMERGENCY?

MARK C. RADOMSKYThe Pennsylvania State University

INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN THE MINER TO UNDERSTAND, USE, AND BENEFIT FROM MINE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AND TRACKING SYSTEMS…TO MAXIMIZE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION TO ENHANCE ESCAPE OR RESCUE

DEFINE COMMUNICATION, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION

IDENTIFY THREE PRIMARY PARTS TO THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

IDENTIFY THE THREE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF MINE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS (EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS TRIANGLE)

IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL INFORMATION NEEDED DURING AN EMERGENCY

DISCUSS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MINER ACT REGARDING DISCUSS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MINER ACT REGARDING POST-ACCIDENT COMMUNICATIONS AND MINER TRACKINGPOST-ACCIDENT COMMUNICATIONS AND MINER TRACKING

IDENTIFY THE VARIOUS TYPES OF COMMUNICATION DEVICES IDENTIFY THE VARIOUS TYPES OF COMMUNICATION DEVICES USED IN UNDERGROUND COAL MININGUSED IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINING

PROVIDE SEVERAL ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PROVIDE SEVERAL ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WIRED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS…WIRELESS SYSTEMSWIRED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS…WIRELESS SYSTEMS

IDENTIFY THE MAIN PROBLEMS AND UNDESIRABLE RESULTS IDENTIFY THE MAIN PROBLEMS AND UNDESIRABLE RESULTS OF POOR/INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONOF POOR/INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

IDENTIFY SEVERAL EMERGING WIRELESS MINE IDENTIFY SEVERAL EMERGING WIRELESS MINE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMSCOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF MINER TRACKINGDISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF MINER TRACKING

IDENTIFY SEVERAL EMERGING WIRELESS MINER IDENTIFY SEVERAL EMERGING WIRELESS MINER TRACKING SYSTEMSTRACKING SYSTEMS

DISCUSS MINE SPECIFIC EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION DISCUSS MINE SPECIFIC EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION AND MINER TRACKING SYSTEM USED AT YOUR MINEAND MINER TRACKING SYSTEM USED AT YOUR MINE

• WHAT IT ISN’TWHAT IT ISN’T

• WHAT IT ISWHAT IT IS

INPUTS ARE THE WORDS, INPUTS ARE THE WORDS, SIGNS, SIGNALS, SOUNDSSIGNS, SIGNALS, SOUNDS

MIND FILTERMIND FILTER

OUTPUTS ARE THE OUTPUTS ARE THE INTERPRETATIONS, INTERPRETATIONS, MEANINGS, MEANINGS, REACTIONSREACTIONS

……WE CANNOT NOT COMMUNICATEWE CANNOT NOT COMMUNICATE

EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES IS DOMINATED BY EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES IS DOMINATED BY COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION USUALLY HAS A SPECIFIC COMMUNICATION USUALLY HAS A SPECIFIC PURPOSEPURPOSE

WHEN COMMUNICATION FAILS ITS PURPOSEWHEN COMMUNICATION FAILS ITS PURPOSE

MEANINGS AND SYMBOLSMEANINGS AND SYMBOLS

CONDITIONING CONDITIONING

THE SOURCE OF MEANINGSTHE SOURCE OF MEANINGS

LANGUAGE TEACHERLANGUAGE TEACHER

SOCIOLOGISTSOCIOLOGIST

FOREMAN…MANAGEMENTFOREMAN…MANAGEMENT

WORKERWORKER

WHY DO WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE AT WHY DO WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE AT WORK?WORK?

– KNOW WHAT OCCURRED ON THE PREVIOUS SHIFTKNOW WHAT OCCURRED ON THE PREVIOUS SHIFT

– FURTHER PREPARATIONFURTHER PREPARATION

– ENTERING THE MINE, ON-SECTION, ON-SHIFT ENTERING THE MINE, ON-SECTION, ON-SHIFT EXAM...EXAM...

– EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESSEMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

OBLIGATION/RESPONSIBILITY OF RESPONSIBLE OBLIGATION/RESPONSIBILITY OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON REGARDING COMMUNICATIONS PERSON REGARDING COMMUNICATIONS

TELEPHONESTELEPHONES

MINE PAGE PHONESMINE PAGE PHONES

WALKIE TALKIESWALKIE TALKIES

TROLLEY PHONES TROLLEY PHONES

LEAKY FEEDERLEAKY FEEDER

HOIST PHONESHOIST PHONES

MINE RESCUE TEAM COMMUNICATIONSMINE RESCUE TEAM COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATING WHILE WEARING COMMUNICATING WHILE WEARING BREATING APPARATUSBREATING APPARATUS

HAND SIGNALSHAND SIGNALS

NOTE PADNOTE PAD

PHONE TAPPHONE TAP

CAP LAMPCAP LAMP

REDUCE CONFUSIONREDUCE CONFUSION

DECREASE THE CHANCE OF WRONGDECREASE THE CHANCE OF WRONG

INFORMATION BEING COMMUNICATEDINFORMATION BEING COMMUNICATED

DECREASES RUMORSDECREASES RUMORS

INCREASES CONFIDENCE IN DECISIONSINCREASES CONFIDENCE IN DECISIONS

IMPROVES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESSIMPROVES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS

NO INFORMATIONNO INFORMATION

NOT ENOUGHNOT ENOUGH

POOR DECISIONSPOOR DECISIONS

TIME WASTEDTIME WASTED

ADDED STRESSADDED STRESS

WHO REPORTED THE PROBLEM?WHO REPORTED THE PROBLEM?

