Coal Mining Enterprises Research Articles

Potential Ways of Innovative Development of Coal Mining Enterprises

In spite of natural coal reserves availability in Ukraine the unprofitability of its coal mining enterprises as well as the lack of branch special-purpose innovation funds and that of innovative development encouragement by government condition the complex of unsolved problems at coal mining enterprises and have the negative influence upon the search of strategic investors interested in the rapid technologic and technical progress in production and its economic growth. The existing coal mining industry experiences the demand for an economic network formation (not of commercial but of investment and subvention character) designed for joint functioning provision of unprofitable coal mining enterprises and businesses that are essential for such unprofitable mines’ survival because there is no better way than the direct participation of metallurgical, machine-building, and power generation industry in coal production. The experience gained in developed countries demonstrates that wastes can be not only the substantial factor of rational nature management but effectively utilized. Taking into account the fact that products of coal mining wastes have either qualitative-quantitative parameters specifying their physical value or a cost valuation, their production could be economically expedient that is profitable. The assessment criterion of economic attractiveness could include the level of products manufacture profitableness of coal mining wastes and their competitiveness in consumer market. Apart from the potential value of coal mining wastes from the viewpoints of their future utilization in various mineral and raw materials’ production it might also include ecological-economical and/or social-economical component The considered characteristics of values that may have various wastes of coal mining production allow conclusion making as for the reasonability of their ranging. The criterion of such ranging could be the level of their practical value for consumers or their preparedness degree for certain kinds of consumer values formed on their basis. The value of coal mining wastes that can be potentially profitable, competitive and investment attracting would affect the participation of certain investors groups in the innovative development of coal mining enterprises. Keywords coal mining enterprises, innovative development, economic network, products of coal mining wastes, consumer value.

Improvement of the organizational and economic mechanism of waste management at a coal-mining enterprise

The paper provides the analysis of the structure and dynamics of production and consumer waste generation at a coal-mining enterprise. The authors consider the organizational and economic mechanism of environmental management acting according to the environmental protection law, with a focus on the negative impact in the form of production and consumer waste generation. The analysis of the main environmental and economic indicators of the enterprise was performed, the result of which is the conclusion about the need to improve the existing organizational and economic mechanism of environmental management. Innovative elements of this mechanism, including ones adapted to this type of negative environmental impact, were developed. The charging scheme for providing false information, including in the official environmental reporting forms, is of current importance. Another innovative direction is connected with the algorithm for the formation of production program, taking into account the environmental constraints, and the system of distribution of current environmental costs depending on the level of environmental and economic risks. The work performed is of practical importance for industrial enterprises engaged in the formation and use of production and consumer waste in order to switch to a sustainable environmental and economic development.

Intellectual property as an intangible asset of coal mining enterprises

The article is devoted to the analytical study of the value of intellectual property in the activities of coal mining enterprises (companies) of Kemerovo region. The authors test the hypothesis that knowledge-intensive technologies are considered by coal mining enterprises (companies) to be their intangible assets and should constitute a significant share in the overall structure of assets.

The application of game theory principles for the increase in the productivity of coal industry workers

In the Russian Federation the main factor for the reduced labor productivity in the coal mining industry, with almost the same level of technological equipment as in other countries, is human: non-compliance with safety regulations, low motivation, lack of labor discipline among employees of enterprises. The solution to the problem of increasing the labor productivity of coal industry workers largely depends on how effective the fight against these factors is. By choosing the mechanisms of economic and administrative incentives for employees, as well as by creating a hierarchical control system, it is possible to ensure that the behavior optimal for employees is exactly what management needs. This work is devoted to the discussion of methodology for constructing such mechanisms, based on the analysis of game-theoretic models of organizing a safety management system at a coal mining enterprise, proposed in earlier works by the authors of the paper.

