Just saw on Yahoo, 2 WV miners missing at a different mine... a conveyor belt fire. The smoke from one of these is very toxic... ( I have experience with the same, thankfully no one was hurt)
the wv miners
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Here we go again. They have been in there for a while now. They cant get to them because of the fire. They are going to try to get some type of communications devices down there to see if they can get them to respond on them.
MELVILLE, W.Va. -- A day after a fire broke out in a West Virginia mine, rescuers still have miles underground to search for two men who didn't get out.
Flare-ups have intermittently hampered the search.
About 20 rescue teams from four states were at the scene Friday night. They were searching for the men in four tunnels -- each about four miles long.
Smoky conditions that have slowed rescue efforts are improving. Ray McKinney, with the Mine Safety Health Administration, said crews are re-channeling ventilation in the mine to get better visibility.
Nineteen other miners were able to reach the surface after the fire broke out. They were waiting for news on the two missing men in a church with relatives -- a scene reminiscent of the one less than three weeks ago near another West Virginia mine, where 12 men died.
That disaster's sole survivor -- Randal McCloy Jr. -- remains hospitalized in a coma.
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin met with the families in Melville. He described them as hopeful, but, "They know that the odds are a little bit long."
Friday morning, two rescue teams reached the site of the fire, which started on a conveyor belt more than 10,000 feet inside the mine, but they weren't able to continue because the smoke was too thick. So, they turned their attention to putting out the fire.
Offiicals had originally said they would let the fire burn itself out.
Twelve miners had gone into the mine to start their shift on Thursday when a carbon monoxide monitor sounded an alarm. About 10 minutes later, the company told the miners to leave. They ran into smoke as they left.
Two of the 12 were separated from the group. In addition to the 10 who escaped, nine others in another part of the mine were also able to get to safety.
Flare-ups have intermittently hampered the search.
About 20 rescue teams from four states were at the scene Friday night. They were searching for the men in four tunnels -- each about four miles long.
Smoky conditions that have slowed rescue efforts are improving. Ray McKinney, with the Mine Safety Health Administration, said crews are re-channeling ventilation in the mine to get better visibility.
Nineteen other miners were able to reach the surface after the fire broke out. They were waiting for news on the two missing men in a church with relatives -- a scene reminiscent of the one less than three weeks ago near another West Virginia mine, where 12 men died.
That disaster's sole survivor -- Randal McCloy Jr. -- remains hospitalized in a coma.
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin met with the families in Melville. He described them as hopeful, but, "They know that the odds are a little bit long."
Friday morning, two rescue teams reached the site of the fire, which started on a conveyor belt more than 10,000 feet inside the mine, but they weren't able to continue because the smoke was too thick. So, they turned their attention to putting out the fire.
Offiicals had originally said they would let the fire burn itself out.
Twelve miners had gone into the mine to start their shift on Thursday when a carbon monoxide monitor sounded an alarm. About 10 minutes later, the company told the miners to leave. They ran into smoke as they left.
Two of the 12 were separated from the group. In addition to the 10 who escaped, nine others in another part of the mine were also able to get to safety.
W.Va. Lawmakers Approve Mine Safety Rules By LAWRENCE MESSINA, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 40 minutes ago
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - After 14 coal mining deaths in three weeks, West Virginia lawmakers unanimously passed a bill Monday that would require mines to use electronic devices to track trapped miners and stockpile oxygen to keep them alive until help arrives.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060124/ap_on_re_us/mine_fire
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - After 14 coal mining deaths in three weeks, West Virginia lawmakers unanimously passed a bill Monday that would require mines to use electronic devices to track trapped miners and stockpile oxygen to keep them alive until help arrives.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060124/ap_on_re_us/mine_fire
dfergie said:
these are so reasonable I wonder why i wasnt already required?
Yeah sure it will cost bucks... should be FEDERAL LAW, that way everyone absorbs the costs
Lets see if this is enough to save miners in the future in such predicaments. If not then further steps will need to be made to ensure their safety.
Breaking news... our mine has a hot spot. No one has actually seen fire but the carbon monoxide readings are off the charts in one area. We were evacuated Tues. morning around 11:00am. I worked today for the first time since. About a dozen of us examined the mine to make sure it was safe. We are in the process of building temporary seals in order to try to snuff out the hot spot. Once the seals are completed they will pump chemicals into the area and snuff out the hot spot.
Seems surprising to me that there are so many mine issues lately (within the past month). Its like its all happening at once.
Scary... I gave a Safety meeting Last Fri. when we returned from Long Change... one of the subjects was our new escape plan which is under development (Our Sister mine broke thru into our mine)
Update... All the seals are built and they are pumpmig Nitrogen into the area today in hopes of snuffing out the hot spot. I hope it works. The time away from the mine has been nice but it doesn't pay too well.
Fire is out, back to work tomorrow. The time off was nice but too cold to golf. I did get some honey-dos out of the way....but there always seems to be an endless list of things to do. I'm not sure if I could handle being retired.
Law to cost local mines to become compliant
By Victoria Parker-Stevens
Current-Argus Staff Writer
Mar 24, 2006, 06:00 am
CARLSBAD -- Local mines will need to invest in new equipment in light of a state mine safety bill that Gov. Bill Richardson signed in Carlsbad earlier this month.
House Bill 687 was sponsored by Rep. John Heaton, D-Carlsbad, who represents many of the state's mine workers. Southeastern New Mexico has three of the state's five underground mines -- two potash mines and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Full Article Here
By Victoria Parker-Stevens
Current-Argus Staff Writer
Mar 24, 2006, 06:00 am
CARLSBAD -- Local mines will need to invest in new equipment in light of a state mine safety bill that Gov. Bill Richardson signed in Carlsbad earlier this month.
House Bill 687 was sponsored by Rep. John Heaton, D-Carlsbad, who represents many of the state's mine workers. Southeastern New Mexico has three of the state's five underground mines -- two potash mines and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Full Article Here
I held a Safety meeting discussing this Bill and other New Laws last month with the crew I work with... also planned chips in our Hard hats so they can track us...
Increased fines from State ( where have they been for 20 years?) and Federal Mine Inspectors. The Communication system plan has been planned since before the Sego Disaster, but now all Miners will have a device with the Shift Foreman and probably myself having capabilitys to call town and be called from town and all others being able to communicate with the Mechanics, Hoistman and other crews...
Increased fines from State ( where have they been for 20 years?) and Federal Mine Inspectors. The Communication system plan has been planned since before the Sego Disaster, but now all Miners will have a device with the Shift Foreman and probably myself having capabilitys to call town and be called from town and all others being able to communicate with the Mechanics, Hoistman and other crews...
We were given some training (no hands on yet) on the SCSR device today...(and were told that it was possible that some of the deceased might not have know how to use it)
We have had 2 hands on training sessions in the last couple months at our mine. It really helps alot. In a time of crisis it may save our lives. Hopefully the only time I will have to put one these things on is in a training session.
We won't be required to wear ours, but they will be on our mantrip...our communication system is not installed yet, still using Squawk Box's... a few months back I got captured into working on a day off to help our new UG Safety man get the Refuge Chamber sort of back up to snuff...
Snaggerbob, I'm now running a new toy a Joy HR 15'head 47' long 72" tall not sure on model # Heavy and big son of a gun...
Bet it's powerful! Not enough room in our mine for something like that. We have about 7ft of height on average. The 12CM Joy is sometimes too big. We are starting a new section and the top is not very good.
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