Show DANGER OF OPEN LAMPS IN COAL MINES by L C and M W von zt several hundred thousand open lights are daily carried in in coal mines mines of the united states each lamp being a menace to life and property through fire or explosion they have been responsible for many disasters in the past and will be again flame safety lamps have been available for over a hundred years but during the last ten years safe and practical electric lamps have been perfected these have eliminated many of the flame safety lamps and in a few mines mines have replaced open flame lamps but there are still more than twice as many open lamps as electric lamps in our mines and the open lamps should be discarded in favor of an approved type of electric lamp there are several electric miners lamps which have been approved by the bureau of mines for safety and efficiency give good light and are easily maintained and carried some flame safety lamps will always be used but mostly for detecting gas although they might be supplanted if some simple reliable and cheap gas detector were developed explosion hazards from open lights an open light and gas constitute a vicious hazard w while hile if there be coal dust present in the vicinity the consequences are multiplied many times an open light and black blasting b powder also constitute an explosion hazard vividly attested by several serious disasters it has been argued for many years and still is seriously stated that because gas has never been detected in a mine the probability is that it never will consequently open lights are used A chance is taken what is the result for a while perhaps years nothing 6 happens then one day there is either a gas ignition or a violent explosion killing and injuring many men and more or less damaging the mine gas is released from the coal formation in in numerous ways by small feeders or blowers in the coal by falls of roof by drilling into or blasting faults horsebacks horse backs and clay veins veins from the floor and in some places may even leak into the workings from a gas well nobody can say that gas will not be encountered but it can be said that it may be sooner or later therefore as a definite safety measure the bureau of mines holds that the possibility of a gas release is ever present in coal mines and that closed lights should be used in other words i the open light is unsafe inspection by Fire bosses no certain prevention where gas is liberated and recognized as being a hazard the mere fact that fire bosses are employed to examine test fence off and report on the condition I 1 of the mine before men enter for work does not warrant the employment of open lights paradoxical as it may seem a known accumulation of b gas in in an ope open n light mine is almost as dangerous as one unknown because there is sure to be some workman who does not know that there is a gas accumulation or has forgotten that it exists or deliberately goes with his open light into the fenced off workings for some reason usually ally with the result that an explosion takes place the bureaus bureau s files record many such occurrences occurrences there is no need to discuss here at length how gas may accumulate as this is well known the principal causes are poor ventilation at a working face or generally g throughout the mine anine old workings not sealed off or ventilated and short circuits of the air current by doors stop pings or line brattices bratt ices being left open or torn down in many cases ac cumulated gas moves out of rooms or other workings onto open lights with the usual result in this connection it might not be out of place to record here a close analogy to what has just been said in the case of an explosion in a house in pittsburgh during december 1923 natural gas had been escaping into a closed room all one night and someone ignorant of this fact opened the door which permitted the gas to move out into a hall in which an open light was burning an explosion resulted fatally burning one person another hazard is that of mixed lights in some coal mines there are gaseous and so called nongaseous non gaseous sections where closed and open lights b are used respectively this practice is really similar to that in some mines where a known accumulation of gas is present because sooner or later in spite of warning a man from the open light section may go into the closed light section resulting in an explosion A number of such cases are on record loss of life by use of open lamps A recent study of the disaster files of this bureau covering a period of 17 years revealed the fact that open lights and gas had been the attributed cause of seven fires and explosions in coal mines and of four fires in metal mines in the united states tabulation of the data shows that these disasters were responsible for the death of 2341 men injury to and great damage to property in some instances the mine being entirely wrecked these totals do not include several hundred lives lost in explosions caused by men striking matches either to light a pipe or to light an unlocked and unapproved flame safety lamp reprehensible practices nor is there inhere included a number of cases in which there was doubt as to the initial cause of ignition although the facts pointed fairly clearly to the open light if all of these disasters were included the total fatalities would approximate this goes to prove the belief of the bureau of mines engineers that gas may be liberated from coal formations at any time and that the open light is a vicious menace and not in keeping with safety therefore it should be discarded in favor of approved flame safety or safe electric lamps regarding the fires attributed to open lights the following were the inflammable materials ignited and the number of disasters thereby hay 1 oil 3 gasoline 2 timbers 4 insulation of power cable 1 in all fairness to the mines investigated it should be added that in most of them flame safety lamps were used by the foremen fire bosses and mine officials but what was the good of that when open lights and gas existed on the other hand in several cases where explosions had been caused by open lights rescue crews were found by bureau engineers to be using open lights and did so until reprimanded again other mines had nothing but open lights not a safety lamp within miles in fine it would appear that the danger c from an open light and gas is either not understood or realized or is ignored by many engaged in mining coal |