Working conditions and occupational pathology of coal miners in the Arctic

Introduction.Due to the impact of adverse working conditions and climate, workers in coal-mining enterprises in the Arctic are at increased risk of occupational diseases (OD).The aim of the studywas to study the working conditions, causes, structure and prevalence of occupational diseases in miners of coal mines in the Arctic.Materials and methods.Th e data of social and hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the population of Vorkuta and Chukotka Autonomous District in 2007–2017 are studied.Results.It was established that in 2007–2017 years, 2,296 ODs were diagnosed for the first time in 1851 coal mines, mainly in the drifters, clearing face miners, repairmen and machinists of mining excavating machines. Most often, the ODs occurred when exposed to the severity of labor, fibrogenic aerosols and hand-arm vibration. The development of professional pathology in 98% of cases was due to design flaws of machines and mechanisms, as well as imperfections of workplaces and technological processes. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (36.2%), respiratory organs (28.9%) and nervous system (22.5%) prevailed in the structure of professional pathology of miners of coal mines. Among the three most common nosological forms of OD were radiculopathy (32.1%), chronic bronchitis (27.7%) and mono-polyneuropathy (15.4%). In 2017, coal miners in the Arctic had a professional morbidity rate of 2.82 times higher than the national rates for coal mining.Conclusions.To preserve the health of miners of coal mining enterprises, technical measures to improve working conditions andmedical interventions aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to the effects of harmful production and climatic factors are necessary.

Analysis of the similarity of hard coal mines in terms of the number of dangerous incidents caused by the activation of natural hazards

Abstract Hard coal mines and mining enterprises involved in hard coal exploitation in the area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Górnośląskie Zagłębie Węglowe) are characterised by the presence of natural hazards typical of this type of exploitation. These hazards include the risks related to methane, coal dust explosion, endogenous fires, as well as rock burst and caving of roof rocks. The article presents the results of a taxonomic analysis aimed at determining the similarity of hard coal mines and mining enterprises in Poland in terms of the dangerous incidents caused by the risks related to methane, coal dust explosion, endogenous fires, as well as rock burst and caving of roof rocks. The analysis was carried out for the 2008-2018 data and encompassed a total of 26 hard coal mines and mining enterprises located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The analysis was performed using the k-means method of non-hierarchical clustering. The main objective of the article was to determine homogenous groups (clusters) of mines exhibiting the greatest similarity in terms of dangerous incidents caused by the activation of natural hazards in the years 2008-2018. These data can be successfully used for the development of preventive measures and risk analyses for these enterprises.

Long-term Analysis of the Effects of Production Management in Coal Mining in Poland

The primary aim of this article is to examine financial efficiency and work productivity, as well as their determinants, in selected Polish coal mines in 1998–2015. To achieve this goal, after introducing a justification for the choice of subject and the literature studies, the research methodology is presented, and research results are subsequently described and analyzed. Next, based on the main conclusions, model regularities and policy implications regarding efficiency and productivity improvement in Polish coal mining enterprises are established. The research for this study was conducted in five Polish coal mines, which were chosen on the basis of criteria aimed at ensuring the results’ comparability and the stability of organizational and mining conditions in the analyzed research period.

Когда опасности становятся рутиной: конструктивистский подход в исследовании профессиональных рисков (на примере работников угольных предприятий г. Новокузнецка)

Статья посвящена развитию конструктивистского подхода к изучению профессионального риска. Автор предлагает концептуальную схему анализа, которая основывается на теоретических предпосылках социологии риска, таких как неизбежность риска, его воспроизводимость в ходе интеракций, социальная обусловленность. Ядром этой схемы является положение, согласно которому профессиональный риск неразрывно связан с субъектом, принимающим решение. Отдельное внимание уделяется влиянию «жизненного мира» профессии на формирование представлений субъекта о рисках.
 Автор показывает возможный вклад конструктивистского подхода в решение такой социологической проблемы, как расхождение реального поведения работников с нормативно закрепленными предписаниями техники безопасности.
 Эмпирическую базу исследования составляют 12 полуструктурированных интервью с работниками угольных предприятий г. Новокузнецка. Было выявлено, что действия работников обусловлены представлениями о допустимых издержках и возможных выгодах. Эти представления, формируясь в условиях, когда профессиональная среда представляет собой набор рутинизированных опасностей, в определенных обстоятельствах смещаются в сторону возможной выгоды. В результате те формы поведения, которые с позиции реалистского подхода к анализу риска считаются нарушением формальных норм безопасности, могут быть устойчивыми действиями, направленными на получение выгоды, необязательно материальной.

