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By William H. King

The Mining Division of the Bureau of Mines has been making development and power-requirement studios for the Interior Department Missouri Basin Field. Committee. The studies by the Bureau of Mines have as their purpose, the summarizing of potential future power requirements in the mineral industry within the Missouri Basin, special emphasis being placed on possible expansion of these requirements through construction of new mining enterprises by private capital. In preparing a proposal for the production of phosphoric acid from phosphate rock near Lander, Wyo., it was found that the basic information on the physical and chemical characteristics of the phosphate beds to determine costs of mining and treatment was lacking.

Jan 1, 1949

Develop a new technique of in situ rock stress measurement which can be used when and where the conventional methods, such as the overcoring stress relief methods and the hydrofracturing method, cannot be effectively applied. Approach The Bureau of Mines developed basic principles to determine existing biaxial stresses in rock mass by using an instrumentation package consisting of one 3.8-cm-diameter hydraulic cylindrical pressure cell (CPC) and two 5.7-cm-diameter cement-capsulated flat hydraulic borehole pressure cells (BPC) to he installed in a single drill hole.

Jan 1, 1988

By J. Torma-Krajewski, C. Hipes

Although many mining companies apply ergonomic principles, it is usually done either informally and/or reactively. An example of an informal approach is replacing worn equipment (such as seats) with models that have ergonomic features. Another example is modifying a task to eliminate safety hazards. Such approaches reduce risk-factor exposures that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A reactive approach is followed when modifying a task/ equipment after an MSD occurs. However, neither of these approaches involves a systematic method of proactively applying ergonomic principles to actually prevent injuries or illnesses. This paper discusses how Vulcan Materials Company applied ergonomic principles and implemented interventions to reduce risk-factor exposures.

This report describes the redesign, development and field demonstration of a remote shotcrete lining system, capable of operating in shafts and mines from 8 to 16 feet in diameter at depths up to 1000 feet. The original contractural scope of work outlining problems and remedial measures associated with a previous unit proved inadequate. Significant additional effort was necessary in order to fulfill the project objectives of producing a functionally reliable remote shotcrete lining system. Included with the engineering and technical description of the system, is a comprehensive technology package. Included with this material is ancillary equipment, materials selection procedures, mix-design data, quality control and assurance program, selection and training of personnel and the organizational aspects required to operate the entire system. The report concludes with details of a successfully completed borehole lining operation at the Nevada Test Site. An irregular 104 inch diameter borehole was lined at a rate of 4.8 feet per hour and 20 feet per hour respectively for 8-9 inch and a 2 to 3 inch shotcrete thickness.

Jan 1, 1983

By Xavier B. Starnes

"SUMMARYThe J. D. Price property is in Crittenden County, Ky., about 5-1/2 miles west of Marion. The Levias-Crittenden Springs fault system traverses the property. Mines on 3 miles of the same fault system immediately northeast have produced about 250,000 tons of fluorspar ore. The Keystone property, adjacent on the northeast, has produced about 150,000 tons of ore. 3/About 1934, lessees, sank a shaft upon the Price property to a depth of 111.5 feet and crosscut from the bottom of the shaft to the principal fault. No ore was found. Later, in 1942-43, they explored the same fault by core-drilling, but this project also was unsuccessful in finding ore.The author visited the property in September 1944, and subsequently the Bureau further explored the property by core-drilling three holes. No ore was found.ACKNOWLEGMENTSIn its program of exploration of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy. It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each exploratory project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. This ex¬ploratory project was under the general supervision of E. D. Gardner, regional engineer of the Central Region, and 0. M. Bishop, district engineer, Bureau of Mines. The mining branch is under the direction of L. B. Moon. The work on the project was under the direct supervision of Xavier B. Starnes, mining engineer."

