Advanced Mine Ventilation presents the reader with a unique book providing the theory and applications for designing mine ventilation with computers, controlling respirable coal dust and diesel particulate matter, combustible gas control and, mine fire management. The book summarizes the latest knowledge created in the past 40 years in these areas. Authored by an expert in the field with 50 years' experience, the book is a great combination of theory and applications. The mine ventilation section provides computer programs (both FORTRAN and C++) to calculate not only air quantities and pressure losses but also the concentration of any pollutant in all junctions and branches of the mine network. Small particle mechanics and dust control is covered in the second section of the book. The third section on combustible gas control discusses all aspects of mine gases from origin to control. The last section on mine fire control discusses spontaneous combustion, frictional ignitions, mine explosions, and mine sealing and recovery. The book is not only a very good reference book but also an excellent textbook for two graduate level courses in Mining Engineering. Provides the latest knowledge on the four related topics of mine environment control; that is, ventilation, dust, gas, and fire in a single volume Computer simulation of mine ventilation in both FORTRAN and C++ State-of-the-art respirable dust control Mine degasification and methane production from a coal lease Mine fire management

Explosion Hazards and Evaluation presents the principles and applications of explosion hazards evaluation. The text is organized into nine chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 discuss the energy release processes which generate accidental explosions, and the resulting development of pressure and shock waves in a surrounding atmosphere. The manner in which the "free-field" waves are modified in interacting with structures or other objects in their paths is discussed in Chapter 3. Structural response to blast loading and non-penetrating impact is covered in two chapters, with Chapter 4 including simplified analysis methods and Chapter 5 including numerical methods. Chapter 6 includes a rather comprehensive treatment of generation of fragments and missiles in explosions, and the flight and effects of impact of these objects. Chapter 7 considers thermal radiation of large chemical explosions. Explosions may or may not cause damage or casualty, and various damage criteria have been developed for structures, vehicles, and people. These criteria are presented in Chapter 8. General procedures for both the postmortem evaluation of accidental explosions and for design for blast and impact resistance are reviewed in Chapter 9. Engineers, scientists, and plant safety personnel will find the book very useful.

Many organisations live with hazards that have the potential to cause disaster. This was the case at Moura underground coal mine in Central Queensland, where 11 men died in an explosion in 1994. Andrew Hopkins shows that the explosion was the result of organisational failure, and uses it to draw lessons about managing major hazards. He argues that there are always tell-tale signs of impending disaster, and that organisations need to find ways of gathering this information and reacting to it appropriately. The Moura story also demonstrates the need to move responsibility for risk management up the corporate hierarchy to ensure that it is not overshadowed by production pressures. Otherwise disasters will repeat themselves in horrifyingly similar ways. Managing Major Hazards is a gripping story and essential reading for occupational health and safety professionals, executives working in hazardous industries, policy makers, and readers interested in risk management and disaster studies.

This book addresses the hazard of gas explosions in sealed underground coal mines, and how the risk of explosion can be assessed, modeled, and mitigated. With this text, coal mine operators and managers will be able to identify the risks that lead to underground mine gas explosions, and implement practical strategies to optimize mining safety for workers. In six chapters, the book offers a framework for understanding the sealed coal mine atmosphere, the safety characteristics that are currently in place, and the guidelines to be followed by engineers to improve upon these characteristics. The first part of the book describes the importance and characteristics of underground gas mine explosions in a historical context with data showing the high number of fatalities from explosion incidents, and how risk has been mitigated in the past. Chapters also detail mathematical models and explosibility diagrams for determining and understanding the risk factors involved in mine explosions. Readers will also learn about safety operations, and assessments for the sealed mine atmosphere. With descriptions of chapter case studies, mining engineers and researchers will learn how to apply safety measures in underground coal mines to improve mining atmospheres and save lives.

Sensing and Monitoring Technologies for Mines and Hazardous Areas: Monitoring and Prediction Technologies presents the fundamentals of mining related geotechnical risk and how the latest advances in sensing and data communication can be used both to prevent accidents and provide early warnings. Opencast mining operations involve huge quantities of overburden removal, dumping, and backfilling in excavated areas. Substantial increases in the rate of accumulation of waste dumps in recent years has resulted in greater height of dumps and also has given rise to the danger of dump failures as steeper open pit slopes are prone to failure. These failures lead to loss of valuable human lives and damage to mining machinery. This book presents the most recent advances in gas sensors, methane detectors, and power cut-off systems. It also introduces monitoring of the gas strata and environment, and an overview of the use of Internet of Things and cloud computing for mining sensing and surveillance purposes. Targeted at geotechnical and mining engineers, this volume covers the latest findings and technology to prevent mining accidents and mitigate the inherent risk of the activity. - Presents complete details of a real-time slope stability monitoring system using wireless sensor networking and prediction technique based on multivariate statistical analysis of various parameters and analytical hierarchy process methods - Discusses innovative ideas and new concepts of sensing technologies, mine transport surveillance, digital mining, and cloud computing to improve safety and productivity in mining industry - Includes slope stability prediction software, downloadable through a companion website, which can be used for monitoring, analyzing, and storing different sensors and providing audio-visual, SMS, and email alerts - Covers the latest findings and technology to prevent mining accidents and mitigate the inherent risk

Opencast mines may not be as dangerous as underground mines, but they should respect a wide range of provisions in order to minimise safety and health risks to workers and people living nearby. This code is intended for people responsible for occupational safety and health in opencast mining.