The relationship of technical-and-technological and ecological components of the mining region development

The specificity and problems of coal industry technologization are identified, its relationship with the environmental safe-ty of mining region is determined. Among the most obvious fac-tors hindering the development of technical-and-technological and environmental spheres are identified: high technological inertness of mining enterprises, significant dependence on import of means of production, abandonment by the state of the process of collect-ing and redistributing raw material rent, low environmental responsibility of owners of coal mining enterprises. The following threats are identified: an insufficient rate of equipment renewal, including parts providing environmental safety; high level of consumption of fixed assets; low innovative activity of coal industry enterprises.

Risk precontrol continuum and risk gradient control in underground coal mining

Underground coal mining is recognized all over the world as one of the riskiest industrial operations. To improve the safety management model in underground coal mines from passive management to active management, the risk precontrol continuum and risk gradient control in underground coal mining are proposed in this paper. The risk precontrol continuum is a continuous process in which three risk state correspond to three management models. Specifically, the stable safety state corresponds to the hazard management model whose management objectives are hazards; the unstable safety state corresponds to the defect management model whose management objectives are hidden dangers; and the emergency accidents state corresponds to the emergency management model whose management objectives are emergencies. These three management models exist simultaneously, and each management model plays a role in precontrol to eliminate or reduce certain risks. The management level of these three management models determines the risk precontrol level and risk level of a coal mining enterprise. Moreover, the three management models are not isolated or fragmented but are linked and form the risk precontrol continuum together. The risk precontrol level and management initiative rise continuously from emergency management model to defect management model to hazard management model. Finally, the idea of risk gradient control is proposed based on the risk precontrol continuum, which includes three gradients from high to low, namely, hazard control, hidden danger control, and emergency control.

Coal production efficiency and land destruction in China's coal mining industry

China is the world's largest coal producer and coal consumer. While coal still plays a vital role in China's energy structure, new policy directions propose a 15% reduction in coal consumption by 2040 compared with 2016 as coal exploitation and use has caused extreme environmental pollution and land surface damage. Previous coal energy efficiency research has mainly been static analyses focused on coal-fired power plant efficiencies, carbon dioxide efficiencies, regional coal consumption and coal energy efficiencies, or coal mine area or enterprise production efficiencies, with few studies having included land destruction or other environmental problems. However, if a time factor is not included, it is generally impossible to accurately estimate the real changes in coal production efficiencies and land destruction. To overcome these deficiencies, this paper applied a modified dynamic DEA SBM model to evaluate the coal production efficiencies and land damage in 24 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2016, from which it was found: (1) seven provinces were efficient in all six years and needed no further improvement; (2) the coal industry labor force, fixed assets, and coal production efficiencies dropped significantly, but the land damage was ambiguous; (3) the land loss efficiency analyses found that Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Guizhou, and Shaanxi had no need for further improvements; however, the land loss efficiency differences were large and there were improvements needed in 17 provinces, with the need for improvements expanding in 15 of these provinces; (4) even though Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi had the largest coal mining operations, the need for land damage improvements was 0; however, Beijing and Guangxi had the smallest mining quantities, but the greatest need for land damage improvements. .

The main directions of optimization of activity of Rospotrebnadzor directed on prevention of occupational diseases at miners

Introduction.High levels of occupational incidence in coal miners of the Kemerovo Region determine the need to optimize the State Committ ee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight for in-depth study of risk factors and planning of medical and preventive measures.The aim of the studyis to optimize the activities of the State Committ ee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight in the planning of supervisory and sanitary measures aimed at reducing the level of OD in the coal industry.Materials and methods.On the basis of a sample of materials from the database of the Department of State Committ ee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight in the Kemerovo Region on the occupational morbidity of miners for 2008–2016, the analysis of data on working conditions, age, experience, dynamics of occupational morbidity. Th e information on 7515 cases of occupational diseases in workers of coal mining enterprises is analyzed.Results.Indicators of occupational disease in the miners of the Kemerovo Region are higher than the national level, amounting to 13.23 per 10 thousand of the employed population. Employees of the main professions of the coal industry are particularly susceptible to occupational diseases: sinkers, miners of treatment faces, machinists of mining excavation machines, underground electric locksmiths, drivers of heavy vehicles, drivers of excavators and bulldozers. The reasons for the formation of occupational diseases in miners are unfavorable working conditions: physical overload, dust and gas contamination, noise and vibration, high humidity of the working area at low temperatures. Occupational diseases are more commonly diagnosed in workers aged 41 to 50 years (28.01%) and 51 to 60 years (69.23%). Th e most at risk of occupational disease are those working in contact with the harmful production factor for 21–30 years (60.5%) and from 31 to 40 years (26.1%).Conclusions. The results of the study are necessary for the rational planning of control measures and reasoned conclusions in the preparation of sanitary and hygienic characteristics of working conditions with suspicion of occupational diseases.

