Mine Safety

Expert to Discuss Mine Safety Issues

Lewis Wade , senior science adviser for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, was online Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 2:15 p.m. ET to discuss mine safety in light of the W.Va., coal mine disaster.

Read the story: 12 Found Dead in W.Va. Coal Mine (Post, Jan. 4)

A transcript follows.

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Brookline, Mass.: While watching this tragedy unfold, particularly while they were drilling, I kept wondering if there was any type of technology that would allow miners to be tracked in real time -- like GPS, but suitable for underground conditions. For example, do any mines require that their miners wear radio frequency ID chips on their uniforms that would allow rescuers to pinpoint them in case of an emergency. That way, if there were a disaster, rescuers could pick up the signals and pinpoint the location of missing miners.

Lewis Wade: At this time I am not aware of any technology of the type you mention, for underground mining. The mining industry is always pursuing improved communication systems, however. NIOSH is currently evaluating the use of GPS systems for vehicles in surface mines; underground mining presents a much more difficult challenge.

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Belle View (Alexandria, Va.): Couldn't a quicker method have been thought of to get to trapped miners underground or more preparation for those "what if ..." situations, like bottled air when re-opening a closed mine?

Lewis Wade: Not in my opinion. It is most important that the rescue effort proceed with caution to protect both the rescuers and the people being rescued. These rescue teams are highly trained and extremely dedicated to the task at hand. I am sure they move as quickly as possible given the very difficult circumstances.

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Washington, D.C. My condolences to the families of the miners killed and the whole community. I toured a closed Pennsylvania coal mine last month; the tour helped me better understand the working conditions. My question is about the delay in apparently taking any rescue actions. I understand that rescue personnel cannot be endangered and that there may be some specialty equipment (like the lift used to rescue the Pennsylvania miners a couple of years ago) that has to be brought to the local area. But according to media reports, it was more than 12 hours after the accident before the evaluation/air hole was drilled into the mine. Why such a delay when minutes are crucial to survival?

Lewis Wade: I was not there and I don't know exactly what happened, when and why. I do know that the individuals charged with directing an operation such as this are highly trained and well aware of the need for quick but reasoned action.

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Ann Arbor, Mich.: On a normal day, how do people on the surface communicate with people working in the mines? I wouldn't think cell phones would reach through solid rock, as some buildings even stop a signal.

Are land line phones used? Is there a danger of static electricity from those?

Lewis Wade: Mines generally have communication systems in place that allow for communication between surface and underground. Unfortunately these systems are often lost in a disaster such as an explosion. As to the question on static electricity, I am not familiar with the system at this mine but such systems are normally protected from such dangers.

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Washington, D.C.: What are the key differences between the W. Va. collapse and the one that happened a few years ago in Pennsylvania? No doubt, lots of non-experts are wondering how the Pa., miners were saved and the W. Va., miners were not. Thanks.

Lewis Wade: The Pennsylvania situation was the result of an inundation of water from an adjacent mine. In the West Virginia situation, reports would seem to indicate that there was an explosion. The investigations that will take place in the near future will provide more detail as to the cause.

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Steubenville, Ohio: A terrible loss for the miners, their families, friends, fellow miners.

Correction of safety infractions and enforcement of mining laws would help avoid some of these occurrences. As long as there are humans, there will be dangerous professions and brave souls who pursue them.

We can only hope that learning from these events can eventually make mines as safe as it can possibly be and rescue operations refined further to minimize time between event and rescue.

Lewis Wade: Thank you

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Orono, Maine: Why are humans still mining coal? It's the 21st Century. Surely, there must be technology -- robots, perhaps -- that could be used to replace humans in the most dangerous jobs?

Lewis Wade: Modern mining is much more mechanized that it was in the past. The productivity of the typical miner is greatly increased from that of past miners. Mining it is a difficult task in constantly changing conditions. At this time people are still required to mine.

Why we mine coal is to provide for this country's energy needs. Without these coal miners, this country would be even more dependent on non domestic energy sources.

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San Diego, Calif.: I think a part of this question was asked earlier: why can't mines have caches of oxygen supplies(like cylinders once every 100 yards etc) that can be used in such emergencies?

Lewis Wade: Underground coal miners normally carry or have immediate access to Self Contained Self Rescuers that will provide an immediate source of oxygen. These units will normally provide "hours" of oxygen. Pease realize that his number will vary by individual and situation.

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Reston, Va.: With hindsight, is the training to barricade yourself in (by default), in a relatively small mine like this one really the best option if you only have about two hours of breathing oxygen with you?

Lewis Wade: The training miners receive today will teach the miner to get out of the mine if at all possible. Barricading (making use of roof supports and ventilation curtains) would be a last resort. We don't know what situations these miners faced that led them to make the decision that they did.

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Washington, D.C.: What are the dangers of methane gas and carbon monoxide and where, down in the mines, do they come from?

Lewis Wade: In short, methane gas naturally occurs in coal seams, methane in certain concentrations (5-15 percent) can be explosive, methane while not toxic can however replace oxygen. CO is toxic and can be lethal. CO normally results from incomplete combustion.

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Washington, D.C.: I learned from the 1996 airline crash of a Valujet plane that the emergency oxygen makers on airplanes work as a chemical process to generate oxygen, and reach temperatures of 500 degrees. Is there any similar technology that is available for use for mine emergencies, or would these devices also be as dangerous as pressurized oxygen tanks?

Also, was there a simultaneous effort to clear out the carbon monoxide found by the original emergency shafts? This would have eventually lowered the carbon monoxide and dioxide levels found throughout the mine, but it also might have provided the additional oxygen needed for an another methane explosion, if it was a methane blast originally.

Lewis Wade: The self contained self rescuers used by coal miners can either be stored oxygen units or oxygen generating units. The oxygen generating units are packaged in a way that provides protection.

To the last part of your comment, that is one of the reason why the rescuers need to proceed with caution.

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Washington, D.C.: How much does the average coal miner earn annually?

Lewis Wade: It is hard to generalize but coal miners can make a decent living, $50-80,000 and up.

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Washington, D.C.: This situation where an explosion trapped 13 miners is the worst case scenario for miners, but is the day-to-day operation of a coal mine more dangerous than other occupations like driving a truck or working in a warehouse?

Lewis Wade: Mining once was the most dangerous occupation. It is no longer, the mining industry and the mine workers have done a very good job of making their industry safer, but as the events of the last few days point out there is still much to do.

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Richmond, Va.: Could you please explain how the miners in this situation were "trapped" if there was no roof or wall collapse, if that is indeed correct? Why would they not have been able to return through the entrance? Is there any emergency exit? Would there have been a wall of dangerous gas or air that would have kept them from returning the way they came?

Lewis Wade: We don't know what those men experienced where they were at a time of great stress. We all anxiously await the results of the investigation to better understand what happened and why.

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Brookline, Mass.: What type of training do miners receive regarding the proper way to respond to an explosion? Is there a standard procedure that all miners are expected to follow, or does it vary from mine to mine?

Lewis Wade: Miners are taught to get out first, if they can. We don't know just what these miners experienced.

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Lewis Wade: Thank you all for your interest. Please remembers these heroes who go to work each day to provide us the energy we need to enjoy the lives we enjoy.

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