Dave Maust, an expert in emergency refuge chambers, tells Louise Davis how his firm’s solutions are keeping miners safe across the globe
Dave Maust, an expert in emergency refuge chambers, tells Louise Davis how his firm’s solutions are keeping miners safe across the globe.
According to Dave Maust, General Manager of Chambers at Strata Worldwide, the development and use of emergency refuge chambers (ERCs) came about as a natural response to the increasing need to better manage safety at mines. “Following years of experience, and with many advancements in technology, underground mining safety practices have evolved considerably over the years,” begins Maust. “Operations have discovered that it is imperative to have a contingency plan in place for the possibility of an unforeseen event leaving miners unable to evacuate. The necessity to supply a source of breathable air, isolated from the surrounding atmosphere, has led to the development and expansion of emergency refuge alternatives in many underground facilities around the world.”
Maust recalls that during a five-month period in 2006, three underground coal mining incidents in the USA resulted in the deaths of 19 miners. These events drove the US legislature to implement the 2006 MINER Act: “These regulations made it a requirement that all US underground coal mines have refuge alternatives in place; enough to shelter all workers in-bye at any given time, for a standard duration of 96 hours. Sufficient breathable air, food and water, as well as lavatory facilities were specifically required.” He notes that additional mining and tunnelling industries, as well as other countries around the globe, have established alternative refuge regulations. Maust says: “Often, mines elect to implement these structures into their safety plans voluntarily; all in an effort to ensure the highest level of safety preparedness for their personnel.”
ERCS come into use when unexpected events occur that compromise the air quality and render miners stuck in situ for the time being. “When emergency strikes and workers are unable to escape, providing them with a safe and isolated environment is critical,” explains Maust. “Having refuge chambers or a safe room in place, immediately provides the workers with a supply of clean air, lighting, water and food while also being adaptable to each mine or tunnel’s needs.”
EXPERT ADVICE
Strata is one of the well-known names in ERCs. The company offers a range of solutions – including coal mining chambers – but the focus here is on its innovations for hard rock mining chambers. And a tailored approach is at the heart of the company’s ethos. Explaining, Maust says: “Although refuge chambers have become a critical part of underground health and safety in mining and tunnelling, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. In some circumstances, a fixed refuge chamber is the best solution, but in others it might be necessary to move the chamber frequently as the working section progresses.” Maust strongly advises mines looking to invest in ERCS to consult with experts such as Strata so that the best solutions for the specific application can be achieved.
With regard to Strata’s own offerings, Maust highlights the chambers’ low cost of ownership and their simple intuitive operation as two key selling points. “They are also easy to service and maintain,” he points out. “The gas detection systems use a unique exchangeable sensor module design that can be calibrated at the surface. And a computerised monitoring system provides on-going maintenance data to be reported.”
In line with firm’s tailored approach, Maust explains that the chambers meet the specific needs of each customer, with multiple options available, all of which are tailored per application. He notes that: “The chamber structure can be divided into segments and assembled underground if the mine has restrictions in its shaft size or handling capabilities. This breaks the chamber down into smaller sections for delivery. Additionally, wheels and hitch packages can be added to assist in handling and manoeuvring.”
Maust is also well versed in dealing with different requirements for different geographic regions. “Regulations for chambers – such as construction, spacing, air supplies, etc. – vary industry to industry and country to country. There is no one set of rules. The US coal mining industry has clear-cut regulations and requirements, but it’s not the same outside of coal,” Maust details. To handle this variety of operating environments and regulations (and enable it to sell to a global audience), Strata offers a base chamber model with several features primarily related to life support – such as the air provided, carbon dioxide scrubbing, power, seating, and instructions. “Then we offer a long list of available options and upgrades,” explains Maust.
READY TO GO
Once all customer requirements and add-on options are determined, the chamber is built to spec and the mine receives it ready to install. Adding a further layer of safety, Maust reveals that chambers are commissioned and inspected after placement/installation. “We can train mine personnel to do this, or we will go to the mine site to perform the inspections ourselves. The mine operator decides which option works best for them,” he says. For one remote mine location, Strata held an online video call with the mine personnel as they completed the commissioning: “We were able to check the chamber and settings virtually and lead the mine personnel through the procedure,” confirms Maust.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
When asked what the biggest challenges associated with deploying ERCS at mine sites are, it’s not the extreme environments or the fact that any downtime in operations is not well tolerated that Maust highlights. Rather, he says, the biggest challenge occurs when a mine wants to include the remote monitoring system, and the chamber system needs to be connected to the mine’s underground network. “Depending on what network and technology they have, it can be challenging to configure our technology to theirs, but we always find a solution,” Maust explains.
On another challenging front, Maust recalls a recent success story where a project in Saudi Arabia had an immediate need for 16 of Strata’s 20-person chambers. “We were able
to supply the first three chambers from inventory from our Australian facility, and then supplied the remainder from the US once they were fabricated. We also manufacture chambers in South Africa and have manufactured some in Kazakhstan as well. We have global availability and responsiveness,” states Maust.