Отечественный опыт работы без смертельных травм на угледобывающем предприятии

Отечественный опыт работы без смертельных травм на угледобывающем предприятии

On the world-system approach to the study of industrial economics

Against the background of current discussions on the conceptual framework of institutional researches, the topic on the necessity of significant changes in the approach itself is becoming increasingly relevant. In this regard, it may be useful to refer to the world-system analysis, but accustomed to the industrial economics. As in the case of the world-system analysis, which implies that national states are not societies with separate, parallel histories, but represent parts of a whole, reflecting this whole, it is also appropriate to consider elements of the microeconomics in their economic and historical interaction and interdependence in the framework of industrial economics.Due to the abovementioned, the objective of the paper is to summarize the development of business structures of industrial economics in the light of the world-system analysis’ ideas.To achieve this goal, next tools and methods were used: microcosm-system analysis.Results and conclusions. The analysis of the historical development of business structures in the international coal industry and the coal engineering sector as mini-systems, microcosm-economies and microcosm-empires is carried out. The effects of interaction between coal mining structures and enterprises, supplying equipment to them in countries with unprofitable and cost-effective coal mining, are shown. The tendency of multinational microcosm-empires’ expansion and the spread of alliances of microcosm-economies (microcosm-empires) were revealed.

Development of Coal Industry as a Resource and Raw Material Base of the Region

Sector-specific issues of coal industry and its place in the regional economic system are defined in the context of utility theory since for any region it is important to balance the subjective and objective development priorities while implementing the investment process in the development of particular industries’ production companies. Structural logical concept of the development strategy choice for coal mining enterprises is based on their expected utility or their results value taking into account the interests of all participants in the process and considering the needs to integrate the development priorities of the industry and the region as the resources and raw materials base. Strategy development process for successful operation and effective development of coal mining enterprises is offered to be implemented in accordance with Markov chains theory presented in the article. The methodology described provides more efficient use of the enterprise innovative potential consistent with their industry specifics.

Risk Assessment of Accidents at Coal Mining Enterprises, Using the Automated System of Calculation of Fault Tree and Event

The article deals with the methodological approach to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the risk of a hazardous production facility, which is regulated by the current legal documentation in Russia. In this case, quantitative methods of failure tree analysis and event tree analysis are highlighted. The article shows possible variants of construction of listed trees for coal mines. The description of the automated system of calculation of trees of failures and events developed in Novokuznetsk Institute (branch) of Kemerovo state University is given. This software product allows you to build these trees with the help of Microsoft Visio, and then calculate the probability of failures and events that caused the accident at each site of the mine and the entire enterprise as a whole and draw up the results of the calculation in the form of a table in automatic mode. Examples of trees construction and results of calculation of probability of occurrence of failures and the events received with use of the described automated system for the concrete enterprise are resulted.

