Early detection of flammable gas danger in hard rock mines to protect miners

摘要

According to the South African Department of Minerals and Energy's (DME) database, flammable gas accidents accounted for 7,3 percent of fatalities in the South African mining industry between 1998 and 2001. Nearly 97 percent of these accidents occurred in mines other than collieries. Most research in South Africa over the past decade has focused on collieries, but five of the last six devastating flammable gas-related events (four or more deaths) occurred in hard rock mines. The aim of this paper is to review the location of these accidents, the operations associated with them, and, most importantly, to propose suitable interventions to address the identified shortcomings.