The Five Most Common Accidents In Underground Mining
The mining industry represents a huge part of the global economy. It employs millions of people worldwide and produces coal, metal and non-metallic mines in thousands of mines.
Mining itself is a dangerous profession, but underground mining is particularly dangerous, and the reported accident rate is far higher than that of surface mining. Compared with surface coal mining operations, underground coal mines have the greatest risk, and many of the most serious mine accidents in the world occur in coal mines.
The most common types of underground mining accidents depend on the type of mine, regional and regulatory safety standards. The following are the five most common hazards that cause accidents and injuries.
- Explosion
Methane(a highly explosive gas trapped between coal seams) can explode when released, which may be due to improper use of tools or calculation errors in the mine, or the absence of gas detection equipment. Other flammable materials, such as coal dust and other gases, may also explode. This kind of explosion may cause fire, that is, the general cause of death of workers when carbon monoxide is produced due to lack of oxygen in coal mines, leading to asphyxia.
- Falling objects, including roof collapse
The pillar sinks after an earthquake or explosion, and the roof may collapse. Mines located in seismically active areas are particularly prone to earthquakes or earthquakes, and the use of explosives in these areas can also cause earthquakes. Collapsed buildings such as roofs may collapse or trap miners. In an earthquake, workers may also be hit by falling rocks and other debris.
- Including mechanical and power transportation
One of the important causes of personal injury is accidents related to machine contact, improper use of the machine or power transportation. When touching the drilling machine or cutting machine, the body or fingers may be pinched or squeezed. Electric shock is also a common cause of damage.
One cause of mechanical failure may be overheating. An adequate cooling system is essential for the efficient and safe operation of underground mines. Without a proper cooling system, the machine may malfunction or catch fire, causing danger and accidents.
- Physical strength
This is regarded as one of the main causes of the accident. Some data reports say that about one-third of the losses are caused by this. This type of damage usually occurs when users are required to use tools in an awkward position. In this case, workers are easily tired and difficult to control tools correctly.
As employees grow older, inexperienced workers are prone to overwork injuries.
- Waterfall
There are many reasons for falling, such as installing or disassembling vehicles or machines. Workers can only be abandoned or moved in the working environment. Because the debris under your feet may fall and slip. Sometimes the crash will collide with a stationary object, resulting in injury or workers falling from the platform to the low platform. If you fall higher than other types of falls, it is easy to cause death. In many cases, the risk of injury is increased due to improper use of protective equipment such as safety belts or insufficient prevention measures such as barriers around the entrance.