MINE SAFETY- LEARNING FROM
INDUSTRIES
Management of Mine Safety in India
• Governed by Prescriptive Legislation
• DGMS – Regulatory Authority as per statute
• Indian mining law has strong legislation base,
which has evolved over a period of more than
one hundred years
• Way forward is the system of Self – regulation
based on hazard identifications and risk
assessments
Evolution of safety legislation in india
• 1890 - International Labour Conference in Berlin for
improvement in the working conditions of miners –
1st trigger for mine statute in India
• 1895 – GOI initiated 1st step to frame legislation for
mine inspection
• 1901 – The 1st Mine Act – enacted
• 1923 – The Mines Act 1923 – superseded earlier Act
• 1952 - The Mines Act 1952 – superseded earlier Act
• 2010 – Bill for amendment of the Mine Act -1952
placed before Rajya Sabha – under scrutiny of
Standing Committee of Labour
Improvement in safety in CIL
10 years average fatalities
170
180
147
160
140
100
80
103
Fatalities
120
77
60
40
20
0
Av fatalities
1400
1975-84
1985-94
1995-04
2005-11#
170
147
103
77
1172
Av. Serious Injuries
Av.Serious Injuries
1200
1000
800
565
600
520
322
400
200
0
Av. Serious Injuries
1975-84
1985-94
1995-04
2005-11#
1172
565
520
322
Improvement in safety in CIL
Over the years the safety performance in CIL has been
improved and it is attributed to the following reasons:
• Collectively commitment shown by the management,
workers and regulators
• Technological advances in the field of mining methods
and use of safer mining machineries.
• Continuous improvement knowledge and skill of our
workforce through imparting quality training and
conscientious safety awareness drive
• Strong oversight and assistances from various quarters
Challenges Ahead
• To solve problems related to increasing depth
• To Solve Strata Control problems of deeper UG coal
mines.
• To solve problems related to ventilation of deeper
UG Coal Mines
• To Provide apt solutions for Mine Environment
Monitoring
• To Solve Problems of Dump Slope Stability
• To Provide adequate infrastructure for operation and
maintenance of Large Capacity HEMM
Challenges Ahead
• To Create Compatible infrastructure such as standard
all weather haul roads in Opencast Mines
• To Monitor and Control Mass Blasting and Ground
Vibration Problems
• To install system for Dust & Noise monitoring
• To Prepare and Implement a requirement based
Training and HR Capacity Building Plan
• To Provide for an effective Emergency Response
Mechanism at Mines
Suggested thrust area for UG Mining
• All new virgin underground mines are to be planned
with high degree of mechanization
• Large scale introduction of mass production
technologies like long wall mining technology,
continuous mining technology etc.
• Non mechanized existing mines to be quickly
converted to mechanized mines through adoption of
SDL/LHD and mechanized drilling for roof bolting
Suggested thrust area for UG Mining
• Scientific strata and environment monitoring;
• Risk assessment and mitigation plans;
• Faster development of infrastructure for UG minesMechanized shaft and incline drivages
• Introduction of quick setting foam stopping for
isolating fire
• Introduction of notch cutter for speedy recess cutting
for construction of sectionalization & isolation
stooping
• Digitization of mine plan
Suggested thrust area for UG Mining
• Introduction of man riding systems in large UG mines
where travelling is arduous
• Adoption of telecommunications in UG mines
• Air-conditioning systems for mine ventilation,
particularly the deep mines of more than 400m
depth or where temperature can not be brought
down to 30 degree Celsius with conventional
ventilation system
• Creation of machinery manufacturing facilities to
support UG mechanization
Suggested thrust area for OC Mining
LIMITING FACTORS OF OC PLANNING
• Apart from macro-economic factors including
business environment
–
–
–
–
Depth of reserves
Stripping Ratio
Extent of surface Area / lands for coal mining
Surface constraints including diversion of forest
land
– Availability of land for dumping
Suggested thrust area for OC Mining
FUTURE OC MINING
• Deep opencast mining
• Extending and deepening existing OC mines
• Use of more number of surface miner for Coal
as well as OB removal
• Use of more higher capacity of HEMM
• High wall mining to access exposed coal
resources in final opencast batters & thin coal
seams
Suggested thrust area for OC Mining
THRUST AREA OF OC MINING
• Conservation of reserves- designing of large
size pits and amalgamation of adjacent mines
for extracting locked up coal in batters and
barriers;
• Scientific approach for designing pit slopes
and dump slopes with appropriate monitoring
measures;
• Large scale adoption of in pit crushing and
conveying of coal and OB
Suggested thrust area for OC Mining
THRUST AREA OF OC MINING
• Standardization of HEMM for various pit
capacities
• Land reclamation and mine closure plans with
monitoring mechanism
• Application of IT for traffic management,
inventory, maintenance and safety such as
GPS based OITDS
Experience learned from recent mine disaster
ANJAN HILL DISASTER – 06.05.10, Fatalities - 14
• Probable cause - Firedamp explosion caused
by spontaneous heating of coal
• Lesson learnt
– developed potholes to be filled at the earliest
– Never allow coal dust to be accumulated in UG
– Regular inspection of surface over depillerd areas
for early detection of cracks & potholes – special
attention to be paid in case of hilly terrain
– Continuous monitoring of mine environment
where early sign of heating is detected
Thank you