Analysis of intervention strategies for coal miners' unsafe behaviors based on analytic network process and system dynamics

In recent years, the safety situation in Chinese coal mine enterprises has been steadily improving, however, major accidents occur occasionally. Statistics reveal that human unsafe behaviors are the main cause of accidents. In this paper, based on the Fishbone Diagram, the influencing factors of unsafe behaviors of coal miners were identified from 5 aspects including individual factors, physical environment, safety leadership, safety management, and group factors. Next, the indicators system of influencing factors of unsafe behaviors for coal miners was established, and the weights were analyzed by the Analytic Network Process (ANP). On that basis, the primary and secondary indicators of the influencing factors were ranked. The weights determined by ANP were taken as the influencing coefficients between variables, and the System Dynamics (SD) model of the unsafe behaviors of coal miners was established. The related simulations were also conducted on the intervention strategies using this model. By combining the weights determined by ANP and the simulation results based on the established SD model, the influencing factors identified were reordered. Finally, this paper proposed the combination intervention strategies mainly from the aspects of safety management, individual factors, group factors, safety leadership and physical environment, which can provide theoretical supports and method guidance for improving the safety production level of coal miners.

The Enhancement of Lump Coal Percentage by High-Pressure Pulsed Hydraulic Fracturing for Sustainable Development of Coal Mines

The enhancement of lump coal percentage (LCP) is of great significance for most aging mines to achieve the production reduction and quality improvement. In order to enhance the LCP of hard coal seam in fully mechanized mining face and prolong the service life of aging mines, this paper puts forward the technological path of LCP enhancement using high-pressure pulsed hydraulic fracturing (HPPHF) based on the detailed analysis of the main factors controlling LCP. By analyzing the correlation between coal fracturing and LCP, the enhancement mechanism of LCP through HPPHF was concluded. Using the extended finite element method, a fluid–solid coupling numerical model of high-pressure pulsed water injection into coal seam was established, and effects of the fracturing method, pulse amplitude, pulse frequency, and water injection pressure on fracturing performance were assessed. Simulation results demonstrate that HPPHF can effectively reduce the required maximum pressure in fracturing, thus providing a higher percentage of coal lumps with lower energy consumption through the repeated pulsed loading of coal masses. Variations in pulsed pressure amplitude and frequency, as well as water injection pressure were positively correlated with fracturing performance. By their effect on the fracturing performance, we found that water injection pressure had the greatest influence, and the pulse amplitude and frequency had similar effects. At the same time, “high amplitude-high frequency” and “high amplitude-low frequency” had characteristics of short initiation time, large initiation pressure, but small fracture width, while “low amplitude-high frequency” and “low amplitude-low frequency” had characteristics of slow initiation speed, low initiation pressure, but large fracture width. Through the field test results in the fully mechanized mining face of Shichangwan Coal Mine, it was found that LCP with a diameter range of 13–100 mm was significantly enhanced by HPPHF. The present study is considered quite instrumental in providing a theoretical foundation for enhancing the LCP of hard coal seams and the sustainable development of coal mine enterprises.

Common Management Methods and New Ideas about Coal Mine Gangue Mountain of Datong Coal Mine Group Corporation Ltd.

This paper introduces the common management methods of gangue mountain in detail, and puts forward new ideas for the management of gangue mountains within the scope of Datong Coal Mine Group Corporation Ltd. Through these new measures, the enterprise can reduce the cost, and improve the management quality and economic benefit of the gangue mountain. If coal mining enterprises take such measures, it can be beneficial to reduce the environmental harm caused by gangue mountains.

Risk Assessment of Miners' Unsafe Behaviors: A Case Study of Gas Explosion Accidents in Coal Mine, China.

China’s coal mine production situation is grim and various types of accidents occur frequently, and gas explosion accidents are the highest incidence of coal mine accidents. The authors selected 200 gas explosion accidents of coal mine enterprises in recent years, and extracted a large number of workers’ unsafe behaviors. Meanwhile, four working types related to gas explosion accidents were obtained, namely ventilation, gas prevention and fire extinguishing, blasting, and electrician. This article listed some influencing factors of unsafe behaviors and corrected the probability of unsafe behaviors. In addition, a probabilistic risk assessment model was established, and the Monte Carlo method was used to analyze the risks caused by unsafe behaviors of various working types. The results show that the risk of unsafe behaviors caused by the ventilation working type is the highest, followed by gas prevention and fire extinguishing, and finally blasting and electrician. This paper studies the influencing factors of miners’ unsafe behaviors from the perspective of behavior, guarantees effectively the safety management of coal mine enterprises, and lays a foundation for studying unsafe behaviors related to coal mine gas explosions.