Jun 1, 1947

By M. J. Beus, B. Stewart, S. Iverson

Synopsis U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) accidents statistics have identified ore-pass hazards as a significant safety problem in U.S. underground metal mines. The statistics show that nearly 75% of injuries are directly or indirectly related to pulling or freeing of ore-pass chutes, the use of hand tools in ore passes, fails of broken rock in ore passes and structural failures of chutes or gates and ore-pass walls. Researchers at the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are investigating hazards in and around ore passes in hard rock mines. Risk assessment methods, such as fault-tree analysis, have been employed to identify the most probable causes of orepass failures, define research priorities and analyse the factors that result in malfunctioning and unsafe ore passes. Static and dynamic loads are being measured in a laboratory setting with the use of a reduced-scale orepass mock-up. Field tests are being initiated in mine ore passes to determine static and dynamic loads. Data from the test ore passes are being compared with data from the mine to characterize true system behaviour. Computer modelling with the use of closed-form solutions, finite-element analyses and a newly developed particle flow code predicts static and dynamic leads from the flow and the impact of ore and waste in the ore pass. Preliminary results indicate that dynamic impacts from ore and waste rock might be considerably greater than expected. The total static load is substantially less than is typically used fur the structural design of chute and gate support members. It is suggested that damping factors, normal and shear stiffness and mass frictional characteristics have a significant effect on particle flow and resulting impact loads. This is being verified with the use of results from laboratory tests, field tests and particle flow analyses. Ore passes are vertical or steeply inclined openings in a rock mass through which ore and waste are transported and where they mar also be stored. A typical underground mining system is shown in Fig. 1. The arrows indicate the locations of ore passes and loading pockets and their relative configurations. The control of material flow is potentially one of the most hazardous operations in underground mining. According to MSHA data. most of the ore pass-related accidents in the U.S.A. are associated with the loading-unloading cycle and removal of blockages from ore passes. In particular, attempts to free ore hang-ups have resulted in multiple fatalities. The hazards are obvious; there is uncertainty as to when the ore will break loose and miners are unable to escape falling rock to a safe location. Although ore passes and chutes and gate systems for underground metal and non-metal mines roust meet the requirements specified in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Parts 57 and 75, recent structural failures of ore-pass linings and gates have underlined the lack of adequate ore-pass design standards available to both MSHA enforcement staff and mine engineers. Because of the importance of an ore pass to the safe operation of a mine design criteria need to be assessed and new guidelines developed. Researchers at the Spokane Research Laboratory of the Nationals Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are investigating hazards in and around ore passes in hard rock mines and studying design criteria for ore passes. The near-term goal is to conduct laboratory and field experiments and computer modelling to evaluate the ore-pass design criteria currently used. Literature searches, field site

By Larry G. Stolarczyk

This report deals with information regarding a new Medium Frequency (MF) Wireless Communication System for underground mines. This new telecommunication system works on low loss electromagnetic wave propagation modes which allow it to provide quality radio communications almost anywhere in a mine. Tests show the MF system can provide improved safety and managerial control, increased productivity, better organizational team-work and reduced maintenance cost; furthermore, MF's unique design allows for easy installation at a minimum cost. This paper covers the following: 1) MF design plan, 2) Overview of mine radio communications systems, 3) Preparations needed for designing an MF system, 4) MF equipment, 5) MF installation, 6) MF design considerations, 7) MF design specifications, and 8) Recommendations dealing with MF system. Experiments in four mines are illustrated to demonstrate the success and viability of the MF system. The mines range from small (500 tons/day) to large (67,000 tons/day) capacity and represent several different mining methods. The MF Wireless Communication System represents an advancement in mining communication and the groundwork for other advanced mine systems.

Jan 1, 1984

By A. A. Berk

Other Federal agencies have been coming to the Bureau of Mines for help with the purchase and utilization of fuel, largely coal, almost since the day the Bureau was created in 1910. The requests covered a wide range of fuel-economy problems and included boiler-water treatment after it became apparent that water-formed deposits on heating surfaces acted as insulators, decreasing heat transfer and impairing fuel efficiency. Dr. Ralph E. Hall, a Bureau of Mines physical chemist determined the reactions that cause adhering scale to form in boilers (7)2 and went on to introduce scientific principles into water treatment for scale prevention (8). Widespread publicity of these achievements increased the requests for help from Federal steam-generating plants. Since no other Federal agency (even those which were more directly concerned with testing water) wanted to provide boiler-feedwater service, the Bureau decided to continue to give requested help to Federal agencies, Later, the Congress endorsed such agency cooperation as an economy measure,

Jan 1, 1963

By M. R. Geer, H. F. Yancey

"INTRODUCTION Throughout the history of coal washing, the jig has been one of the most important coal-cleaning appliances. In 1935 34.7 percent of the 45,361,021 tons of clean coal produced was the product of jigging. 4/ Previous to 1928, most of the jigs used in the United States were of the piston type, with which sufficient mobility to allow stratification in bed is imparted by the reciprocating up-and-down movement of a piston in the water compartment adjacent to the screen compartment. In 1928, the Baum type of jig was introduces in this country and has since come into wide spread use. In this type, water pulsations are imparted by application and release of compressed air to the water compartment. All prior studies of the mechanism of seperating cleared coal from impurity by piston-type jigs. 5/ The same laws of settling, of course, apply to both types, piston or Baum, but the character of the separation with the Baum type may be modified more easily because of the flexibility with which air may be handled, as distinguished from the fixed action of eccentrics commonly used in piston jigs. Since no detailed studies are available to show the performance, that is, the character of the separation between coal and impurity, of the Baum type the Bureau of Mines undertook the investigation recorded in this report."

