Coaltech Research Association

Life sustainability of underground refuge bays of South African collieries

An industry database of South African refuge bay designs set beside practice in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, prompted by recent underground emergencies.

Coaltech | July 2023

What this report found

No single global standard governs refuge bay design, and the collieries surveyed differ widely in construction, location, equipment and operating practice, which made ranking them impractical. Areas needing attention were identified in design, construction and maintenance of the facilities that keep people alive until rescue, drawn against local law and overseas practice.

R1500,00

Description

Coaltech was requested by the South African Colliery Managers Association (SACMA) to investigate and assess Refuge Bay designs, construction, and equipment by referencing legal and other requirements as well as international practices in the use of Refuge Bays as places of safety for life-sustainability during emergencies.

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What this report foundA stand-alone device was built that detects micro-seismicity within 100 m of the roof and raises an alarm when preset thresholds are exceeded, giving early...

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What this report found

A stand-alone device was built that detects micro-seismicity within 100 m of the roof and raises an alarm when preset thresholds are exceeded, giving early warning of goafing. Input parameters proved not to vary with geotechnical setting. Man-made noise triggering false alarms remained the main obstacle, addressed by signal conditioning and sensor placement.

Characterization of Spontaneous Combustion Emissions

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Aircraft and ground monitoring at a working colliery in summer and winter, measuring trace gases and particulates from spontaneous combustion, for air quality management and mine planning.

What this report foundAircraft and ground based measurements at Kleinkopje Colliery showed spontaneous combustion to be a significant source of fine particles, with PM2.5...

R1500,00

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What this report found

Aircraft and ground based measurements at Kleinkopje Colliery showed spontaneous combustion to be a significant source of fine particles, with PM2.5 concentrations 91 per cent higher inside a combustion plume than outside it. Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide were also raised in plume, and benzene and toluene were detected. Average particle size was below one micron.

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