Belt Air Federal Advisory Committee Briefing

Presentation Transcript

Belt Air Federal Advisory Committee Briefing Ronald Reagan Building Washington, DC January 9-10, 2007

Historical Background of Belt Air Rule

Historical Background of Belt Air Rule 1985 Ventilation Rule Pre-proposition included utilization of belt air 1988 Proposed Ventilation Rule included utilization of belt air – Six open hearings 1989 MSHA Belt Entry Ventilation Review Committee reports Belt Air can be utilized securely with precautionary measures 1990 Belt-Air Hearing happens in Reston, Virginia

Historical Background of Belt Air Rule (cont.) 1991 Secretary of Labor structures Federal Advisory Committee on Belt Air 1992 Final ventilation lead rejects Belt Air, concedes to Advisory Committee which presumes that Belt Air can be utilized to securely ventilate working countenances gave certain conditions are met Belt-Air Rulemaking is put on the Regulatory Agenda in 1992

Recent Belt Air History - 2003 Proposed Rule distributed on January 27, 2003. Open Comment period finished March 28. Open Hearings held in April and May. Birmingham, AL Lexington, KY Charleston, WV Washington, PA Grand Junction, CO Post-Hearing remark period finished June 30.

Recent Belt Air History - 2003 Belt Air Committee gets ready reactions to composed remarks and declaration from open hearings, and gets ready Final Rule. Last Rule sent to Policy Planning Board November 21.

Recent Belt Air History - 2004 Final control distributed April 2, 2004 Most arrangements compelling June 1, 2004. Two arrangements viable August 2, 2004 (Communications and Sensor Spacing) Mine administrator challenges 500 fpm speed top necessity because of lacking notification

Recent Belt Air History - 2005 Court abandons 500 fpm speed top

Recent Belt Air History - 2006 Aracoma Alma Mine # 1 belt fire claims two lives

Advantages of Belt Air Use Allows snappier location of burning Increases the productivity of the ventilation framework Can take into consideration more prominent amounts of air at the face When used to expand the aggregate amount of air, it weakens methane and respirable tidy Ground conditions might be upgraded because of less passages waiting be created.

Guidance in Developing The Proposed and Final Rule Advisory Committee – 1992 Report Granted Petitions for Modification Accident examination reports (i.e. VP 8 Fire) Research reports (i.e. RI 9380)

Advisory Committee Recommendations 1992 Report

Recommendation 1 Belt passages can be securely utilized as admission air courses to ventilate working spots gave extra wellbeing and wellbeing conditions are met. These extra concerns are tended to in the direction

Recommendation 2 The belt section must have an early cautioning fire discovery framework. Fourteen individual things included under this proposal. The necessities of 75.350 for establishment and utilization of an environmental checking framework is the foundation of the controls allowing the utilization of belt air.

Item 1 Actions required before utilizing belt air must incorporate any ventilation framework and observing changes in the mine ventilation arrange prepare excavators and faculty for establishment, support, operation and examination have MSHA review AMS All progressions to the ventilation framework require changes in the mine ventilation arrange under current controls. Preparing necessities for all diggers and specific preparing are incorporated into 75.350 and 351. Particular preparing prerequisites are incorporated into 48.23. Examination of the AMS will happen at any rate quarterly amid MSHA investigations.

Item 2 Capabilities of the AMS must self-screen for framework glitches can work for 4 hours after belt is killed These are required in areas 75.351 (an) and (c)

Item 3 Minimum speed and area of sensors least 50 fpm speed sensor dispersing of 1,000 feet along belt passages 50 feet inby the segment rear end on same air split at belt drive, somewhere around 50 and 100 feet inby, on same air split inby end of segment track ( when belt and track are in particular sections not isolated by stoppings) As an aftereffect of new research, dividing can be diminished to 350 feet where speeds are under 50 fpm. For ranges where speeds surpass 50 fpm, 1000 ft most extreme dividing is required. As opposed to a sensor situated toward the end of the track, the proposition requires a sensor toward the end of the essential escapeway and additionally in the board.

