MNGN308 - Mine Safety


Designation:  Required

 

Catalog Description:  Causes and prevention of accidents.  Mine safety regulations.  Mine rescue training.  Safety management and organization.

 

Prerequisites: 

MNGN 210, the Introduction to mining class and a concurrent enrollment in MNGN 309, the Mine Safety class.   The introduction to mining class is important as a prerequisite to the Mine Safety Class.  The students must have an adequate knowledge of the mining nomenclature and a basic concept of mining equipment and techniques in order to understand the application of MSHA safety laws.  This they receive in the Introduction to Mining Class.   The Mining Engineering Laboratory class must be taken concurrently with the Mine Safety Class.  Principles of mine safety are applied and reinforced in the Mining Engineering Laboratory as unit operation training in that class is being performed.

 

Textbook and/or other required materials:

Mine Safety and Mine Operation Lab Course Notes, Compiled by David Mosch

Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Training, Safety & Health Standards, 30 CFR parts 46/47/48, 56/57/58 &26 Eleventh Edition, Mine Safety Associates 2003

 

Course Objectives: 

The desired objective of this course is to equip the student with a basic understanding of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (BATFE) laws as they apply to the mining industry.  After completing this course, the students should be able to safely work in the surface and underground mining environments.  They should also be able to incorporate safe operation practices and procedures in to the designs of earth excavations of all types.

 

Mastery of the first of these outcomes is demonstrated through the satisfactory completion of weekly quizzes and a comprehensive final examination.  The second of these outcomes is demonstrated through the successful completion of in laboratory task performed at the Experimental Mine laboratory.

 

Topics Covered: 

The topics covered in this class include basic safety related topics that are required by MSHA for a new miner training as specified in the Code of Federal Regulations 30, Part 48.5 and it includes the introduction of the explosive storage and transportation requirements mandated by the BATFE.  In addition to these basic requirements, this class introduces the students to principles of designing safe and efficient work environments.

 

The basic MSHA safety requirements that are covered in this are described in the following paragraphs with the approximate time spent in class on each topic.

 

1) Instruction in the statutory rights of miners and their representatives under the Act; authority and responsibility of supervisors: This section describes the statuary rights of miners and their representatives.  It includes the topics of how to report hazards to MSHA and the legal rights and obligations of miners and their supervisors.  It describes the authority and obligation of operators to follow mandated safety laws the penalties if they do not.

 

2) Self-rescue and respiratory devices: In this section the students are instructed in the proper procedure of donning a self rescue device and care of such devices.  Also described in this section is given about identifying conditions requiring such devices.  In this section, this students are allowed to practice on a training model of the W-65 self rescuer. 

 

3) Entering and leaving the mine; transportation; communications: Instruction is given in this section about the proper methods of checking into a mine and utilizing tracking and accountability systems.  All procedures of safely getting miners and materials to and from work areas are described in this section.  Also presented in this section are the basic methods of safe communication with in various mine environments.  This includes emergency communication systems.

 

4) Introduction to the work environment: This topic requires a descriptive tour of the workings of the Experimental Mine Laboratory.  This section emphasizes the importance of understanding how a mine is laid out.  During this introductive tour, mine safety procedures are described and locations of escape routes, refuge chambers, first aid stations, and fire extinguishers are presented.

 

5) Mine map; escape ways; emergency evacuation; barricading: This includes a review of mine maps and specifically the emergency maps of the Experimental Mine Laboratory facility; the escape way system.  It includes escape, firefighting, and emergency evacuation plans.  Also this section includes an introduction to the methods of barricading and instruction of how and when to use escape ways and emergency evacuation plans.  Fire fighting procedures are described in this section.

 

6) Roof or ground control and ventilation plans: Procedures and laws regarding ground control systems and ventilation are described in this section.  Ground control topics covered include use of rock bolts, shotcrete steel arches and how to “bar down”.  Ventilation topics include fan controls, air door and regulator usage, and ventilation plans.  

 

7) Health: The health section of this course includes instruction on the purpose of taking dust, noise, and other health measurements, and the purpose of health control plans.  The health provisions of the act and warning labels shall also be explained.

 

8) Cleanup; rock dusting: This includes instruction on the purpose of rock dusting and the cleanup and rock dusting.

 

9) Hazard recognition: This section gives methods of recognition and avoidance of hazards present in mines, particularly hazards related to explosives where explosives are used or stored at mines.

 

10) Electrical hazards: A section of this class is dedicated to identifying electrical hazards and to the avoidance of such hazards.  Laws regarding the authority to work on electrical equipment and basic electrical safety standards for metal and gassy mines are presented.

 

11) First aid: A section on basic first aid is presented in this class. 

 

12) Mine gases: This course includes instruction in the detection and avoidance of hazards associated with mine gases.  Also in this section, a detailed descriptions of  the characteristics of commonly found hazardous mine gasses is given. 

 

13) Health and safety aspects of the tasks to which the new miner will be assigned:

Task training is a significant part of the training given in this class.  During the class, the student is given the opportunity to be tasked trained for a variety of jobs and equipment.  During this training, attention is given to the aspects of task training including HazCom laws, health and safety standards pertinent to specific task and the protective measures that may be taken to guard against such hazards.  The students are presented with methods for task training and the laws regarding record keeping of all task training.

 

14) Welding and Cutting: A section is covered about the safe procedures of using welding and cutting equipment.

 

15) Explosive Transportation, Storage and Usage Safety: An extensive section of this class is dedicated to laws governing the transport and storage of mining explosives.  Also included in this section are safe procedures and laws dealing with the usage of mining explosives.  During the class, students are given the opportunity while under direct supervision of a responsible person to use various explosives for mining type applications.

 

16) Fire Prevention Methods: A section is dedicated in this class to examining the causes and prevention procedures of mine fires.  Included in this section are laws dealing with storage and transport of flammable substances and methods of fighting fires when appropriate.

 

17) Record Keeping Requirement:  The students of this class are required to know what records are required to be maintained by MHSA and BATFE laws.  Items are included such as explosive records, Material Safety Data Sheets, task training and equipment maintenance records.

 

Laboratory Projects; The class MNGN309 functions as a laboratory for this class.  The two classes must be taken concurrently.

 

Class/Laboratory Schedule:

This class meets from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm each Friday during the semester.  The MNGN 309, the Mining Engineering Laboratory class, meets immediately after this class and meets from 3:00 pm until 9:00 pm.  The two hours are dedicated to appropriate lecture topics of mining and underground construction safety.

 

Contribution of Course to Meeting the Professional Component:

This course contributes to the professional component of the Mining Engineering program.  The mine safety principles and laws presented in this class are classified as being completely general education in nature.  [Other: 1 credit hour]

 

Relationship of Course to Program Outcomes: 

This course most closely contributes to the Program Outcomes “E” and “G.”  This course allows the students to learn about safety laws and topics that have a major influence in the project management and supervision decision making process.

 

Person who prepared this Description and Date of Preparation:

Prepared by:  David Mosch

Date:  March 21, 2006