Jan 1, 1938

By Forrest T. Moyer

The overall injury experience, excluding officeworkers, at metal mines and mills during the period 1961-63, reported by operators, was 174 fatal and 11,357 nonfatal disabling work injuries during an aggregate worktime of 451 million man-hours. These injuries occurred at a frequency rate of 25.55 per million man-hours, comprising 0.39 for the fatal and 25.17 for the nonfatal injuries. The combined severity rate of the disabilities was 3,779 days lost or charged per million man- hours, consisting of 2,314 for the fatal and 1,465 for the nonfatal injuries. The average severity of all disabilities during 1961-63, was 148 days per injury. The number of days lost and/or charged, ex- cluding officeworkers, at metal mines and mills during the period 1961-63, was 1,440,000 days charged to fatal injuries and 661,290 days lost from nonfatal injuries. An average of 70,966 men were at work daily. The outstanding cause for fatal injuries was the fall of rock or ore from the back, while most of the nonfatal injuries were caused by handling materials, slips or falls of persons, machinery, falls of rock or ore from back and side, and haulage. Injury experience at primary nonferrous smelters, refineries, and reduction plants during 1961-63, excluding officeworkers, was 23 fatal and 3,214 nonfatal disabling injuries during a total work- time of 277 million man-hours. The injuries occurred at frequency rates of 0.08 per million man-hours for the fatalities and 11.61 for the nonfatal disabilities. The severity rate for all injuries of 1,085 days lost or charged per million man-hours comprised 498 for fatal and 587 for nonfatal injuries. The number of days lost, excluding officeworkers, at primary nonferrous smelters, refineries, and reduction plants during 1961-63 was 138,000 from fatal injuries and 162,385 from nonfatal injuries, An average of 34,938 men were at work daily an active plant days during the three year period. The injury experience for officeworkers at metal mines and mills during the period 1961-63 was 20 nonfatal disabling work injuries, (there were no fatal injuries reported), during an aggregate work-time of 28,694,244 man-hours. These injuries occurred at a frequency rate of 0.70 per million man-hours. There were no fatal injuries reported for officeworkers at non-ferrous smelters, refineries, and reduction plants during 1961-63, but seven nonfatal injuries were reported during an aggregate work-time of 30,814,772 man-hours. The frequency rate for these injuries was 0.23 per million man-hours for this period.

Jan 1, 1967

By Robert E. Barieau

A list of 163 references to original experimental PVT data on helium is presented for the period 1895 to 1968. The list is complete as of the start of the Helium Centennial Year, 1968, to the best of the author's knowledge. Citations were keypunched for easy updating and are listed alphabetically by author.

Jan 1, 1968

This publication summarizes, for potential contractors and all other interested parties, the research and development of in-house and contract projects programmed by the Bureau of Mines for fiscal year 1983 (October 1, 1982-September 30, 1983) under its Health and Safety Technology program. The objective of these projects is to provide an ordered and sequenced series of advance toward the Bureau's overall goal of providing the systems technology required to create a more healthful and safer working environment for the Nation's mining and minerals processing workers.

Jan 1, 1982

By Jack Mantel

The goal of this 42-month contract was to increase safety in low-seam underground coal mines through development and in-mine evaluation of a temporary roof support system for roof drills and floor-riding operator compartments for a loader and shuttle car. The program was performed in three phases. During Phase I, state-of-the-art canopy technology was investigated, and preliminary design and mock-up evaluations were performed for temporary roof supports for single-and dual-boom bolters and for transverse-mounted floor-riding canopies for a shuttle car and coal loading machine. The shuttle car and loader canopies were approved for further development, and the design, fabrication, testing, and certification were completed in Phase II. In Phase III, the Bureau of Mines furnished an FMC 6L shuttle car fur use in the evaluation of the canopy for 45 shifts. The shuttle car canopy was evaluated at Virginia Crews Coal Company in West Virginia. Efforts to secure an evaluation site for the loader canopy were unsuccessful. The loader canopy was shipped to Bruceton for possible future evaluation.

