1. Permissible electric cap lamps should be carried by all persons for illumination in the mine.

UNDERGROUND GENERAL

All of the underground employees wear protective hats, and about 80 percent of the men wear safety-toe shoes. Haulagemen and men working around machinery wear loose-fitting clothing. Failure of men to wear safety goggles or eyeshields when doing work that require their use, resulted in 8 lost-time injuries during the first 6 months of 1945. Smoking is permitted in the mine. 1. All persons in and about the mine should wear safety-toe shoes, and haulagemen and others who work around machinery should wear snugly fitting clothing.

2. Men should be required to wear goggles or eyeshields when exposed to hazards of flying particles.

3. Smoking should not be permitted or practiced in the mine.

SURFACE HAZARDS

The coal dust is allayed with a wetting solution at the dumping point in the tipple; however, it does not appear to be very effective, as considerable dust is in suspension during dumping operations. Large accumulations of coal dust were present throughout the tipple.

Most of the machinery drive belts in the surface and underground shops and several gears and sprockets in the tipple are unguarded.

1. In addition to allaying the coal dust at the dumping point, it should also be allayed at other points in the tipple where large quantities of dust are released.

2. The coal dust, should be cleaned from the tipple thoroughly every day; and, where it is impracticable to remove coal dust from remote places, such places should be rock dusted thoroughly.

3. The machinery drive belts in the surface and underground shops and the exposed gears and sprockets in the tipple should be guarded properly.

CAGES AND OTHER HOISTING EQUIPMENT

The sides of 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 and lowered.

1. The sides of the cages should be enclosed fully, and safety gates should be provided across the open ends when men are hoisted and lowered.

GENERAL COMMENTS

The company does not employ a safety director.

A safety organization was not maintained; consequently, no safety meetings are held.

1. A safety engineer or safety director should be employed at this mine. 2. A safety organization of employees and officials should be established, and joint safety meetings should be held at least once a month to discuss accidents, their causes, and means of preventing accidents.

The State mine inspector, officials, and 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 Wednesday, September 19, 1945]

TWO ILLINOIS COAL MINES INSPECTED

Greater emphasis upon accident prevention has been recommended by Federal coal-mine inspectors for two Illinois operations in Marion and Randolph

Counties, the Bureau of Mines disclosed today in releasing the formal reinspection reports on the mines.

Employing 509 men and producing 3,482 tons of coal daily, the operations are the No. 5 mine of the Centralia Coal Co. at Centralia, Marion County, and the West mine of the Florida Coal Co. at Coulterville, Randolph County.

The inspectors commended safety advances made at both developments between Federal examinations and attributed these betterments to company initiative, employee cooperation, orders and suggestions of the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals, and recommendations of the Bureau.

NO. 5 MINE

Although accident-frequency rates declined slightly during the first half of 1945, the output for each lost-time injury at the 1,832-ton-a-day No. 5 mine still was lower than that of the average bituminous operation, reported Inspector Frank Perz after completing a recent safety survey. The mine employs 251 men. Noting that haulage, eye accidents, and falls of roof were the principal causes of injuries at the mine, Perz urged strict compliance with Bureau standards pertaining to these hazards. Further accident-prevention measures suggested by Perz included safer blasting practices, increased air at one open crosscut, a "split" system of ventilation and several other air-coursing betterments, more effective coal-dust control, elimination of several electrical hazards, additional fire-fighting equipment, use of permissible electrical cap lights by all underground employees, and a "no smoking" rule.

Perz credited the operation with a number of between-inspection improvements, including driving of crosscuts at proper intervals, rock-dusting of the haulageways and most of the room entries, removal of roof falls from the main “intake” airway in 2 west, safer storage of explosives, provision of rock dust at permanent underground electrical installations, and an emergency hand brake for the hoist.

WEST MINE

Inspector T. Alvin Scully, who recently completed a survey of health and safety conditions at the 1,650-ton-a-day West mine, commended the safety progress made during the first 5 months of the present year but also emphasized the need for additional improvements in operations.

