Selection of the accidents to analyze.

All types of accidents in the mines.

In this page I got all the accidents but only I'm gonna describe those which has a mark (camera logo) on it, because the others do not represent much significance to analyze them.

I only marked 8 of them and gonna see my opportunities on each one for this project.

Slid of fall person

Slid of fall person

This accident happens more often in low cost mines because of the bad use of the equipment, frequently this accident occurs only to 1 person and the injures can be helped by the mine´s doctor (does not require to be transfer to the hospital), the sequence is simple and the procedure as well.

Ignition or explosions (gas or dust)

ignition or explosion

Explosions are fatal because in 99% there is not survivors and there's nothing else to do, just pick up the death bodies, in some exceptional cases they have found some people alive!
In my previous chats with people related with this topic, this is one example of an easy rescue because of there's not to much to save!

Flooding

Flooding accident

This flooding description is very rare case in mines, it can be caused by the bad use of the machines or their bad maintenance, no much people get injured but some of them the just got trapped, this case happens in low cost mines rarely in modern mines. 

Fire Diagram

Fire procedure diagram

This is one of the most important accidents inside of the mines because of they can not call the fight fitters to come and put off the fire, they have to do it by themselves and if there's some people trapped inside of flames they have to try to get rid of the fire before they can rescue them; in most part of the cases when is a big fire they have to close the area trying to consume all oxygen in the area to extinguish it in a natural way, but this implies that the victims can not breath and the possibilities to survive are less and less. If this fire is generated by electricity they should use chemicals to combat it.
In this type of accidents all mine is immediately.

Falling, Rolling or Sliding rock or material

Falling, Rolling or Sliding rock

This is an example what I am doing all the procedures for all the 19 different accidents; This one can have other variations but I trust it is going to be a very good reference to analyze them during the next week.
This is one of the most common accidents in low cost mines, means: most part of them in undeveloped countries, but in high standard mines it only happens 3% inappropriate use of the machines and bad procedure during the process.

Mines Accidents (classification)

Type of accidents (when and where they happen)

- Electrical.

- Entrapment.

- Exploding vessels under presure.

- Explosives & breaking agents.

- Falling, rolling or sliding rock.

- Fall roof or back.

- Fire.

- Handling material.

- Hand tools.

- Ignition or explosion (gas or dust).

- Impoundment.

- Flooding.

- Machinery.

- Non Powered haulage.

- Powered haulage.

- Slid of fall person.

- Stepping or keeling object.

- Striking or bumping.

Instead to classify all types of mines I get more focus on what kind of accidents exists and where happens? the next step is to analyze the rescue protocol during each one.


ps- I found 19 different types of accidents in the mines and I think is easier to classify then in 6 different groups; Some of then have similarities and some others can be placed in more than 2 groups at the same time because can happen for different reasons 

Kick off with Atlas Copco

Last Jan 21st, I had my kick off with Atlas Copco in Örebro; My chat with Alex Liebert (chief designer) was basically to touch base and talk more about my intentions for this project, here some important points:


- Would be great to visit a real mine in Sweden specially Kiruna because my design is going to be for swedish mines which have one of the highest safety standards.
- My past visits to the mexicans mines I will consider as a reference but not as a standards or mine's focus for this project.
- I will define what type of mine I will work for? as there's many types of mine and most part of them are different (with different accidents) would be easy to get lost with much information and don´t concentrate in a real problem.
- Atlas Copco does not work with any type of product for coal mines (when it's required they got an external assistance).
- If during my research I can´t find a relevant problem I will consider to change my direction and work in something related with the main topic, an example could be: safety in mines.
- It´s important to define that: "mines rescue" also implies machines or products to get into the area where the people is trapped .
- Current safety products would be included as a part of my research.
- It´s important to highlight that: low cost mines have low cost machinery and most part of the cases they do not invest much in safety programs or products.


The conclusion of this visit is: was good to hear what they think specially from the people involved in the business and see what´s my challenge for this project, my advantages and disadvantages, also meet up with the guys there was very nice, little bit of deyabú when I step my foot into the office, feels like I was there less than one year ago when I did my internship there.




   

1st meeting with Anders Smith (my tutor)

Today Tuesday 19th of January I had a big chat with Anders Smith my tutor in this project; We talked about about relevant ideas and the way I will start with the research part, how I am going to structure this.

I’m gonna start understanding the flow of what they do and how they do it! (what are the procedures to rescue people nowadays) specifictly the time line with all the actions to know more what they already have in terms of processes, protocols and products.

What I want to do? “mines rescue” is very wide and there are many different design opportunities so I need to define all the different mines operation and their accidents, in a few words: what they do and how many accidents they have had during their operational periods, once I collect all these information I can go directly to the miners and know more about them, about their life and their thoughts. After I have all this information I would be able to analyze it and define my opportunity of course my goals and wishes are gonna change once I know what I am gonna work with. 

During this chat I can highlight many relevant points:

• I wanna end up with a product which be extremely good for them, and relevant to show how Atlas Copco can raid in a new area for them, something visionary. 
• Based on the research certainly I can define the direction I want to take in this project and does not matter if is something that Atlas Copco is not good at doing it today, I mean it can be a new area, a new opportunity.
• I’m gonna design something for rescue not something to prevent accidents, it is important this big difference.
• Find the value of my product, what is important for Atlas Copco, for the miners and for me?
• I need to spend more time with miners, I need to find out how they live, think, what they like, feel, etc. all this is gonna help me to create my personas.
• I will propose something where the opportunity is; I picture it as strategic deign because I have a topic but I do not know what I am going to do yet.
• Don’t be afraid to end up in something conceptual (just if this is relevant and can be a step to develop a new product in the future).

