Mining Engineering Commons^™

Management Of Mine Explosion Risks, Jan J. L. Du Plessis, J. W. Oberholzer

U.S. Mine Ventilation Symposium

The management of explosions in the underground mining environment has been a high priority for managers since the turn of the century. In the early 1900s explosions, worldwide, reached catastrophic dimensions. In a number of large explosions more than 1000 people have died. In the early years of research, the basics of why explosions occurred were investigated and the participation of coal dust in underground coal mine explosions was proved. Taffanel, a French researcher, was one of the pioneers in establishing the use of stone dust and was instrumental in the design and development of the first stone-dust barriers. Throughout …