Major recommendations were for posting of the timbering plan and use of adequate cap pieces over safety posts, haulage betterments embracing throws for switches and additional shelter holes, and further electrical and mechanical safeguards. Additional suggestions for promoting the general safety at the mine included exclusive use of permissible explosives, provision of rock dust for fire-emergency use, and elimination of such ignition hazards as smoking in the mine and the use of open-flame lights.

Scully noted that sufficient methane (explosive gas) was being liberated during this and the previous inspection to justify classification and operation of the mine as gassy. He also suggested stronger air-currents at some working faces and detailed improvements in air-coursing facilities.

The report commended such recent safety advances as proper installation of all power wires, guarding of the drive gears of the conveyor belt in the coalstorage bin, and arrangements made to reverse the fan in the event of an emergency.

A total of 258 men is employed at the mine.

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 INSPECTION REPORT, NO. 5 MINE, CENTRALIA COAL CO., CENTRALIA, MARION COUNTY, ILL., MARCH 5-8, 1946

(By Frank Perz, coal-mine inspector)

INTRODUCTION

This report is based on an inspection made March 5-8, 1946, to obtain information relating to health and safety conditions at this mine in accordance with the provisions in the Federal Coal Mine Inspection and Investigation Act of 1941, H. R. 2082.

Changes in conditions, practices, or physical plant made since the last inspection, July 16-19, 1945, and new hazards observed during this inspection are discussed or recorded. Former recommendations that have not been complied with, but which are still applicable, and those covering new hazards observed are listed separately under appropriate headings. Safety improvements observed are recorded at the end of the report.

One or more of the recommendations in this report may differ from some provisions 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 to examine such variations to determine if modification of the law or order may be beneficial.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The No. 5 mine has two shaft openings in the Illinois No. 6 coal bed. The average thickness of the bed is 76 inches, and the coal bed is flat except for local undulations.

A total of 251 men is employed, and the mine is operated two shifts a day, 6 days a week. The average daily production was 1,964 tons of coal, an increase of 132 tons a day. The mine has an estimated life of about 17 years at the present rate of production.

The mine is operated as nongassy; however, as a content of 0.70 percent methane was found in a sample collected at a working face at the time of the previous inspection, and a content of 0.18 percent methane was found in a sample taken at a working face at the time of this inspection, the mine is gassy, according to Bureau of Mines classification.

Coal is loaded by mobile loading machines.

1. SURFACE STRUCTURES

The handrail on the stairway leading to the weighroom in the tipple is defective. 1. The defective handrail on the stairway leading to the weighroom in the tipple should be repaired.

Repeated recommendations

1. The electric motors, switches, and controls in the tipple should be of dusttight construction.

2. The coal dust should be removed from the tipple thoroughly every day, and where it is impracticable to remove coal dust from remote places, such places should be rock-dusted.

3. The coal dust in the tipple should be removed by an air exhaust system with dust-collecting hoods placed at principal sources of dust.

4. The wash house should be provided with at least two exits, and the steam radiators in the wash house should be guarded effectively so as not to present a burn hazard.

5. The permanent ladder leading from the tipple to the sheaves should be provided with backguards.

6. The opening in the floor at the discharge end of the raw-coal conveyor in the tipple should be provided with toeboards and railings.

2. HOISTING, CAGES, AND SHAFTS

Repeated recommendations

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 cages when men are hoisted and lowered. 4. The cage safety catches should be tested at least every 2 months by a drop test, and a written record should be kept of the tests.

3. MISCELLANEOUS SURFACE CONDITIONS

Repeated recommendations

1. The wooden coal-storage bin near the shaft opening should be made fireproof and fire-resistant, or fire doors should be erected at effective points in the shaft. The operation of the doors should be tested monthly.

2. A written record should be made of the inspections of fire-fighting equipment.

4. 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. The coal is cut by short-wa mining machines.

Considerable improvement has been made in timbering the gob areas of the working places. Two rows of props are set on each side of the roadways on 4 and 5-foot centers, 3 and 4 feet apart, and to within 10 feet or less of the working faces.

During the year 1945, this mine experienced 16 nonfatal lost-time injuries and 17 no-lost-time injuries from falls of roof, coal, rock and coal rolling from the working faces.

