Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan 2004 Health and Safety Innovation Awards

2004 Queensland Safety & Health

Innovation Awards

Project title: Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan

Project profile: Southern Colliery has developed a manually powered ventilation fan for emergency use in an underground refuge bay. The fan operates similar to an exercise bike, without the resistance, but provides emergency ventilation for up to 70 men. The fan is connected to the surface via a borehole and will provide the refuge bay with a continuous supply of fresh air for an extended period in the event of an emergency.

Company name: Anglo Coal Capcoal Management (Southern Colliery)

Contact person: Gareth Jones

Position: Operations Manager

Address: Private Mail Bag

City: Middlemount State QLD Postcode 4746

Phone (07) 49 850 585 Fax (07) 49 857 953

Email:

The Problem

In the event of a mine disaster or emergency, the reliable supply of fresh air to underground mineworkers is a critical aspect of any rescue or emergency response. Modern self escape strategies rely on the progressive gathering or recharging of breathing apparatus to ensure mineworkers have sufficient oxygen to evacuate from the underground environment. Underground refuge bays / stations may be established as a “Place of Safety” for mineworkers unable to escape from the mine in the event of emergency. The duration of “refuge” is principally dependant on the availability of fresh air.

Stored breathing apparatus (BA), or stored compressed air (CA) may be available, however the life of stored BA or CA is dependant on the number of units or capacity of storage and the consumption rate of mineworkers in the refuge. In the event of a protracted incident or high numbers of trapped mineworkers, stored BA or CA may be insufficient to provide adequate air or oxygen for an extended period.

The Solution

Southern Colliery has developed a simple Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan to provide trapped or resting mineworkers with uncontaminated fresh air for, potentially, an indefinite period.

The fan is a pedal powered (exercise bike style) small centrifugal fan connected to a cased 10” borehole directly to the surface. The fan when pedalled at a comfortable pace will supply approximately 2800 l/m. (70 men at 40 l/m).

Whilst the main fan is running the ventilation pressure (approximately 1000 Pa) is sufficient to supply similar quantities of air and can be controlled using a simple valve arrangement. In the event of a main fan stoppage the valves can be closed, and the fan pedalled to provide similar quantities of air.

Alternatives were considered; the refuge Bay Fan considered superior for emergency use for the following reasons:

Alternative / Disadvantage /
Surface compressor. / ·  Requires maintenance.
·  Needs to be started.
·  Unreliable.
·  Capital cost.
Stored Breathing Apparatus. / ·  Finite duration.
·  Capital cost.
·  Shelf life.
Stored Compressed Air. / ·  Needs an integrated escape plan.
·  Finite duration.
·  Capital cost.
·  Maintenance of cylinders.
Swedish Bomb Shelter Fan. / ·  Capital cost.
·  Hand cranked.
·  Limited Capcaity.

The Benefits

Mineworkers and Mine Management know that in the event of an emergency the refuge bay can provide a continuous supply of fresh air for a large number of men for an extended period.

The system is simple and it is a manual process. It has very little maintenance requirements and is very easy to operate.

The truth is that it will probably never be used in an emergency. The benefit is that if it does it has the potential to save a lot of lives.

Significance

As mines continue to develop, the distance for self escape continues to increase. For mineworkers unable to self escape through injury, conditions, fatigue, or fitness a refuge bay becomes an essential component of a mine’s Evacuation Plan.

For Incident Management Teams, the prospect of mineworkers requiring aided escape with a limited supply of air will require urgent use of extensive resources to ensure a safe rescue.

The Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan is a simple, practical, solution to the continuous supply of fresh air to mineworkers in an underground refuge bay. It doesn’t need electricity, diesel, or any special training. All you have to is pedal and you will have fresh air.

As previously identified, alternatives have both benefits and disadvantages. The aim of this fan is to provide a solution to the need to provide fresh air to mineworkers in a refuge for an extended period.

Transferability across industry

The Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan may be implemented at any mine or operation with a refuge bay. There is no special technology, no approvals, no electrical circuits and no special training required.

Innovation and originality

A world wide search was initiated to find a solution for the supply of air to the refuge bay. The closest thing that could be found was a bomb shelter fan from Sweden. These models are about 3 times the price of the Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan and about half of the capacity. The other difficulty with the Bomb Shelter fan is that it is hand cranked. The pedal fan is comfortable and may be operated for an extended period without fatigue. For the comfort of the user the pedal fan maintains its own inertia and does not pose resistance to motion in the same way an exercise bike does.

Utilising a local manufacturer, a custom fan was designed and manufactured to suit the specifications of the Southern Colliery Refuge Bay.

Application of risk management principles

No new hazards have been introduced into the work place with the development and installation of the Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan.

This fan is in itself a control to an identified hazard. The risk is that; after some time mineworkers in a refuge will run out of air. This simple Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan goes a long way to alleviating that risk.

Summary

Southern Colliery is proud to nominate the Refuge Bay Ventilation Fan for the 2004 Health and Safety Innovation Award. Even more, Southern Colliery is committed to resourceing solutions to identified hazards in the mining industry. It is hoped that at the very least, through this nomination, this project can be publicised to the industry and others too will see the value in providing refuge bays with reliable sources of fresh air.