The South African coal mining industry continues to push back on safe practices, states Australian mining refuge chamber manufacturer MineArc Systems.

The company says that, although there is plenty of talk and “self-congratulation” within the coal industry with regard to safety, the reality is that the South African mining industry is rapidly falling behind in good safety practices, compared with the rest of the developed world.

“An area that is severely lacking in stringent regulation is the requirement for emergency refuge in case of underground emergencies, such as fire [and] fall-of-rock or in the event of miners being trapped underground.”

MineArc says that best practice followed by most international mining houses in accordance with international mine safety regulations currently stipulates the use of a comprehensive, standalone life support system within a completely air tight structure (refuge chamber), with redundancies including oxygen supply and air scrubbing for regenerative breathable air.

It also requires air conditioning to control the build-up of metabolic heat and communication systems to ensure occupants have the best chance of survival while they await rescue.

The company contends, however, that, in contrast, South Africa has “an outdated and inadequate regulation” outlined in Chapter 16 of the Mining Act, which requires just a single airline from the surface for the supply of breathable air.

MineArc says that the US and China, which are both large coal producing nations, have recognised that minimum standards for safe refuge are required to ensure that miners have the best chance of survival in an underground emergency, implementing the 2009 Department of Labour ‘Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mine Final Rule’ and the 2012 State Administration of Coal Mine Safety ‘General Requirements and Technical Conditions of Refuge Chambers for Use in Coal Mines’ respectively.

Nonetheless, the company comments that the way the changes have been implemented has been “reactionary”, as lives were lost during major mine accidents, such as the Sago Mine disaster, in West Virginia, in the US, in 2006, where 12 workers lost their lives, the Upper Big Branch mine explosion, in West Virginia, in 2010, where 29 workers died, and in China, where about 2 000 mineworkers die, owing to mining accidents each year.

MineArc remarks that, with these new regulations in place, safe refuge is considered the norm in the US and Chinese coal mining industries and compliance is policed by their respective mines departments.

The company contends that the pushback in the South African mining sector against stricter safety practices boils down purely to economics. It says that the cost of a standalone, fully equipped refuge chamber can be anywhere from R600 000, depending on occupancy and duration.

MineArc states that the overall cost to mining companies would therefore be considerable, as most would require multiple chambers to house all underground personnel.