Friday, September 24, 2010

Evacuation Plans

It Happened...

On November 5, 1991, a fire occurred in the main entries. Haze and light smoke was detected first followed by an alarm on the CO system. The mine was evacuated. Efforts to quell the fire failed and the underground area was sealed.

On February 7, 1994, a mechanic encountered smoke while conducting a weekly examination of electrical installations. Upon being notified of the fire, mine officials ordered a mine wide evacuation and directed men to escape via emergency escape facilities.

On August 23, 1995, the batteries on a scoop caught fire while being charged in the charging station. The batteries shorted together. The flames were extinguished with dry chemical, but re-ignited several times. The mine was evacuated.


Example check-in check-out board

EVACUATION PLANS provide the road map which miners should use during an emergency. Miner’s should know their escapeways and be aware of their surroundings. Evacuation plans should be used when drills are conducted to reinforce the instructions outlined in the plan.

• ALWAYS know the location of primary and secondary escapeways leading from your assigned work area.
• ALWAYS know what duties your supervisor expects you to perform on your section in case of a fire.
• ALWAYS make certain to check-in and check-out every time you go underground.
• ALWAYS use available transportation when possible to escape from a mine fire before going on foot to escape.