WHERE IS THE PROBLEM?WHERE IS THE PROBLEM?

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?

HOW SERIOUS IS THE PROBLEM?HOW SERIOUS IS THE PROBLEM?

IS ANYONE IN DANGER?IS ANYONE IN DANGER?

WHAT IS BEING DONE?WHAT IS BEING DONE?

WHAT RESOURCES ARE ON THE SCENE?WHAT RESOURCES ARE ON THE SCENE?

WHOWHO– CREDIBILITY ISSUECREDIBILITY ISSUE

LOCATION LOCATION – OFTEN MISSEDOFTEN MISSED– RAMIFICATIONSRAMIFICATIONS

PROBLEMPROBLEM– NOT ALWAYS COMMUNICATEDNOT ALWAYS COMMUNICATED

WHO

WHERE

WHAT

IDENTIFY YOURSELFIDENTIFY YOURSELF

IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONIDENTIFY THE LOCATION

IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMIDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

Your mine is ventilated by two exhausting fans, located on the surface. It’s Sunday morning aroundYour mine is ventilated by two exhausting fans, located on the surface. It’s Sunday morning around

10:30 am. There are 17 miners inside doing a variety of jobs, such as a longwall move, pumping,10:30 am. There are 17 miners inside doing a variety of jobs, such as a longwall move, pumping,

maintenance, etc. You are working near the Douglas airshaft fan, located on the surface. You noticemaintenance, etc. You are working near the Douglas airshaft fan, located on the surface. You notice

that the fan is fluctuating. What do you do?that the fan is fluctuating. What do you do?

You are working around the seals checking pumps. You are about 600 feet from the crew tearing You are working around the seals checking pumps. You are about 600 feet from the crew tearing down the longwall. The pump at 4down the longwall. The pump at 4thth main sump is okay, and at the number 5 seal there is nothing main sump is okay, and at the number 5 seal there is nothing unusual. You hope on the trolley to check some other pumps and as you approach the 1-right unusual. You hope on the trolley to check some other pumps and as you approach the 1-right switch, the power fails. You proceed on foot to where the rectifier is located. While inside the switch, the power fails. You proceed on foot to where the rectifier is located. While inside the rectifier, you hear a rushing sound. As you exit the enclosure, you see water flowing outby (2 feet rectifier, you hear a rushing sound. As you exit the enclosure, you see water flowing outby (2 feet deep, and 4 feet wide). You run to the mine phone at the belt drive tail piece. You call the UG deep, and 4 feet wide). You run to the mine phone at the belt drive tail piece. You call the UG shop, but get no answer. You call the communication’s office. Someone answers, but the shop, but get no answer. You call the communication’s office. Someone answers, but the communication is distorted. What do you do now?communication is distorted. What do you do now?

POST-ACCIDENT COMMUNICATIONSPOST-ACCIDENT COMMUNICATIONS

– REDUNDANT INSTALLATIONSREDUNDANT INSTALLATIONS– WIRELESS WIRELESS

POST-ACCIDENT TRACKINGPOST-ACCIDENT TRACKING

– DISPATCHERDISPATCHER– WIRELESS (ELECTRONICALLY)WIRELESS (ELECTRONICALLY)

MSHA TESTING OR DEMONSTRATIONMSHA TESTING OR DEMONSTRATION

NEW OR REVISED APPROVALSNEW OR REVISED APPROVALS

APPROVAL APPLICATIONSAPPROVAL APPLICATIONS

WIREDWIRED

WIRELESSWIRELESS

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Personal Emergency Device (PED)

FIRST OFFICIAL APPROVAL OF A WIRELESS FIRST OFFICIAL APPROVAL OF A WIRELESS TRACKING SYSTEMTRACKING SYSTEM

MINETRACER MINER LOCATION MONITORING MINETRACER MINER LOCATION MONITORING SYSTEMSYSTEM

MINETRACER SYSTEM COMPONENTSMINETRACER SYSTEM COMPONENTS

COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNICATIONS ARE COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNICATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL ESSENTIAL

UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS CRITICALCRITICAL

MEANINGS ARE IN PEOPLEMEANINGS ARE IN PEOPLE

CRITICAL INFORMATION DURING AN EMERGENCYCRITICAL INFORMATION DURING AN EMERGENCY

MINER ACT WILL ENHANCE EMERGENCY MINER ACT WILL ENHANCE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

PERIODICALLY EVALUATE YOUR MINE PERIODICALLY EVALUATE YOUR MINE COMMUNICATIONS, AND MINER TRACKING COMMUNICATIONS, AND MINER TRACKING SYSTEMSYSTEM

Gates, et al (2007). Gates, et al (2007). Fatal Underground Coal Mine Fatal Underground Coal Mine Explosion: Sago Mine, Wolf Run Mining CompanyExplosion: Sago Mine, Wolf Run Mining Company. . United States Department of Labor, MSHA. Arlington, United States Department of Labor, MSHA. Arlington, VAVA

U.S. Department of Labor (2008). U.S. Department of Labor (2008). Responding to a Mine Responding to a Mine Emergency, Training Responsible Persons at Emergency, Training Responsible Persons at Underground Coal MinesUnderground Coal Mines (MSHA Instructional Guide (MSHA Instructional Guide Series, IG 110). Arlington, VASeries, IG 110). Arlington, VA