Repeated recommendations

1. Methods of systematic entry and face timbering, suitable to the roof conditions in this mine, should be adopted and the plan thereof posted. These should be considered the minimum requirements, irrespective of the firmness of the roof, and additional timbers should be set whenever unusual conditions indicate that additional timbers are necessary.

2. An adequate supply of timbers of sufficient length for use as cross bars should be provided convenient to the working faces in all working sections.

3. Face workers and other employees exposed to roof hazards should examine their places before beginning work. Any dangerous conditions should be corrected before regular work is started.

4. Loose roof, pots, and overhanging brows in places where men are required to work or travel should be removed or supported as soon as detected, and no person should go under such material until it is made safe.

5. Every underground worker should be instructed in the sound and vibration methods of testing roof.

6. 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. 7. Undercut coal should be spragged effectively by placing blocks in the kerf or by blocking with leaning posts.

5. EXPLOSIVES, DETONATORS, AND BLASTING

The explosives-storage boxes and the detonator-storage box in 21 north, off 4 west south were stored too close to the track and power wires, and these boxes were not kept locked. The explosives and blasting caps are delivered to the working sections daily, but the amount of explosives stored is sufficient for 2 days' requirement, and the supply of blasting caps stored is sufficient for 3 days' requirement.

1. The explosives-storage and detonator boxes in 21 north off 4 west south should be placed in a crosscut or abandoned room neck at least 25 feet from roadways and power wires, and kept locked when not attended.

2. No more than a 36-hour supply of explosives or detonators, including any surplus remaining from the previous day, should be stored underground in an operation box.

Repeated recommendations

1. The space between the inner and outer walls of the explosives-storage magazine should be sand-filled so as to make it reasonably bullet proof.

The barricades on the north and south sides of the explosives-storage magazine should be extended to the full height of the magazine.

3. The "Explosives-Keep Off" signs should be posted and located so that a bullet passing directly through the face of any sign will not strike the magazine. 4. Permissible explosives should be fired only witih instantaneous electric detonators of proper strength and permissible shot (firing units.

5. Tests for gas should be made in the blasting area immediately before blasting.

6. Shots should be loaded and fired singly unless they are fired simultaneously and in full compliance with Bureau of Mines recommendations for permissible blasting.

6. VENTILATION AND MINE GASSES

The fan was operated blowing and was delivering 58,880 cubic feet of air a minute. The quantity of air passing through the last open crosscut in five of six pairs of working entries was in excess of 6,800 cubic feet a minute, but no air measurement could be obtained in the last open entry crosscut between 1 and 2 west south.

TABLE 1.-Analyses of air samples collected March 1946, mine No. 5,

The main haulage track in 1 west south, which is in intake air, has been completed to the 16 north entry, and it has been put into service as far as 14 north. The superintendent stated that this track will be extended the entire length of the mine, and when it is completed, all of the main and intermediate haulage roads will be in intake air.

The rooms throughout the mine are driven 400 feet in length, and the only room crosscuts that were closed were those between No. 1 room and No. 2 room off 13 north; consequently, the faces of the rooms in the other working entries were not ventilated adequately.

Four of the five crosscuts between the face of the 1 and 2 west south entries and the first outby permanent stopping were closed with poorly constructed check curtains.

The mine is operated as nongassy, and gas was not detected with a permissible flame safety lamp during the inspection, although tests were made in every working place. However, one of the air samples collected contained 0.10 percent methane and another air sample contained 0.18 percent methane; therefore, the mine is gassy according to Bureau of Mines Standards.

The mine examiners mark the date of the inspection near the face of most of the rooms and entries visited, but very few dates were found at the faces of crosscuts that were being driven. Each working place is inspected for safety several times during the working shift by a certified official, but tests for gas are not made during these inspections.

The results of the analyses of air samples, as shown in table 1, indicate that slight improvement has been made in the quality of the mine air. Three of the air samples collected in the vicinity of the hoisting shaft and the air sample collected at the face of No. 76 room, 22 south, 4 west south contained less than the 20 percent oxygen recommended by the Bureau of Mines as a minimum for a healthful working atmosphere, and one of the air samples contained an excessive amount of carbon dioxide. This is an indication that the ventilating current in