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Politics : BuSab
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To: Oral Roberts who wrote (3934)4/6/2010 12:16:54 PM
From: Jorj X Mckie  Read Replies (1) of 23934
 
It's hard to say if the mine was operating in an unsafe manner. Every mine gets many write-ups and fines every year. You would have to see how it compares to other mines. They are reporting violations with the ventilation, which is of concern, but it could be that a man-door wasn't closing properly in one of the stoppings between the air intake or exhaust and the neutral air. Or a plastic drapery that separates the neutral air from the working unit may have come down. Both of these would get them a write-up, but they don't necessarily indicate negligence on the part of the mine.

The news reports stated that there was a safety operator walking the mine at the time of the explosion. This happens at the beginning of every shift. Most people have no idea how much area these mines cover. And it is a constantly changing environment. Roof falls are a constant and eventually gravity wins in every mine. so a stopping (a wall that separates entries (tunnels) to direct air flow) that is good one day, may not be good the next.

The Sago mine disaster in 2006 was not something that would have been detected by a safety officer because it was caused by a spark from a nearby lightning strike that went through the ground and was in a sealed area of the mine. There is no ventilation in the sealed areas of the mine, so methane does build up.

Everyone is going to look to blame someone. But, it is probably the same in submarines where every person in the mine is responsible for safety.

There is probably going to be an extra effort to demonize Massey Energy because they are vehemently non-union.
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