As I do not know in what kind of product I am going to end up it is important don’t try to solve problems right now, the important thing during this phase is to define a problem and do a solid research which is gonna define where my opportunity is. 

2nd visit to the mine in Mexico

MIne in San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Last Friday 8th of January I had the chance again to go into the mine in Mexico, this mine is owned by Grupo Mexico the biggest miner company in the country. This mine is situated in the center of the country 1 hour away from San Luis Potosi (6 hours driving from Mexico City) the production of this mine is basically Zinc and Lead and they have around 75 miners working in 3 shifts per day, it has more 7 km in roads inside of the mine and more than 800 m subterranean high. In comparison with the last mine I’ve visited 15 days before in Mexico as well this one is 4 times bigger. 

Both visits were great and very different, somehow I feel they have the same rescue and safety needs but in a different scale; In my first visit to the mexican mines I was not prepared to ask many important questions and brainstorming inside of the mine with the right person I felt more like a tourist trying to get as much information as possible but then for my second round I was so much more prepared I started to analyze more and brainstorming at the moment but the most important thing was I started to create different scenarios inside of the mine, I was talking with the miner supervisor about all the rescue protocols in case of emergency and of course I started to investigate what type of accidents they have had during the last past years; I found many similarities between the 2 mines I visited during my stay in Mexico and talking with the people they said: most part of the mines in Latin-America are the same as the mexicans ones. The most important similarity was the safety culture miners have, both have different resources and even one of them gives the miners all the right equipment they do not want to carry it with them all the time, (it is not an inconvenient for my design proposal if after the research this would be relevant to add into their safety systems). Other important thing I saw is the opportunity for Atlas Copco  to implement this rescue equipment in their machines, I need to be very specific in what I want to do because this topic is so wide and it can covers many different areas.

What I got during my last visit to the mine? First of all the experience to create quick scenarios and talk with the miners in person, to know more about them how they think? how they work and how they will react into different situations; But definitely observe them in daily life. 

Coal mining> Most deadly job in China

China produced 35 percent of the world's coal last year, but reported 80 percent of the total deaths in coal mine accidents, according to statistics with the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS). This means that coal mining has become the most deadly job in China.
Among accidents occurred from January 2001 to October 2004, there were 188 each with death toll of more than 10, about one death every 7.4 days, said SAWS Wang Xianzheng at a national meeting on coal mine safety. In the past one month along, the country reported a series of coal mine accidents, causing over 200 deaths. In 2003, the average coal miner in China produces 321 tons of coal a year; this is only 2.2 percent of that in the United States and 8.1 percent that of South Africa. The death rate for every 100 tons of coal, however, is 100 times of that of the US and 30 times of the South Africa. Working conditions for China's coal miners need to be improved.  About 600,000 miners to date are suffering from pneumoconiosis, a disease of the lungs caused by long-continued inhalation of dust. And the figure increases by 70,000 miners every year. The government has taken a lot of measures to improve work safety at coal mines. In 2000, China set up a national surveillance system to keep a close eye on the safety conditions of coal mines. In the following years, the government earmarked more than 4 billion yuan (over US$480 million) to help state-owned and small local coal mines in gas explosion prevention and monitoring.
Compared with the past, China's coal mine safety has improved. In the first nine months this year, the number of reported coal mine accidents dropped by 242 cases or 8 percent year-on-year. The death toll dropped 13.2 percent. Following the present situation, the death toll in coal mine accidents this year is expected to drop by 1,400, or 22 percent over last year; Predictions says that China's coal output in 2004 would reach above 1.9 billion tons, twice of that in 2000, but the death rate of every 100 tons would be put under three, lower than 5.77 in 2000; Even so, China lags far behind developed countries in coal mine safety. Facing severe coal mine safety situation, the General Office of the State Council has issued a circular earlier this month to strengthen surveillance of coal mine safety. The circular further clarifies responsibilities of surveillance departments and has decided to set up local surveillance bureaus in five provinces and regions of Hebei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Qinghai and Fujian. Chinese State Councilor Hua Jianmin said at Thursday's meeting that China will take tough measures to rectify coal mine industry this winter, vowing to improve the country's coal mine safety.

Current Portable Safety Equipment

Miners using Drager BG4

Commonly referred to as a rebreather, the closed-circuit breathing apparatus operates on a proven model of efficiency; by removing carbon dioxide, recycling unused oxygen and supplying fresh oxygen from a cylinder. Light-weight and comfortable, the BG-4 weighs less than most 60-minute SCBAs. Its positive pressure design provides the user with effortless and quiet breathing.

Cave Rescue Training from 1989

Cave Rescue Training from 1989 from SBSAR on Vimeo.

Awesome video from the last 80's, this one is more focus in cave rescue...!

Barstow DRS and Cave Rescue Training

Barstow DRS and Cave Rescue Training near Calico from SBSAR on Vimeo.

This is part of the same rescue group before, they're in San Bernardino CA.
They have interesting things in the videos, specially equipment and techniques but my feeling is: this kind of training is not as serous as other I've seen before.

Orientation to Cave Rescue Course (US)

Orientation to Cave Rescue Course July 18-19 from SBSAR on Vimeo.

I found this video that shows more less a group of volunteers training a rescue in the mine...!