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8 June 2010 Instruments for Gas Analysis Michael P. Valoski, Chief, Toxic Agents Branch, MSHA, gave a presentation to the SME Annual Meeting entitled Instruments for Gas Analysis at Mine Fires/Explosions. Mine fires and explosions are horrible events that affect miners, mine operators, and the surrounding community see Figure 1. While these events still occur, they have become fairly uncommon events. Recent mine fires/explosions were at Sago, Alma No. 1, and Kentucky Darby. At these mines, nineteen miners died and mines permanently closed. MSHA monitors the situation via gas analysis to assist the District Manager in determining the appropriateness of the action being contemplated by the mine operator. MSHA wants to minimize unnecessary risks. Instruments can be detector tubes, handheld instruments, portable instruments, or gas chromatographs. All sampling must be conducted safely. For example, the instruments should be held in the exhaust air while the operator remains in fresh air. Also, samples should be collected as soon as possible so mine rescue teams will have information when they arrive at the mine. Detector tubes should be intrinsically safe, inexpensive, easy-touse, small size, and as accurate as possible, measuring one gas at a time, cross sensitivity, and may have limited shelf life. Only detector tubes that take one stroke should be used. Multiple stroke tubes take too long to determine the gas concentration. The exposure to the possible hazardous environment should be limited. Detector tube is shown in Figure 2 and gases detected are shown in Figure 3. Handheld instruments can be accurate, small, fast response, alarm when in dangerous environment, require calibration gas, may Fig 1 Farmington 1968 have a short sensor life, cross sensitivity, and the gases can destroy the sensor. These are carried by mine rescue teams and some can measure up to five gases. Some can store the measurements for time study. Handheld instruments are shown in Figure 4, and the gases measured are shown in Figure 5. Portable instruments can constantly sample the environment, have a wide dynamic range, are not intrinsically safe, can be large, require gas calibration, require an electric line, and require a pump to pull the sample to the sensor. MSHA carries these to the mines, can quickly collect a sample if a change in the gas level is seen. Portable instruments are shown in Figure 6 and the gases measured are shown in Figure 7. Gas chromatographs are stable, measure ten gases from one injection, require calibration gas, specific for gas, wide dynamic range, not intrinsically safe, require electric line, very expensive, and need trained operators. MSHA has a Mobile Gas Laboratory with gas chromatographs. There are many ways to configure the gas chromatograph to obtain gas levels. MSHA has gas chromatographs stationed in Denver, Colorado and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as Mt. Hope, West Virginia. These must be constantly used because the retention times change. Few mines have gas chromatographs. Gas samples are collected in evacuated glass bottles, mylar, or tedlar bags, or plastic syringes. The gases measured are CO, CO2, O2, N2, AR, CH4, C2H6, and H2. A software suite allows the calculation of the important mine fire indices. Gas chromatograph s can be benchtop or portable. The benchtop are used for laboratory work, while the portable are able to travel. The portable type produces faster results, but the lower detection limit is poorer than the benchtop. The mobile gas laboratory is shown in Figure 8. Gas chromatographs are carried inside the lab. The lab is totally self sufficient. The benchtop gas chromatograph is shown in Figure 9. The micro gas chromatograph is shown in Figure 10. The author concluded that gas chromatographs are essential and there is the need to obtain information using different types of instruments. Each instrument type has its uses. Detector tubes provide the least useful information and handheld instruments need to be used by Mine Rescue Teams. Fig 2 Detector Tube Fig 3 Gases Detected Fig 4 Handheld Instruments Fig 5 Gases Measured Fig 6 Portable Instruments Fig 7 Gases Measures with Portable Instruments Fig 8 Mobile Gas Laboratory Fig 9 Bench Top Gas Chromatograph Fig 10 Micro Gas Chromatograph
June 2010 9 Above Ground Communications RMainhart, J. Taylor, and D. Wolfe, Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Underserved Areas (CERMUSA), Saint Francis University, Loretto, Pennsylvania, gave a presentation to the SME Annual Meeting entitled Augmentative Above Ground Communications for Mine Rescue Operations. Terrain and environment differ greatly from one mine to another. Therefore, augmentative above ground communications needs may vary from one rescue event to another. In developing IP-based solutions to provide voice communications in difficult to serve areas, it becomes possible to deliver additional communications modes, such as data and video. A communications “tool kit” approach offers a dynamic method of addressing a wide variety of variables, both environmental and content or needs-based. Such a system, properly deployed, will offer an interface between surface and underground rescue communications, and creates the potential to harness telemedicine capabilities