Underground mines are inherently dangerous environments considering both illness and accidents there are around one million work related deaths around the world every year(Underground Mine Safety – 911Metallurgist, 2016).
Below are some major hazards:
- Risks due to poor visibility: In underground mines, poor visibility can arise due to darkness, short lines of sight and dust concentration in air. Mines are full of sharp blind corners and being an echo environment sound cannot be relied upon to tell where machinery is operating or the direction in which it is moving.
- Risks associated with dust and gas: Dust is generated by all mining operations from activities including cutting, drilling, blasting, transport and crushing. When air containing dust is breathe the larger inspirable particles are mostly trapped by the mouth and nose but if the smaller respirable particles find their way into the lung and retain this can lead to lung disease.
- Operation of machinery in confined space: Working in confide spaces can lead to electrocution from fall to a damage machinery.
- Risk of exploision: At high enough temperature which is actually quite low, coal dust particles will actually spontaneously com-bust, they are small and they can bust quickly and if there are enough coal dust particles close enough together they can lead to a chain erection of combustion and ultimately lead to an explosion.
- Electrical danger and technical aspects: Default in accurate electric equipment can lead to shocks and burns since the electric power , when mismanaged can easily burnt the surrounding objects. Also, there can be electrocution resulting in death or injury and asphyxiation from fires caused by the malfunction of electrical equipment. Some technical hazards include rockfall and water inrush.
What other hazard could be considered? Comment below!
Reference:
Underground Mine Safety—911Metallurgist. (2016, December 15). https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/underground-mine-safety/
