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Introduction to Underground Coal Mine Explosions and Explosive Dust Management
Coal mining continues to play a significant role, providing a valuable resource for steel production and power generation. However, underground coal mining presents inherent risks, one of which is the potential for coal mine explosions. These explosions can have devastating consequences, endangering the lives of miners and causing significant damage to infrastructure.
Managing the risk of underground coal mine explosions requires a comprehensive approach that involves understanding the causes, implementing regulatory measures, and utilising advanced software solutions like Corehesion. This blog post aims to shed light on the causes of coal mine explosions, the importance of effective risk management, and how Corehesion’s software can help mitigate these risks.
What Causes an Underground Coal Mine Explosion?
Coal mine explosions are typically triggered by a combination of factors: the presence of flammable gases such as methane, and the accumulation of coal dust. Methane, a natural byproduct of coal formation, can be released during mining operations. When methane mixes with the air in an enclosed space, it becomes highly explosive.
Coal dust, on the other hand, is created when coal is mined, transported, and processed. Fine particles of coal dust can become suspended in the air, forming a potentially explosive mixture. When ignited, the explosion can propagate through the mine, causing significant damage.
Regulatory and Legislative Risk Management
To prevent underground coal mine explosions, regulatory bodies in Australia, such as the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, have established comprehensive legislation and standards. These regulations focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of miners and require mine operators to implement risk management strategies.
The regulatory framework addresses various aspects of mine safety, including gas monitoring, ventilation systems, dust control, and emergency response protocols. Mines are required to conduct regular inspections and sampling, maintain accurate records, and train workers in safety procedures. Compliance with these regulations is crucial for minimising the risk of explosions and protecting the workforce.
CAPTION: 2021 Pike River Mine Explosion NZ
Problem with Current Processes
While the regulatory legislation is strict in nature, it leaves much to the direct mine in exactly how they decide to manage the risk of coal dust explosions. Consequently, the industries’ tools and procedures to manage this risk are complicated, reactive, and vary significantly from mine site to mine site, resulting in concerning findings from the regulatory audits.
Further complicating the issue are the logistical limitations of underground coal mines due to the uniquely harsh environment, which results in ever-changing roadways, sensor and device constraints, and network issues. These variations imply that a system or controls that are designed based on the research conditions of a specific mine without live and accurate feedback is not robust when used for other mines or changing conditions.
Therefore, there is a need for a standardised real-world digital system that can handle and simplify the complexities of both the regulatory requirements, and the physical and managerial variations in underground coal mines.
With this data integration, the system needs to be able to aid in managing risk proactively rather than reactively.
Some other common problems revealed during a regulatory audit in 2013 are detailed here: Review of Queensland underground coal mines’ stone dust application and sampling and analysis of roadway dust | Resources Safety & Health Queensland (rshq.qld.gov.au)
Corehesion’s Risk Management Solution
Corehesion provides a feature-rich, end-to-end risk management solution specifically designed to address the challenges faced by underground coal mines in managing explosive dust risks. By focusing on key features, Corehesion simplifies the management process and empowers users to control each aspect of explosive dust risks effectively with the below components.
Digital Twin and Zone Management: Through a digital twin of the mine, Corehesion enables the division of the mine into explosive dust zones which can be categorised based on the risk of explosion. This ensures that appropriate control measures are implemented in high-risk areas.
Sample Plan and Label Generation: With the explosive dust zones and their sampling requirements integrated, Corehesion digitally streamlines the sample plan and label generation process, ensuring explosive dust zones that require sampling are correctly identified and tracked to minimise effort, and to limit errors and confusion.
Laboratory Sample Result Integration: Corehesion integrates directly with the laboratory for sample result data, enabling real time and accurate tracking of compliance and risk levels.
Interactive Visual Historical Interfaces: Corehesion’s interactive visual interfaces provide clear and easy-to-understand data displays, facilitating informed decision-making and maintaining accurate records.
Coal Production Areas: Corehesion establishes Coal Production Areas associated with minimum dust application rates to provide a new level of insight in capturing stone dust application. Before stone dust application can be captured, the Production Areas and their associated rates need to be established. This allows a clear relationship to be built with sampling requirements.
Optimisation of Minimum Dust Application Rate: Corehesion assists in optimising the minimum dust application rate, striking a balance between maintaining a clean environment and minimising explosion risks.
Corehesion challenges minimum dust application rates being based purely on experience or a rate based on the research conditions of a specific mine which without live and accurate feedback, may not be robust when used for other mines or changing conditions within the same mine. The system solves this issue by extending the Coal Production Area concept and utilising feedback control so that the previously set rates adapt and optimise their associated minimum dust application rate based on only relevant sample result data.
Capturing Dust Application (Desktop and Mobile): Corehesion allows for recording dust application on desktop and mobile devices, ensuring accurate tracking and records of dust control measures.
The EDM Mobile app provides users with the ability to record real time dust application while on the go.
Previous dust applications may also be viewed and edited directly through the mobile app.
Live Failure Map and Failed Zone Retreatment: Utilising the laboratory sample result integration and digital twin, Corehesion establishes a live failure map and failed zone retreatment process to help identify areas where control measures have failed, allowing prompt corrective action to minimise explosion risks.
Why Corehesion for Explosive Dust Management?
Corehesion’s software suite, coupled with its expert team, offers class-leading solutions for heavy industry businesses. With a deep understanding of the complex challenges faced in heavy industries, Corehesion addresses issues such as disconnected processes, critical gaps in information collection, and regulatory compliance.
By streamlining the traditionally fragmented process of explosive dust management, Corehesion provides an end-to-end plug-and-play solution that enhances safety, improves compliance, and safeguards equipment. The software’s unique design allows for easy customisation to meet each client’s specific needs.
When you partner with Corehesion, you gain access to a team of engineers, consultants, and industry professionals dedicated to developing bespoke solutions for your most complex problems. Contact Corehesion today to discuss how their software can help connect and enhance your heavy industry processes, ensuring safer operations and greater peace of mind.
