Safety in Mine Research Establishment

Abstract

Analysis of a statistical data shows that, on an average, about 50% of the total underground emergencies occurring in coal mines in the USSR are due to fires. Great attention is, therefore, paid in our country to the problem of protection against fire in coal-mining undertakings. Fire protection in mines envisages measures to prevent the emergence of possible sources of combustion, readiness to suppress emerging fires, and to localise fires that have already developed. At present, protective measures against fire are put into practice in accordance with the requirement a of the Safety regulations for coal and shale mines" and other regulating documents. However, scientific research carried out in recent years at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Mine Rescue (VNIIGD) shows that the requirements existing to date are not sufficiently well founded (for example, the standards for the supply of water for fire fighting, requirements for mine fire doors, standards for the length of fire resistant zones in mine workings having wooden supports, etc.). In connection with this, the unified "Standards of fire protection in coal and shale mines", and "Handbook on fire protection in coal mines" have been worked out by VNIIGD. The main difference in the new standards lies in making existing requirements more precise and in the introduction of new requirements for fire protection in mines. There are also recommendations on the use of new fire fighting equipment.