SURFACE HAZARDS Since the previous inspection, sprays have been installed at the dumping point in the tipple and the coal dust is allayed with a suitable wetting, solution; this is a commendable improvement. The coal dust is said to be cleaned from the tipple daily; however, large accumulations of dust were noted throughout. Several machinery drive belts in the surface and underground shops, and several gears in the tipple were unguarded. The coal dust in the tipple should be cleaned more thoroughly, and where it is impracticable to clean the coal dust from remote places, such places should be rock-dusted thoroughly. The machinery drive belts in the surface and underground shops and the exposed gears in the tipple should be guarded properly. CAGES AND OTHER HOISTING EQUIPMENT The hoist is equipped with automatic overwind and overspeed and automatic stop controls that are tested daily, but the cages are not enclosed fully and safety gates are not provided across the open ends of the cage platforms when men are being hoisted or lowered. The sides of the cages should be enclosed fully, and safety gates should be provided across the openings when men are hoisted or lowered. GENERAL COMMENTS Joint safety meetings of men and officials are not held, and a safety organization of workmen and officials was not maintained. A safety organization of employees and officials should be established, and joint safety meetings should be held at least once a month. The officials and the employees extended full cooperation and assistance during this inspection. FRANK PERZ, Inspector. [NOTE. This release is issued by direction of the Federal Coal Mine Inspection Act of May 7, 1941 (Public Law 49, 77th Cong.)] DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INFORMATION SERVICE BUREAU OF MINES [For release Sunday, March 4, 1945] TWO MARION COUNTY, ILL., MINES INSPECTED The operation of two coal mines at Centralia, Marion County, Ill., as gassy again has been urged by Federal inspectors to guard against the ignition of explosive gas, the Bureau of Mines disclosed today. The recommendation applies to the Centralia Coal Co.'s 1,893-ton-a-day No. 5 mine and the Marion County Coal Mining Corp.'s 1,153-ton-a-day Glenridge mine which were inspected recently for a fourth time by Government investigators. The former employs 235 men and the latter 160. The Bureau had classified both mines as gassy during previous inspections. NO. 5 MINE To eliminate practices which have caused fires and mine explosions at other operations, Federal Inspector Frank Perz recommended exclusive use of permissible electric cap lamps by all underground employees instead of open-flame lights, a ban on smoking underground, tests for explosive gas before and after blasting, and extreme care in operating nonpermissible electrical equipment in face regions at the No. 5 mine. As other major improvements, Perz suggested changes in the ventilating system to provide better quality air at working places, a standard plan of timbering, "spragging" or "blocking" undercut coal, safer use of explosives, better control of coal dust, shelter holes, unobstructed clearance, and other haulage betterments, electrical safeguards, increased fire protection, wider use of protective clothing, wearing of goggles by certain employees, more hoisting and mechanical safeguards, State certification of section foremen, and an organized safety program. Production for each lost-time injury was 8,586 tons in 1944 (one accident was fatal), compared with 10,715 tons in 1943 (two fatal accidents) and the national average of 10,700 tons for bituminous mines. Perz said that 2,000 cars of refuse had been loaded out of the mine since the previous inspection, better ventilating stoppings had been provided, and the abandoned 1 west section had been sealed effectively. As other improvements he listed the repair of 70 mine cars, insulators for power wires at permanent pump installations, the use of roof-testing rods by officials, and better control of coal dust in the tipple. GLENRIDGE MINE Among the precautions suggested by Federal Inspector W. W. Kessler to eliminate ignition hazards at the Glenridge mine were the use of permissible electric cap lamps instead of open-flame lights, a ban on smoking underground, tests for explosive gas before and after blasting, and extreme care in operating nonpermissible electrical equipment in face regions. Kessler also urged adoption of a systematic timbering plan and better roof control to curb accidents caused by roof falls, adequate ventilation of working places, increased safety in using explosives, unobstructed clearance and other haulage improvements, more attention to controlling coal dust, better fire protection, additional electrical, mechanical, and hoisting safeguards, examinations of the mine within 3 hours before the shift enters, wider use of protective clothing and goggles, a more effective system of checking men in and out, closer