Interview Preparation CMR/MMR First Class/Second Class Part-6

79. Why safety in Mines is required?

• Safety is of paramount importance and hence Government and Mining Companies accords top priority to the safety related issues in mines.
• Mining operations are governed under Mines Act, Rules & Regulations thereunder in regard to safety and health of persons employed in Mines.
• Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS, an organisation under Ministry of Labour & Empowerment is the regulatory authority to ensure compliance) of safety provisions by mine owners.
• Safety in Mines is required to instill a sense of security in mining personnel which improves the production and productivity of Mining companies.

80. What initiatives have been taken by Mining Companies to ensure safety in Mines?

A number of initiatives have been taken by the companies in this regard and the same are listed below:

• Establishment of internal safety organisations with workers representatives
• Adoption of risk assessment and management approach to assess the potential hazards and take the mitigative measures to make the operations safe
• Conduction of safety audit of the mines in a company by an independent safety auditor.
• Various steps for prevention of disasters arising out of inundation; fires; explosions etc. in mines
• Strata management control to avoid accidents due to roof and side falls in mines, continuous monitoring of roof movement, adopting roof bolting systems, conducting R&D.
• Improving emergency response systems etc. through mine-wise emergency action plans, conducting mock rehearsals, conducting rescue rehearsals etc .
• In case of open cast mines measures are being taken on continuous basis for reducing the accidents due to truck movement, imparting training to all the concerned, developing code of practices for HEMM operators, maintenance staffs etc.
• Monitoring the status of safety in mines through involvement of workmen inspector conducting the meetings of Pit Safety Committees, Area Level Tripartite Committees, Company level Tripartite Committees, CIL Safety Board, Standing Committee on Safety in coalmines under the chairmanship of Minister for Coal, National Level Safety Conferences and through different Parliamentary Standing Committees.

81. What are the reasons of Underground Coal Fires?

Spontaneous Heating of Coal: The process of self heating of coal or other carbonaceous material due to auto oxidation resulting eventually in its ignition is termed as spontaneous heating. It is the most important cause of fires in coal mines across the world.

Unscientific Mining Practices: The problems of subsidence and fires are the result of unscientific mining carried out by the erstwhile mine owners over prior to Nationalization.

Illegal Practices of Bootlegging, Liquor making: Fire reaches coal seams and causes harm

Illegal Mining: Mine opening is left open which causes spontaneous combustion.

Underground Practices like welding etc may also cause coal fires.

82. What are the methods to contain underground coal fires?

Methods like Trench Cutting, Flushing inert gas like Nitrogen in underground mines, Covering the cracks on surface with non combustible substance like Soil or Clay etc may reduce the underground coal fires. But these methods are costly, risky and temporary so the best solution is to mine the coal as early as possible.

83. What are the harms of Underground Coal Fires?

There are several economic, environmental, social and Health related harms of Underground Coal Fires

Economic: Valuable coal resources is wasted which causes economic losses to companies and Government.

Environmental: Coal Fires emits huge quantity of Smoke and dangerous pollutants which is detrimental to Environment. It also harms local flora and fauna. It further contaminates land and water in local region.

Social: Underground fires causes subsidence on the surface which poses treat to human life. Migration of people causes job losses and the worst affected are women, children, elderly etc.

Health: Contaminated air, water, land etc posses extreme risk to health of the people.

84. What is Illegal Mining?

Mining without permission or Mining beyond the leasehold areas or Mining even after mining rights have lapsed is called Illegal Mining.

85. What are the harms of Illegal Mining?

Harms of illegal mining are:

Social: Workers involved in illegal mining are not covered under any life insurance and loss of life due to any accident severely affects the family of workers.

Economic: Revenue loss to company and Government

Environmental: Coal fires, loss to environment and local vegetation

Administrative: Illegal mining creates challenges to local administration also. Maintaining law and order becomes difficult due to influence of Mafia in the region. This problem is further exacerbated due to nexus between Administration, Company officials and Political class.

86. What is Jharia Rehabilitation Plan?

The population living in the old mining areas has increased many times over the years, though these areas became unsafe for habitation. In-spite of the declaration of these areas unsafe by the local administration, the habitation increased unabated.

The problem of subsidence and fire are being addressed by the Government from time to time. In this regard a High Level Committee was set up in December, 1996 under the Chairmanship of the then Secretary, Ministry of Coal with representatives from other Departments, Coal companies and the concerned State Governments to deal with the problem in a comprehensive manner.

Based on the recommendations of the Committee a Master Plan was prepared to deal with the problems of fire and subsidence and related rehabilitation covering the areas under Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. (BCCL] and Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (ECL] in 1999 for implementation of the same in a phased manner.

87. What can be the steps taken for disaster prevention?

Steps for Disaster Prevention:

• Inundation: Thrust on Safety Audit, Check Survey, Trials of Geo-physical Methods for detection of water bodies/proving parting, adequate preparation before monsoon season etc.
• Fire in mines: Panel system working (so that in case of fire that can be
  isolated immediately], strengthening of isolation stoppings and use of fire retardant sealant etc .
• Explosion: Early Gas detection through various modern gadgets (both sensors & catalytic base], Continuous type computer based on-line Gas monitoring for highly gassy and fiery mines and erection of explosion proof stopping.

