A Centennial of Mine Explosion Prevention Research

Extracting the Science: A Century of Mining Research, 2010

13 Pages Posted: 18 Sep 2017

See all articles by Michael Sapko

Michael Sapko

Sapko Consulting Services

Eric Weiss

Government of the United States of America - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Marcia Harris

Government of the United States of America - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Chi Keung Man

The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Samuel Harteis

Government of the United States of America - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Date Written: September 12, 2010

Abstract

A mere 100 years ago the mining industry, scientific investigators, and a concerned public struggled with the notion that coal dust could lead to mine explosions. A succession of disasters in 1907 left the U.S. mining industry desperately seeking answers. The pioneering work of Taffanel in France and Rice in the U.S. convinced the mining industry of the dangers of coal dust. By 1911, the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was conducting full-scale studies of mine explosions at the experimental mine at Bruceton, Pennsylvania. While this work has dramatically improved mine safety since the early days, methane and coal dust remains a threat for miners even now. This paper provides a brief historical overview of full-scale mine explosion research conducted primarily at the USBM, now the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The paper will evaluate the factors common to explosion disasters over the last century and identify some of the new safety challenges created by modern mining methods. This report reviews the Federal Mine Health and Safety Acts that have been passed over the last century and discusses how explosion research and enforcement of safety regulations have led to a significant reduction in the number of fatalities and disasters.

Keywords: Mine Explosion, Prevention, Science

JEL Classification: M41

Suggested Citation

Sapko, Michael and Weiss, Eric and Harris, Marcia and Man, Chi Keung and Harteis, Samuel, A Centennial of Mine Explosion Prevention Research (September 12, 2010). Extracting the Science: A Century of Mining Research, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3035860

Michael Sapko

Sapko Consulting Services

Finleyville, PA
United States

Eric Weiss

Government of the United States of America - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

United States

Marcia Harris

Government of the United States of America - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

United States

Chi Keung Man (Contact Author)

The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong ( email )

Hang Shin Link
Siu Lek Yuen
Shatin, Hong Kong
China

Samuel Harteis

Government of the United States of America - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

United States

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