from a Fresh Air Base directly to first responders or medical command. By using commercial off-the-shelf components and systems, mine rescue efforts can be better coordinated among the several stakeholders, allowing for improved information sharing in a secure manner. Using an IP-based communications tool kit, multiple communication modalities can be used singly or in combination in order to overcome differences in environment and communication needs. The emergence of advanced communications technologies presents opportunities and raises new challenges in the mission of conducting mine rescue operations. The instant access to voice, data, and video may result in information overload, and a blurring of the real and virtual space. Keeping the human factors in mind, in 2008 and 2009, Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, through its Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Underserved Areas (CER- MUSA), conducted a needs assessment and demonstrated an array of IP-based communications technologies that could allow stakeholders in the mine rescue environment to improve the ability to share and transmit information. The contract with NIOSH focused on the difficult above ground communications problems that hinder the efforts of mine rescue support and decision-making staff see Figure 1 and Figure 2. Recent changes, prompted by the MINER Act of 2006, as well as communications challenges identified during several more recent mine rescue events, resulted in development of a revised Mine Emergency Command System (MECS). It appears that MECS structure is similar to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) model Robert Mainhart developed by the Department of Homeland Security and broadly used through the Civilian Emergency Management System. While the MECS relies on a consensus-based Command Group, involving each of the principle stakeholders in a mine rescue event, the NIMS system defines a unitary command. Given that the Command Group model is deeply engrained into the culture of the mining industry and regulators, it becomes even more important that, as communications technologies allow more information to flow during mine rescue operations, the information must be secured while at the same time being shared with all appropriate stakeholders. Numerous vendors have developed NIMS-based incident command data management software “dashboards” that assist in the distribution and organization of tactical and operational information. Based on the nearly identical organizational structure between NIMS and MECS, any of these products could be incorporated into an overall mine rescue incident response plan, or adapted on an incident-byincident basis see Figure 3. The communications toolkit concept demonstrated by CERMUSA offers stakeholders in the coal mining community an array of methods to overcome environmental and geographical obstacles to effective communication during mine rescue events. Human factors must also be considered because the ability to exchange information more effectively means decision-makers now have more information available, but must simultaneously distribute and secure the data see Figures 4 and 5. Further, while these communications tools are relatively easy to operate once established, the nature of emergency response suggests that these tools be as much as possible integrated into day-to-day operations so as not to impose an additional hurdle to establishing a communications network during a mine rescue operation. The coal mining community has a well-established commitment to continuing training for these involved in mine rescue. Such continuing training with a communications toolkit for both the technicians who establish and operate the network, as well as those who use it is essential see Figure 6. By their nature, mine rescue events place considerable strain on existing communications infrastructure. The development of a communications toolkit can and should be an effort that involves all stakeholders. While not advocating any specific policy in this area, it is suggested that mine operators, knowing their local environment best, survey in advance usable ground and sky paths for deployment of augmentative above ground communications networks in likely areas of operation. Ongoing discussions with local telecommunications service providers should include conversations about the ways and means of adding capacity during emergencies. The ideal emergency response plan would include both the expected quantity and type of information exchange required of all stakeholders, and how the communications infrastructure would be deployed and shared. This demonstration of communications technologies is only a first step in the continuing evolution of the information distribution and sharing that is crucial to the mining community and to the people it serves. Whenever new technologies are introduced, it is vitally important that they blend into the existing workplace environment. The technologies being discussed in this document should seamlessly blend into the operational culture of the mine rescue process. Fig 1 Project Overview Fig 2 Demonstration Area Fig 3 Communications Aerostat Fig 4 Interfacing Under and Above Ground Fig 5 Underground Interface Fig 6 Mobile Communications Platform
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