Underground Coal Mining Industry Research Articles

A note on the last stages of an underground coal mine life cycle in the Czech Republic

This contribution deals with the development of the underground coal mining industry in the Czech Republic during the last decade. The course of phasing out mining and liquidation of underground coal mines, including subsequent ecological and safety problems connected with the mines liquidated is described here. A new method of an underground mine liquidation – stowing by hydraulic stowing manufactured on the basis of industrial wastes processed is mentioned.

Factors associated with occupational injury severity in the New South Wales underground coal mining industry

The relationship between a large number of mine and mine worker characteristics and injury severity was examined using multiple regression techniques. The study was based on data extracted from the New South Wales (N.S.W.) Joint Coal Board's computer based accident/incident reporting system describing 21,372 non-fatal, lost-time injurious incidents that occurred in the N.S.W. underground coal mining industry during the 4 year period from 1 July 1986 to 30 June 1990. The number of days lost as a result of an injurious incident was the best available proxy measure of injury severity. Over the study period, the number of days lost per 100,000 tonnes of raw coal production declined by 73%. Over the same period, injurious incidents involving more than 20 days off work, which constituted only 16% of all injurious incidents in underground mines, resulted in 75% of the total days lost for the whole N.S.W. underground coal mining industry. Factors that had practical importance and that were significantly associated with injury severity included mine worker's age, part of the body injured, type of accident, agency of accident, and mine worker activity. Factors not important or not significant in their relationship with injury severity were: time into shift, previous hours worked, mine location of incident, occupation, work experience, frequency of task, shift, and mining region. This study suggests that factors related to the susceptibility of a mine worker's body tissue to damage or repair, and factors related to the concentration of energy on the mine worker by vehicle and environmental characteristics are important determinants of injury severity.

Quartz Exposure Levels in the Underground and Surface Coal Mining Industry

Occupational quartz exposure data gathered from the Mine Safety and Health Administration's respirable dust enforcement program and a program to monitor quartz exposure in several mining occupations were compiled and analyzed to assess the status of quartz exposures in the coal mining industry. The analysis showed that, in underground mines, a substantial number of samples contained greater than 5% quartz. Occupations that showed a high frequency of excessive quartz exposure included the roof bolter, continuous miner operator, and continuous miner operator helper. In surface coal mines the highwall drill operator and helper, bulldozer operator, scraper operator, and truck driver were frequently exposed to high quartz concentrations.

Quartz Exposure Levels in the Underground and Surface Coal Mining Industry

Quartz Exposure Levels in the Underground and Surface Coal Mining Industry

Technology diffusion in the coal-mining industry of the USSR: An interim assessment

This article presents an analysis of technological change in the underground coal-mining industry of the USSR. It describes within a quantitative framework first the evolution of the coal-mining industry in general, based on macro-indicators of output, production intensity, and labor productivity. The article then discusses qualitatively the different historical phases of technology development inside the industry and concludes by a quantification of technological diffusion trajectories, based on standard bi- and multi-variate models of technological substitution of the Fisher-Pry and Marchetti-Nakicenovic type. The paper not only provides insight into the dynamics of technological change in the coal-mining industry of the USSR, but also illustrates the applicability of standard technology diffusion and substitution models for the analysis of technological change in a planned economy. Although not exhaustive, the analysis presents a first step for the development of more comprehensive models of the causal forces behind the patterns of technological change identified, and for international comparisons of technology diffusion in the coal-mining sector.