1900 - Coalmininghistorypa.org

112 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES. Off. Doc.
Accidents by Fire-Damp Explosions.
As shown in the foregoing table, 12 fatal and 57 non-fatal accidents
occurred in this district in the year 1900, by explosions of fire-damp,
Nearly
being nearly 22 per cent, of the whole number of accidents.
all occurred through the careless use of "naked lights," where safety
lamps only should have been used. If the use of naked lights were
prohibited to all classes of employes at the working faces in gaseous
mines, the number of accidents from explosions of gas and the risk
of causing mine fires would be greatly reduced.
Sometimes explosions of gas take place from mine fires ignited
by blasts, but these are only a small number as compared with
those«caused by the careless use of naked lights.
A mine fire most invariably produces an atmosphere of non-combustible
gases around itself, affording a high degree of security
against explosions of fire damp if the air current is directed to convey
the fire damp away from contact with the fire, but the unprotected
flame of a lamp does not provide such security. It is safer even when
fighting fires to use safety lamps only.
Compliance with the following rules would prevent many accidents
from explosions of fire damp:
1. Have no naked lights used in places where there are gas feeders
issuing, nor in any other placf where a body of gas may accumulate
when the air current is reduced through the opening of a door or
otherwise.
2. When examining a mine with a safety lamp, the person doing
so should have a clean safe lamp, and as far as practicable he should
walk with the air current, and should, if possible, avoid walking
against the air current at any time. The reason for this is obvious.
If a man unexpectedly enters a body of gas when walking with the
jrir current and loses his light, he can retreat to a point where he
knows that it is safe to relight it, but if he should enter a body of
gas when walking against the current, it would be dangerous because
the gas would be moving with him in his retreat, and he could not
determine where it would be safe to strike a light.
3. In fighting a fire, the burning timber and coal should be extinguished
first and the burning gas feeders last. As long as the
gas feeders are permitted to burn there is less cause to expect an
accumulation of fire damp, and to prevent an accumulation, the
water should be frequently played against the top so as to dissipate
the gas.
4. Brattices should be extended invariably before a body of gas
can accumulate.
It is the prevailing practice and a bad one to wait