Sago Report Proposes Reform

The Charleston Gazette ^ | 7/20/06 | Ken Ward Jr.

[Roccus]

"Everything that could go wrong did go wrong,"

[Roccus]

Link to final report in the article.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

Murphy's Law...

"Everything that could go wrong did go wrong,"...

[Roccus]

PING

FWIW!

[WV Mountain Mama]

I watched the conference yesterday. My question would have been: The seals did not hold, but you are suggesting that the psi level is inadequate. Were the seals built within the federal regulations of 20 psi, or were they not built properly at all. Where did they come up with the 20 psi number being able to withstand an explosion?

The reporters were hellbent on trying to have Davitt put the blame on someone. I do think there is a distinction between the seals being built wrong or the level of 20 psi being too low. Would it have mattered if the seals were built properly if the psi regulation was too low?

[Roccus]

Somewhere near the end of the original thread I believe I posted a link to a test that was performed in a mine in PA on the Omega blocks. IIRC, they passed.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

Unused airspaces should be vented just as all other airspace is.....PERIOD! It's a no-brainer.

[Roccus]

Here's the link to the test.
http://www.therecorddelta.com/main.php?story_id=4503&page=23

[Roccus]

Re. your #6.
That is something that has been bothering me. Could steel pipes have been venting this space to the atmosphere and could one of these pipes been where the lightning hit?

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

I doubt it.....they are playing the "PSI" red herring, which tells me that venting is not in the picture.

Its CHEEP to build a cement block wall and pretend that it will retain fumes effectively. A borehole with a fan at the surface at the far end of the deadspace is what is needed IMO.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

Either way, it 'blowed-up real good!'

[amom]

Could steel pipes have been venting this space to the atmosphere and could one of these pipes been where the lightning hit?

You echo my thoughts exactly. Thanks for the post and ping.

[Roccus]

As you know I've tried to keep folks current on this disaster and its fallout.
Doesn't seem to be a whole lot of interest here on FR though.


"sigh"

[Jaxter]

Hey Roccus, thanks for the ping.

Do you know how long that area had been sealed?

[Jaxter]

You're new around here aren't you?

[Roccus]

Not sure, but I think a few years. I'll see what I can find out.

[Jaxter]

If it had been sealed for a long enough time the amount of methane liberated should have exceeded 15% which is the upper limit of it's explosive range. I'm not sure about sealed off areas of mines but IIRC sealed mines are not vented to the outside.

[Roccus]

My error. It had only been a few weeks. I got confused with another seal near the entrance (edit?). Here is a link to this.
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/section/Series/The+Sago+Mine+Disaster/2006011229

[Roccus]

For the best reportage from day 1, this series can't be beat!
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/section/Series/The+Sago+Mine+Disaster

[Roccus]

Just heard on the radio that a 'flash fire' at a deep mine on the WV/PA border just occured. Several injuries.

[Jaxter]

I'm sure the foam seals would have inspected by both federal and state mine inspectors during construction and that they either met or exceeded whatever federal and state laws required.

As for equipment failure, when I was a miner the job of inspecting the self rescuers was a union job.

The part in the article about "mandating refuge chambers" is IMHO, ridiculous. Where would you put them? One on each section? Keeping in mind that a 4 entry section with three shifts and good crews could advance more than a hundred feet in a day. Lots of other reasons that it's not feasable too. But being ridiculous won't stop the law makers from mandating it though.