supervision, and a broad, organized safety program. He reported that production per lost-time injury was 9,446 tons in 1944 (there was one fatal accident), compared with 9,525 tons in 1943 (two fatalities) and the national average of 10,700 tons at bituminous mines. As improvements Kessler listed safer storage of explosives, guarding of belt drives in the drill press and trip hammer, and frame-grounding of the electric welding machine. Copies of the reports are available for inspection at the Bureau of Mines, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C., and at the Bureau of Mines, district office at Vincennes, Ind. COAL-MINE REINSPECTION REPORT NO. 4, NO. 5 MINE, CENTRALIA COAL CO., CENTRALIA, MARION COUNTY, ILL., JULY 16-19, 1945 (By Frank Perz, coal-mine inspector) INTRODUCTION This report is based on an inspection made July 16-19, 1945, to obtain information relating to health and safety conditions at this mine in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Coal-Mine Inspection and Investigation Act of 1941 (H. R. 2082). Improvements made since the previous inspection, January 8-11, 1945, are recorded, and additional hazards observed are discussed. Recommendations included in the last report, which are not applicable under present conditions, have been omitted. One or more of the recommendations in this report may differ from some provision of the mining law or safety orders of the State. The intent is not to advocate noncompliance with the State law but to suggest that it may be advisable for the coal industry to examine such variations to determine if modification of the law or order may be beneficial. GENERAL INFORMATION The mine is opened by two timber-lined shafts, each 545 feet deep, and suck to intersect the Illinois No. 6 coal bed, which averages 78 inches in thickness in this mine. A total of 251 men is employed, of which number 118 work underground on the day shift and 82 on the night shift, compared with a total of 235 employees at the time of the January 1945 inspection. The average daily production is 1,832 tons of coal, which is slightly less than the amount produced at the time of the previous inspection. The total production for the year 1944 was 497,990 tons of coal, and for the first 6 months of 1945, the production was 254,699 tons. The mine has an estimated life of about 18 years at the present rate of production. The mine is classed as gassy by the Bureau of Mines, but it is not operated in full compliance with the recommendations of the Bureau of Mines for a mine so classified. SURFACE STRUCTURES No changes or improvements have been made in the tipple since the previous inspection. The open-type electric motors and starting switches are still in use, and provisions have not been made to remove the coal dust from the floors and motors in the tipple. Large accumulations of coal dust were noted throughout the tipple during this inspection. Although the coal dust is allayed at the dumping point with a suitable wetting solution, it did not appear to be very effective because excessive amounts of dust were in suspension during dumping operations. The conditions in the steam plant, wash house, supply house, and other surface buildings where essentially unchanged, except that the floor in the wash house is washed daily with a disinfectant solution. The wash house has not been provided with an additional exit, and the steam radiators are not guarded. Oil and grease are stored in a safe manner in safe distance from the operational buildings, and several barrels of oil and grease are stored in a fireproof structure. Two of the flame safety lamps in use at the mine are of permissible type, and three of the lamps are of nonpermisible type. All of the flame safety lamps were of the magnetic-lock type, but the locks had been removed from three of the lamps. The surface stairways and lalleds are of substantial construction and kept in good repair, but the permanent ladder leading from the tipple to the sheave platform is not provided with backguards. The floor opening at the discharge end of the raw-coal conveyor in the tipple is not provided with toeboards and railings. The surface buildings were neat and orderly, except for the accumulations of dust in the tipple. Illumination and heating were adequate in all surface structures, but adequate illumination is not provided at the surface shaft landing, for the men getting on and off the cages. 1. The power control and starting switches should be of dust-tight construction. 2. The electric motors used in the tipple should be of the dustproof type; however, it is recognized that it is difficult to obtain such motors. Therefore, for the present, measures should be taken to minimize the possibility of dust accumulating or dust clouds forming about the motors. Replacements of, or additions to, present motors should be of dustproof type, if they are available. 