88. What does emergency action plan of Mines consist of?

Mock Rehearsals: A system of conducting Mock Rehearsals for examining the efficacy of Mine-wise Emergency Action Plan.

Demarcating Escape Routes: An exercise for demarcating Escape Routes in underground mines, on plans as well as belowground by fluorescent paint, display of the same at the entry to the mine

Rescue apparatus and rescue personnel: State of the art Rescue Apparatus like BG Self Contained Breathing Apparatus in Rescue Stations and training of Rescue Personnel

89. What steps may be taken to reduce roof/side fall accidents?

Roof/Side fall accident is still one of the major causes of fatal accident in underground mines. Priority should be given to ensure roof support management through:

Stress on face mechanization to reduce exposure of workmen in active working zone.

Studying Geo-mechanical properties of overlying rocks scientifically designing Support Systems on the basis of Rock-Mass-Rating (RMR) of overlying strata and duly approved by DGMS.

Greater use of Roof Bolting / Stitching methods of roof support

Introduction of mechanized drilling by roof bolting machines.

Emphasis on development of indicators for detecting impending load on roof through R&D.

90. What steps may be taken to reduce accident in Opencast and Surface Mines?

The following measures are being taken for reduction of fatalities in Opencast Mines & on Surface:

• Mine-specific Traffic Rule.
• Code of Practices for HEMM operators, Maintenance staffs & others.
• Standard of Procedure related to safe operation of various mining operation.
• Risk Assessment & Management
• Training of Contractor's Workers involved in transporting
• Monitoring the status of safety through the following agencies:
  • Workmen's Inspectors
  • Safety Committee at mine level
  • Area Level Tripartite Committees
  • Tripartite Safety Committee
  • CIL Safety Board
  • Standing Committee on Safety in Coal Mines
  • Conferences on Safety in Mines
  • Different Parliamentary Standing Committee

91. How is Disaster defined? What is the definition of Disaster in Mining?

A sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss to life and property is called disaster.

Accident or Disaster has not been defined under the Mines Act, 1952 or under the Coal Mines Regulations,1957 or any other statute related to mining operation.

However a disaster in a mine is defined when 10 or more persons are killed in an accident arising out of mining operation.

92. What is disaster Management?

Disaster Management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.

Disaster Management consists of strategies before disaster and strategies after disaster.

Strategies before disaster consists of Preparing for disasters and Reducing the risks of disaster.

Strategies after disaster consists of responding to disaster, mitigating its impacts and recovering from disaster.

93. What are the main causes of Disaster in Mining?

Mining by its virtue is a risky affair. There are several causes of disaster in Mining industry which includes:

• Explosion: which may be Gas explosion, Gas cum Dust explosion or Dust explosion
• Inundation: Huge influx of water in mining working areas from surface or otherwise
• Ground movement: Fall of roof, sides, dump etc.
• Fire: In underground mines or opencast mines which may arise due to several reasons.
• Air Blast: Huge amount of displacement of air possess extremely high force with it which may endanger property and human life.

94. What should be the procedure followed in case of an emergency in Underground Mines?

Need of Emergency Organisation: (MMR 1961)/(CMR 1957) requires under Reg.190A/Reg.199A and has directed to draw up a standard operating procedure to be followed in the event of an emergency in the mine so as to ensure that a timely and effective action is taken in case of a major under ground accident (Disaster) in the mine.

• First Information of Disaster/Emergency: Any under ground official, the on-setter or other person realizing that something serious has happened, should telephone to the surface, if there is telephonic communication between under ground and surface. However, where there is no telephone or the telephone is not working, he shall send a special messenger to the attendance clerk/telephone operator at the surface or send the information of the emergency through a special code of signals.
• Duties of Banksman/Fan Attendant/Attendance Clerk:
  • Duties of Banksman/Fan Attendant: When the Banksman or the attendant to Mechanical Ventilator or any other person sees or hears any unusual happening e.g. the sound of an explosion, smoke or flame, which may indicate that a disaster has occurred under ground, he should immediately inform the attendance clerk on duty.
  • Duties of attendance Clerk (Emergency Siren): The attendance clerk or other designated person should on getting information of major accident either from under ground or surface, sound a hooter or a siren immediately declaring a state of emergency at the mine.

• Duties of Telephone Operator: When a Siren is sounded on the surface declaring the state of emergency, the telephone operator at the surface should first contact the manager and on his advice to call key personnel using the information listed in the Emergency Organisation Chart. All telephone calls incoming and outgoing must be recorded in a telephone log book.
• Duties of Other Officials: Duties of Other Officials should be clearly written and handed over to all concerned.
• Establishment of Control Room: Control Room will be established at Unit Level, Area Level and Company Level. Control Room Control Room at the Site of Disaster will be Headed by CGM/GM of the area.
• Information must be sent to Director General of Mines Safety or his Representative, Chairman of the Company or his Representative, Director Technical of Company, DC of concerned district.

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