Patrick Tyrrell – Australian Coal Industry Research Program
ABSTRACT
ACARP assists the Australian coal industry to develop and adopt technology and mining practice that leads the world. The program is entirely funded, owned and managed by the Australian black coal producers.
ACARP was established in January 1992 and has had many great achievements that improves the safety and health of our people throughout its many years. What sets ACARP apart from other areas of research is the industry monitors that have direct input to the research that is been undertaken through a collaborative approach that utilises the experience and technical strength of both the coal mining industry and research institutions in solving technical problems and addressing issues of significance to the industry’s long-term future. Any proposed research project that is strongly supported by a mine site and is of interest to a number of coal operations is encouraged. Safety and environment remain key drivers in the program and will continue to be the focus of much of the underground work and a significant component of the open cut and coal preparation programs.
Priorities have been developed by the five technical committees responsible for proposal development and selection and are separated into the areas of:
• Underground
• Open Cut
• Coal Preparation
• Technical Market Support
• Mine Site Greenhouse Mitigation
While the current priorities are not prescriptive they should act as a guide.
The Current Priorities are: Underground:
• Prevent Harm from Spontaneous Combustion, Ignitions, Mine Fires, Extreme Heat, Explosions, Outbursts, Coal Bursts, Ventilation and Strata Failures – Improved understanding, detection, prediction, protection, selection and design of major hazard management systems.
• Management of Health – including mental health and fatigue.
• Communication to Employees and Contractors of Safety Measures – Improvement such that the information, training and instruction is understood and retained.
• Operator Interfaces and Vehicle Interaction – Improving equipment, automation and remote monitoring and control, also addressing musculoskeletal disorders, improved ergonomics and
• Improved roadway conditions.
• Airborne and Noise Contaminants – Reduce exposure to airborne dust, diesel emissions, and noise.
• Emergency Response Measures – Adequacy and effectiveness.
• Investigation of key practices, including legislative, leading practice alternatives and culture.
Open Cut: The industry is looking for direct or indirect improvements in health and safety across all mining and exploration operations. Areas of interest for open cut mining are:
• Investigation of key health and safety issues and management systems, practices and culture, including legislative leading practice alternatives.
• Management of health including mental health, alcohol and other drugs, return to work and fatigue, e.g. by reduced exposure to noise, vibration, dust and heat, by determining mental health of employees, etc.
• Protection and removal of personnel from hazardous situations such as those around unstable ground, in the vicinity of voids, and around excavations particularly during truck loading.
• General improvement to the health and safety of mining and maintenance operations through novel manual
• Handling aids, including automated technologies or equipment changes.
• Improving equipment operator interfaces, vehicle interaction management, automation and remote control.
• Development of safety in the design of systems and equipment that leads to the reduction of occupational exposure at the source, e.g. noise, dust, blast fumes etc.
• Improve the communication to employees and contractors of safety measures such that the information,
• Training and instruction are provided in a method that allows cognitive retention.
• Development of a cognitive recognition method which addresses the normalising effects that are created due to the human brain predominantly operating in a subconscious mode and failing to recognise changes in their environment that could lead to adverse outcomes.
ACARP facilitates industry and researchers to work together for a common goal that is the improvement of the health and safety of our industry and our people, this is a journey that we all share together.
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Dr Snezana Bajic
Technical Services Manager, Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (Simtars)
Reliable gas monitoring is a key element to ensure that the mine based controls are effective.
Coal mines in Queensland and New South Wales have been facing issues in controlling tailgate methane levels and recently there have been two serious spontaneous combustion events. Legislation and Australian standards make specific requirements for the installation and maintenance of gas monitoring systems.
This paper discusses the issues related to gas monitoring, tailgate methane control, alarm set points and proposals for feedback loops on alarm notifications and acknowledgements. The paper will not discuss individual mine events but will focus on reliable gas monitoring to enable early detection and proactive actions to be taken.
Professor Jianming Wu
Visiting Professor of University of Wollongong and Director of AST Australia
A/Professor Ting Ren</br/>Director of Centre of Infrastructure Protection and Mining Safety, University of Wollongong
Spontaneous combustion (sponcom) of coal remains a major safety issue for underground coal mining operations. Recent heating incidents in Australia further highlight the need of improving current knowledge and practices of sponcom management to ensure safety and productivity of coal mines extracting coal seams that are prone to spontaneous heating.
This presentation will provide some the fundamental theory and practices in the early detection, prevention and control of spontaneous combustion of coal. Case studies based on Chinese and Australian coal mines will be presented to demonstrate a range of techniques, including radon detection, jel and fly ash injection materials, that can be practically used for coal heating and fire management.
The presentation will also include studies of goaf gas flow dynamics based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling. Based upon fundamental fluid flow governing equations, computational models are developed to investigate the impact of different ventilation layout and ventilation parameters on goaf gas flow characteristics and in particularly, oxygen leakage and ingress patterns, and hence identification of high sponcom risk zones. Inertisation strategies, using both nitrogen and carbon dioxide, are modelled to optimise operational parameters (e.g, injection flow rate and location etc) for active longwalls and seal-off operations.
John Phillips – Director, Zephyr Mining
Mark Gleadhill – Manager, Cool Mine Pty Ltd
Eric Tomicek Global Sales Manager, Australian Diversified Engineering
Michael Lennon – Mechanical Technician
Glen Jacob – Mechanical Technician, Evolution Mining – Mt Rawdon
Jon Noble – Health Safety and Training Manager, Glencore – Clermont Open Cut Mine
The Problem
In February 2017 a Coal Mine Worker (CMW) was injured when a hydraulic hose fitting failed under pressure during the use of a hydraulic flow meter. The CMW was positioned inside the pump room and was undertaking the task of a hydraulic tune up. The task requires a calibrated flow meter to be installed in line with the main hydraulic pump system to read the hydraulic flow and pressure the machine is producing. The operator of the flow meter is required to manually adjust the flow meter by hand and watch the pressure and flows on the meter, making it impossible to be out of the line of fire. On the day of the incident a hydraulic fitting failed at the flow meter under 50bar of pressure and shot back contacting the maintainer in the knee luckily only causing minor bruising. During testing procedures the maximum pressure ranges up to 300bar.
The Solution
The implementation of a data logging system that reduces the need to have a person inside the pump room during hydraulic testing. There are two pumps to each main pump. Each pump can now be “turned on” remotely via an electronic remote control. The first individual pump can be cycled and loaded through all curves required to satisfy testing and the change to test, then the second pump can be tested via the flick of a switch. Load to the pumps is applied proportionally through a remote control lever on the test box remote and the pump performance can be seen by the operator outside of the pump room. If adjustments need to be made to the pump regulators the pump is destroked to minimum flow and
to standby pressures using the remote control lever. Once the adjustments have been made the operator can once again remove themselves from the high pressure hose area inside the pump room and return outside and complete the tests again.
David Roberts – Maintenance Fitter
Dave Champion – HSET Manager, Peabody-Millennium Mine
Michael Donnelly – Outbye Mining / Stonedust Coordinator, Glencore – Oaky Creek North Colliery