3. The coal dust should be cleaned thoroughly from the tipple frequently and, if possible, daily to prevent it from accumulating, and where it is impracticable to remove coal dust from remote places, such places should be rock-dusted. 4. In addition to allaying the coal dust at the dumping point in the tipple, additional water sprays should be installed at the discharge end of the raw-coal conveyor and at other points where large quantities of dust are released. 5. The wash house should be provided with at least two exits, and the steam radiators in the wash house should be guarded so as not to present a burn hazard. 6. All of the flame safety lamps in use at the mine should be of permissible type, and they should be maintained in a permissible condition. 7. The permanent ladder leading from the tipple to the sheave platform should be provided with backguards. 8. The opening in the floor at the discharge end of the raw-coal conveyor in the tipple should be provided with toeboards and railings. 9. Adequate illumination should be provided at the ground landing to the shaft. HOISTING, CAGES, AND SHAFTS The hoisting equipment and practices are similar to those described in the previous inspection report, except that an additional efficient hand brake has been provided on the hoist for emergency use. The hoisting engineers are not required to undergo physical examinations annually, and the signal devices at the shaft landings have not been arranged so that they can be reached from the cages. The cages are of substantial construction and kept in good repair, but the sides are not enclosed fully, and safety gates are not provided across the open ends of the cages when men are hoisted and lowered. The cage safety catches are examined daily, and tested once a month by releasing the tension on the rope; no records are kept of the tests. 1. The hoisting engineers should be required to undergo physical examinations at least annually to determine their continued fitness to operate a hoist, and the physician's report of such examinations should be posted. 2. A signal device at the surface and bottom shaft landings should be located so that signals can be given from the cages. 3. The sides of the cages should be enclosed fully, and safety gates should be provided across the open ends of the cage platforms when men are hoisted and lowered. 4. In addition to the present method of testing the cage safety catches, they should be tested at least every 2 months by a drop test, and a written record should be kept of the tests. MISCELLANEOUS SURFACE CONDITIONS The method used in disposing of refuse is similar to that reported in the original inspection report, and no hazards were observed. Materials and timbers were stored neatly several hundred feet from the mine openings, and the roads and paths in the surface yard were free from obstructions. The wooden coal-storage bin near the shaft opening has not been removed or made fire-resistant. All other surface buildings are of fireproof or fire-resistant construction. Adequate fire protection is provided for the surface buildings, and several nearby fire departments are available in an emergency. The fire-fighting equipment is inspected and tested once a month, but records are not made of these tests and inspections, other than dating the cards on the fire extinguishers. 1. The wooden coal-storage bin near the shaft opening should be made fireproof or fire-resistant, or fire doors should be erected at effective points in the shaft to prevent smoke or fire from outside sources from endangering the men working underground. The doors should be tested at least monthly to assure effective operation. 2. A written record should be made of the inspections of fire-fighting equipment. METHODS OF MINING AND TIMBERING The room-and-pillar method of mining is followed, pillars are not extracted, and about 50 percent of the coal is recovered. A standard plan of timbering has not been adopted. Although some improvement has been made in timbering the working places in the shuttle-car loading sections, the system of timbering in use still does not provide adequate protection for the men at the working faces or along the roadways and haulageways. The roof in all of the working sections and on most of the haulageways is of very weak structure and requires close timbering; however, throughout this inspection only a few safety posts were set near the working faces. An adequate supply of props and cap pieces is provided convenient to the working faces, but timbers of sufficient length for use as cross bars are not provided. Failure to provide adequate roof protection resulted in 6 nonfatal lost-time injuries, and 9 no-losstime injuries during the first 6 months of 1945. Only a few of the men at the working faces were observed testing the roof during the inspection, and it wat noted that a number of the face men were working under loose, unsupported roof. An unreasonable amount of loose, unsupported rock, shale, and overhanging brown were noted along the haulageways and roadways in the working places, and at the faces of a number of the working places. Undercut coal is not spragged. 