As changes come into place for underground hard rock mining in Turkey in 2018, it is important to look at what these changes are and why they are being implemented.
Turkey’s recent notification from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security goes into precise detail about the procedures and principles regarding refuge chambers as illustrated in Article 30 of Law on Occupational Health and Safety No. 6331. These requirements are based on hard evidence of necessity learned through real-life emergencies worldwide and the legislation in different regions globally.
Tried and Tested Refuge Chambers
Unlike most of their competitors in the manufacture and supply of underground refuge chambers, MineARC Systems refuge chamber has been tried and tested in the field in multiple real-life emergencies.
In the almost 18 years spent developing and improving their refuge chamber designs, MineARC Systems has watched on as the attitude of the mining industry has changed from regarding refuge chambers as an optional extra to a lifesaving necessity in underground mining. Many mining nations have legislated to mandate underground refuge chambers over the past several years, including Australia, the USA, China, South Africa, and Turkey.
Real-Life Refuge Chamber Uses
The lifesaving capabilities of MineARC Refuge Chambers were underlined in an incident at a prominent gold mine in the Goldfields of Western Australia in 2006. In the accident, nine miners were forced to flee to two underground MineARC refuge chambers after a remote-controlled loader caught fire. There were no injuries after a well-coordinated emergency response team brought all miners to the surface within hours.
A similar incident occurred at a separate mine in the Goldfields in 2007 when 54 workers were trapped underground after a truck caught fire, which spread to the ceiling, filling the mine with smoke. All workers were successfully rescued without injury after spending six hours in specially installed MineARC refuge chambers.
MineSAFE Refuge Chambers
The MineSAFE chambers can be built as standard to hold up to 30 miners for an unassisted duration of up to 96 hours, work by using up to three independent air supply systems. Breathable air systems include mine air with the Compressed Air Management System (CAMS), oxygen cylinders, and the optional oxygen candle. Additionally, MineARC’s Series IV Air Scrubbing & Control System scrubs the interior atmosphere for carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide to remove the harmful and potentially deadly gases.
An integrated air cooling system also comes as a standard.
"It’s encouraging to see the response we’ve been getting from all of our international markets. As the mining industry expands into Asia and other developing parts of the world, we’re seeing an increasing demand for heightened safety standards. At MineARC we’re proud to be at the forefront of this movement."