American Coal Concert Series Launched - Coal News

12
June 2010
Wayne Hartley, Mine
Rescue, Queensland
Mines Rescue Service,
Australia, gave a presentation at the
SME Annual Meeting.
Following a major underground
coal mine incident, there followed a
review of the role of mines rescue –
the Queensland Mine Rescue
Brigade. It wasn’t until 2002 that
the real change started to happen.
The issue of geographical distance
was addressed by mines rescue
substations being located on the
mine sites with parent rescue stations
in a central location (see
Figure 1).
The management system was
reformed with the industry based
into a state system. Funding was
changed to be industry-based and
the focus was on risk management.
The mines rescue system needed to
Queensland Mines Rescue Service
be significant and reform and
changed management system in
mines rescue struggled with the
implementation. The competitiveness
of the coal industry meant that
no one was of one mind and there
was the issue of distance in the
state of Queensland. A second
attempt was made to change and
implement a new structure with risk
management now a strong focus.
The mission is to be of significance
and to influence, as well as becoming
one organization. The rescue
system was given significant support
with new equipment, etc.
Funding was reviewed and the system
reformed to be industry-based.
The management system was
replaced and the rescue system was
confirmed to stay as a mine sitebased
system.
The Queensland Mine Rescue
Wayne Hartley
Service Organizational Chart is
shown in Figure 2. The government
challenged the industry with Level 1
major exercises that were legislated
with industry and government support.
QMRS reformed the MR training
systems and improved the MR
equipment and MR response systems,
testing the system regularly
every six to eight weeks.
Competitions focused on “what we
do in real emergency operations
underground.”
QMRS introduced Mines
Emergency Management System
and later MEMS 2 (Electronic
Information Management Software
for MEMS). This involved training
mine site management in emergency
management using an
Incident Command System. The system
was based on planning/operations/logistics
and managed by a
small Incident Control Team (ICT).
Mine site hazard management
plans and systems incorporate the
MEMS concept. It gives a huge
insight into emergency management
for the whole industry. The
report is made public along with the
recommendations.
QMRS operates on behalf of the
whole industry, the GAG Inertisation
Unit. It is available to Australian
mines for emergency operations in
mine fires and recovery of the mine
following a fire. The annual cost is
approximately 400,000 Australian
dollars. That is, $8,500 per mine
annually, what is considered to be a
cheap insurance. The unit is touch
screen operation requiring a crew of
five and consumes 1,000 liters of
fuel per hour producing 25 cubic
meters of inert product and water
vapor per second. QMRS maintains
the unit for the industry and ensures
24/7 response (see Figures 3 and
4). The Queensland Mines Rescue
Service Operations give quality and
targeted support with improved
organization and execution.
Fig 1 Queensland, Australia Fig 2 Organizational Chart Fig 3 GAG Inertization Unit Fig 4 Truck Available 24/7
Problems with Rescue Chambers and
Large Scale Evacuation Situations
Carl Baisden, Academy for
Mine Training and Energy
Technologies, Southern
West Virginia Community and
Technical College, gave a presentation
to the SME Annual Meeting
entitled Strategic Problems Mine
Rescue Teams Encounter with
Rescue Chambers and Large Scale
Injury and Evacuation Situations.
Advanced mine rescue and technology
is shown in Figure 1. Teams
require specialized rescue chamber
training, as well as thermal
image advancements, as shown in
Figure 2. Training and multiple
teams working together requires
standardization of skill sets.
Another challenge is exposure to
large or multiple bodies of fire.
Advanced skill set development in
fire attack is necessary to halt
advancement by manned or
unmanned monitors, as shown in
Figure 3. Training includes compressed
air foam and advanced fire
systems.
Other training includes communications
technician training and
underground miner tracking systems.
Training also includes quick
throw barricades and permanent
barricades.
The ability to locate and defend
a shelter is important. Technical
confined space training includes
navigation issues, as well as
advanced search techniques with
single file advance in thick smoke.
Decision-making, such as do we go
Carl Baisden
or do we stay, is included in the
training. Sufficient back-up teams
ready for deployment are made
available.
Another item to be covered in
training is plotting a strategic route
for chamber evacuations. Possible
conditions for the evacuation are
considered, as well as the adequacy
of rescue gear that is available
such as stokes/trauma
supplies/portable O2. Thermal
cameras are used as standard to
determine flame ahead.
Problems are examined in entering
a chamber such as communications,
team safety, and air lock
concerns. Medical training must be
thorough to operate in confined
spaces and poor visibility.
Advanced life support training
must be included with paramedics
and cross-training, as well as considering
the consequences. There
are issues of packaging to expedite
a rescue. Proper and accurate surveys
are essential in mine rescue
work. Proper attire is important for
the circumstances.
Plotting a Strategic Route is Shown
in Figure 4. All resources must be
used and previous cross-training
has been carried out to ensure minimum
response time. Rescue
teams are now cross-trained with
Aero Medical Group and the Air
Evac Lifeteam. Rapid rotation of
flights must be arranged with
direct communications with the
flight crew. In training, stage
resources must be carried out to
resupply and accommodate large
scale rescues.
Fig 1 Advanced Mine Rescue Fig 2 Thermal Image Advancements Fig 3 Fire Attack Fig 4 Plotting Strategic Route