1. Methods of systematic face timbering, suitable to the roof conditions, should be adopted at this mine, and prints of the plan should be issued to the officials and timbermen and posted on the bulletin board. Cross bars should be set at regular intervals along the roadways in the shuttle-car sections where wide roadways are maintained. 2. Temporary safety posts, jacks, or cross bars should be set near the working faces before other mining operations are begun, and safety posts or jacks should be set at the side of the loading machine as the "cut" of coal is being loaded out. 3. An adequate supply of timbers, including cross bars, should be provided convenient to the faces and other places of use. 4. Every underground worker should be instructed in the sound and vibration methods of testing roof. 5. Face workers and other employees exposed to roof hazards should examine their places thoroughly before beginning work. Any dangerous conditions should be corrected before regular work is started. 6. Loose shale, rock, coal, and overhanging brows in places where persons are required to work or travel should be removed or suported as soon as detected, and no person should go under such loose material until it is made safe. 7. Undercut coal should be spragged effectively by placing blocks in the kerf not over 4 feet apart or by blocking with leaning posts. EXPLOSIVES, DETONATORS, AND BLASTING DEVICES The explosives-storage and detonator-storage magazines have not been altered since the previous inspection, except that the area surrounding the magazines has been cleared of grass and other combustible materials for a distance of at least 50 feet in all directions, and a barricade, constructed with wooden cribbing backed with earth, has been erected on the south side of the explosives-storage magazine. However, the barricade is not erected high enough to be effective, and the "Explosives-Keep Off" signs are not posted properly. The methods of transporting and storing explosives in the mine are in compliance with Bureau of Mines standards. In general, the method of blasting is the same as described in the original inspection report. Permissible explosives, fired by means of fuse and detonator cap and stemmed with prepared clay dummies, are used to blast the coal. Shots are fired with rapid succession by the shot firers who begin igniting the fuse at the end of the shift before the other men have left the mine. Examinations for gas are not made before shots are fired, and the places are not examined for fire immediately after blasting operations have been completed. The mine examiners make examinations for gas after blasting before any work is resumed. It was noted in several instances, that the shot firers stored explosive near the working faces while electric drills were in operation. 1. The barricades on the north and south side of the explosives-storage magazine should be extended to the full height of the magazine. 2. The "Explosives-Keep Off" signs should be located so that a bullet passing directly through the face of the sign will not strike the magazine. 3. Permissible explosives should be fired only with instantaneous electric detonators of proper strength and by means of permissible shot-firing units, if available. 4. Shots should not be fired in rapid succession, and all of the men, other than the shot firers, should be out of the mine during blasting operations, unless blasting is done in a permissible manner. 5. Examinations for gas should be made immediately before blasting, and the places should be examined for fire immediately after blasting operations are completed. 6. Electric power should be cut off equipment at or near a face before explosives are taken to such face, during charging, and between charging and firing of shots. VENTILATION AND MINE GASES The mine is ventilated by means of the reversible-type fan described in the original inspection report. The fan was operated blowing and was delivering 55,680 cubic feet of air a minute, which is slightly less air entering the mine than at the time of the previous inspection. The fan is still installed underground in the center of the intake airway, about 100 feet south of the air shaft. The quantity of air reaching the last open crosscuts of working entries was found to be adequate, except in the last open crosscut between 21 and 22 south where an air measurement of 3,900 cubic feet a minute was obtained. The air is directed to the working sections in one continuous current. This method of ventilation requires a number of doors on the main haulageways, and when any of these doors on the front end of the split are left open, or when transportation units are operated through these doors, the air is short-circuited away from the inby working sections of the mine. In addition, 118 men are |