Item 4 Section alerts give a visual and capable of being heard cautioning signal fit for being seen or heard by all segment work force The manage requires alert signs to be naturally shown on the segment and in addition the surface. Ready signs are shown at first glance and an examination of the source is to be started.

Item 5 Responsible individual at surface at all times be on obligation to see or hear ready/caution keep up records of cautions and alerts have 2-route correspondence with all segments be prepared make proper move All arrangements are incorporated into the run the show. Suitable moves to be made are to be indicated in the putting out fires and departure arrange required under existing area 75.1502

Item 6 Actions underground upon caution or alert alarm - diggers pulled back to a protected area outby influenced sensor until cause is resolved (unless known not to be unsafe) alert - same as ready, in addition to mine putting out fires and clearing arrangement is actualized belt may keep on operating at the prudence of the mine administrator Actions required are incorporated into 75.352. Withdrawal of faculty on alarm is not required, yet rather an examination is to be started to decide the wellspring of the caution. We have not limited operation of the belt as proposed by the counseling advisory group report.

Item 7 Actions at surface upon caution or caution alarm - nobody enters influenced region but to explore the reason for the alarm (unless known not to be dangerous) alert - nobody enters the mine but to research the reason for the alert (unless known not to be perilous) Actions to be taken are incorporated into 75.352. We have excluded limitations on faculty entering influenced zones on caution or alerts. Our experience is that lone people required to lead an examination or help with putting out fires exercises will enter under these conditions.

Item 8 Known foundations for aggravation alerts incorporate diesel, welding, impacting, adjustment. The irritation cautions can be diminished or kept away from through time delays, inclining, different systems encounter from appeal to process arranging and correspondence We have incorporated into the arrangements for utilizing procedures for decreasing the recurrence of disturbance alerts with a necessity of showed need. Our experience from petitions has constrained time deferrals to three minutes.

Item 9 Contents of putting out fires and departure arrange activity required to decide reason for ready/caution area for withdrawal of mineworkers particular methodology to take after when ready/alert initiates We have included prerequisites to incorporate moves to be made in the mine crisis clearing and firefighting program.

Item 10 AMS alignment, testing examination and records visual exam of every sensor every move week after week testing of caution and alert signs adjustment of every sensor at regular intervals keep up records at first glance for 1 year All of these arrangements are incorporated into the run the show.

Item 11 AMS breakdown belt may keep on operating dependable individual informs all segments influenced when a glitch is resolved qualified individual screens at breaking down sensor area and watches if numerous sensors fall flat if framework comes up short, walk whole belt section every hour; following 8 hours call MSHA region chief All have been incorporated yet the necessity to report disappointments surpassing 8 hours. We trust this suggestion is not required.

Item 12 The mine ventilation guide ought to contain subtle elements of the AMS, including kind of sensor and sensor area The mine ventilation guide ought to be posted at the mine These arrangements are incorporated into the directions.

Item 13 Slippage switches ought to be coordinated into the early cautioning fire location framework. Smoke sensors, when accessible, ought to be introduced at all belt drives. We have excluded a prerequisite for smoke sensors to be introduced at all drives. This is a possibility for the mine administrator as these sensors turn out to be economically accessible. Slippage switches are excluded in the AMS framework but rather act freely .

Item 14 Backup correspondence frameworks are suggested for excess. The manage requires two separate method for correspondence introduced in particular passages. We consider the AMS one type of correspondence; the second is required to be two-way.

Velocity Caps "The Committee expects that in building up caution and alert levels the Agency will be guided by all fitting exploration including RI 9380 and Dr. Grosshandler's autonomous audit" The lead permits the region chief to require diminished caution and alert levels on a mine by mine premise. We concur with the consultative council report exchange that all accessible research ought to be considered as direction in this matter.

Recommendation 3 Miners ought to be prepared in fundamental standards of the frameworks and activities required in alerts. Faculty in charge of establishment, upkeep, operation and assessment of the framework ought to be prepared The AMS administrator competency ought to be guaranteed by examination by MSHA Extensive preparing prerequisites are incorporated into the run the show. Leading competency examinations for AMS administrators is not required.

Recommendation 4 In mines utilizing an AMS as a condition for utilizing belt air, the base air speed in the belt section must be 50 fpm.