Heat Mitigation for Underground Coal Mine Refuge Alternatives

Details

• Personal Author:
  Yan L ; Yantek, David S.
• Description:
  Federal regulations require mines to place refuge alternatives (RAs) in underground coal mines in the United States. Because miners trapped in an RA could experience heat exhaustion or heat stroke, RA regulations mandate an apparent temperature (AT) limit of 35 degrees C (95 degrees F) in RAs. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted in-mine AT tests to evaluate three RA heat mitigation devices: a borehole air supply (BAS), a battery-powered air conditioner (BPAC), and a cryogenic air supply (CAS). The BAS limited the AT in a 60-person built-in-place (BIP) RA to 25 degrees C (77 degrees F) when the outside air temperature was 10 degrees C-23.9 degrees C (50 degrees F-75 degrees F) with relative humidity from 50%-95%. During tests on a portable tent-type RA with a 29.4 degrees C (85 degrees F) mine air temperature, the BPAC and CAS kept the AT below 35 degrees C (95 degrees F). AT tests showed the CAS allowed for 12 miners in a 29.4 degrees C (85 degrees F) 30-person BIP RA. RA manufacturers and mines can use this information to ensure RAs can meet the AT limit. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Heat Exhaustion Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Air Temperature Coal Mining Heat Stroke Hot Environments Refuge Chambers Temperature Regulation Underground Mines
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISBN:
  9781032551463
• Publisher:
  CRC Press
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069516
• Citation:
  Underground Ventilation: Proceedings of the 19th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium (NAMVS 2023), June 17-22, 2023, Rapid City, South Dakota. Tukkaraja P ed. London: CRC Press, 2023 Sep; :550-558
• Editor(s):
  Tukkaraja P
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Underground Ventilation: Proceedings of the 19th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium (NAMVS 2023), June 17-22, 2023, Rapid City, South Dakota
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fb3a4334329b8c4ea53dcaf69a30705bef0a2441daa000d12547ac222977e00d00449b9d0c4aa5cc53e7dd9132e65d8539570fc772c8e625c412a8e43f44c334
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215653/cdc_215653_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 547.92 KB ]