Casestudy:GasexplosionsatPikeRivercoalmine–NewZealandInitialconditions:ThePikeRivercoalmineislocated46kmNNEofGreymouthonthewestcoastofSouthIsland,NewZealand.Thesurfaceinstallationandinfrastructurewaslargelycompleteandhadearnedanenvironmentalprotectionawardforitssensitivedesignandimplementation(Figure1).Figure1.SurfaceinstallationsreflecttheenvironmentalsensitivityoftheareawithbuildingsmergingintotheforestThesituationundergroundwasincompletecontrasttothesurfaceconditions.Undergroundminingconditionsweredifficult,primarilyduetounexpectedgeologicalconditionsresultinginseriousminedevelopmentdelays.Therewaspressureforprematurecoalproduction.Costshadrisenaboveexpectationsandfinancialreservesweredwindlingrapidly.Inordertogeneratemuchneededrevenue,aproductionfacewasdevelopedandtrialcoalproductionstarted;ahydraulicmethodofminingwasbeingemployed.Amainfanwasinstalledundergroundneartoanupcastshaft.Theshafthadsufferedstabilityproblemsandwasinadequateasasecondmeansofegressformenintheeventofanundergroundemergency.Theonlyviableentryandexitroutefortheminerswasviaa3kmdrift.Gashadnotbeenconsideredasapotentialhazard.Duringexplorationanddevelopmentnosystematicdatahadbeenobtainedonthegasbearingandemissioncharacteristicsofthecoaldeposit.Onlywhengasbecameaproblemwasacursoryattemptmadeatcontrol.Furthermore,electricalequipmentinpartoftheundergroundminewasnotdesignedandinstalledtocomplywithmineexplosionprotectionstandards.Corporateresponsibilityforoccupationalhealthandsafetywaslacking.TheBoardofDirectorstooknoactivepartinhealthandsafetymanagement,deferringtotheminemanageronalloperationalandsafetymatters.Althoughtherewasasafetymanagerandasafetycommitteeatthemine,bothwereineffective.Anexternalstudywascommissionedwhichhighlightedmajorsafetyissuesbutneithertheownersnortheminemanageractedtoaddressanyofthesafetymattersraised.Gasconcentrationswithintheexplosiverangehadbeendetectedonnumerousoccasionsbutnoactionwastaken.Duetounprofessionalmanagement,staffturnoverwashigh,leavingunexperiencedstaffandcontractorsinchargeofundergroundconditions.Theregulatorysystemhadbeenreformedremovingpreviousstringent,independentoversightofhealthandsafetyatminesthroughoutthecountry.Thegovernmenthadrestructureditsminesinspectorateplacinggreaterrelianceonminemanagementtoself-regulatetheiractivities.Acombinationofahighworkloadandtoofewqualifiedmineinspectorsmeantthatundergroundvisitswererareandregulatoryenforcementpoor.Theproblem:On19November2010anexplosionoccurred.Intheensuingdays,threefurtherexplosionsandafireoccurred(Figure2)beforethemineatmospherewasmadeinertandtheminesealed.29minerswerekilled.Figure2.FireattheupcastshaftfollowingthethirdexplosionTheexplosionwasnotimmediatelydetectedatthesurface,asalarmsinthecontrolroomwereignoredandtheemergencyserviceswerenotcalleduntil40minuteslater.Twosurvivorsemergedatthesurface101minutesaftertheeventandtherewasnoonetheretomeetthem.ThePolicewereresponsiblefortheemergencyresponsebuthadnominingexperience.Noemergencydrillshadbeencarriedoutatthemineandtherewasalackofdatafromundergroundtoallowthesituationtobeproperlyassessed.Astheundergroundriskscouldnotbeestablished,theMinesRescueServicewasnotpermittedtoenterthemine.Familiesoftheminersandthecommunityweredevastatedbytheloss.Thecommunitywasverysupportiveoftheaffectedfamiliesbutlackofactionbytheauthoritiescausedannoyanceandfrustration.Thefamil...
优质VIP