Jan 1, 1985

By T. F. Mitchell, B. K. Shibler, J. V. Batty, W. G. Sandell, G. M. Potter

"INTRODUCTION The Park City district, situated 30 miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Wasatch Mountains, Is a well-known producer of lead, zinc, and precious metals. Nearly continuous production has been maintained from the dis¬trict since its early discovery about 1870. For approximately 50 years, gravity milling methods were employed to beneficiate Park City ore, and during that time tailings from the mills were sluiced down Silver Creek and deposited on lands below the camp for 7 miles.Owing to the large tonnage of tailings deposited along Silver Creek, considerable work was done in the past in the attempt to develop a low-cost concentration method for re-treating this material, but no-method was found that was economically feasible. The Bureau of Mines was asked to conduct beneficiation tests on Park City tailings in November 1944, and metallurgical studies were initiated at that time. This report summarizes the results of laboratory ore-dressing studies made on samples from the Grasselli deposit."

Dec 1, 1947

By Sean Gallagher

Humankind's interest in measurement of human physical strength probably dates to the first humans. At that time, life was truly a struggle in which the fittest survived. To a great extent, fittest meant strongest. Interestingly, current interest in human physical strength in the workplace stems from 1970-1980s vintage research demonstrating that persons with adequate physical strength are less likely to be injured on physically demanding jobs. Survival in many modem workplaces may still be a case of survival of the strongest. There is, however, a flip side to this issue - that persons with limited strength are more likely to be injured on "hard" jobs. To address this problem, we can apply what we know about physical strength to job design. "Hard" jobs can be redesigned to be within the physical strength capability of most people. Since physical strength is important to these jobs, we must find ways to quantify it through testing. This publication concerns human physical strength testing. Its purpose is not to recommend any particular type of testing, but rather to describe the types of testing available and their uses. It is up to each individual user of strength testing to decide which testing technique is most appropriate for his or her particular application. This booklet discusses four types of strength testing: isometric, isoinertial, psychophysical, and isokinetic.

Jan 1, 1998

By Steven K. Ruggieri

This report describes the operation and maintenance of the Mobile Inert Gas Generator for use in the Remote Sealing System for fighting underground coal mine fires. Seals are emplaced in mine passageways between the fire zone and the rest of the mine isolating the fire zone from the mine. The seals consist of fly ash that has been pneumatically conveyed via inert gas through a borehole connecting the surface and the passageway, Inert gas is used as the fly ash seal transport medium (instead of fresh air) since the introduction of large volumes of fresh air in the vicinity of the fire zone would be undesirable. The inert gas generation equipment is mounted on two flatbed trailers, the "hot" trailer and the "cold" trailer. The hot trailer contains the combustion and cooling equipment. The cold trailer contains the moisture removal and compression equipment necessary to convey the fly ash. The system is self-sufficient and requires only fuel and fly ash deliveries. The Inert Gas Generator has been thoroughly performance tested and has been operated in the field for approximately 200 hr. The system was employed in the demonstration of the entire Remote Mine Sealing System at the Jenney Mine in the Fall of 1978. The system is currently available for fighting any future underground coal mine fires.

Jan 1, 1980

By Richard A. Busch

Inadequate engineering design criteria for coal refuse embankments has allowed hazardous impoundment structures in coal mining areas to be created. A necessary first step to develop adequate design criteria is the determina¬tion of basic, respresentative physical property data on the materials that constitute typical refuse embankments. An extensive field and laboratory program was undertaken by the Federal Bureau of Mines. Much physical property data was generated. Additonal petrographic analysis and large scale triaxial compression testing was performed by others. The data presented here should aid in establishing design parameters for coal refuse embankments

Jan 1, 1974

By Oliver Bowles

"Properties and Uses.Iceland spar is a name given to a pure crystallized form of calcite (CaCo3) which is sufficiently transparent and free of defects to be used in the manufacture of optical instruments. While the actual requirements are small, the degree of purity and physical perfection demanded renders it somewhat difficult to obtain suitable material.The properties of value in Iceland spar are its transparency combined with double refraction. It is used in the manufacture of polarizing microscopes, saccharimeters, colorimeters and photometers. Its most important use is in the manufacture of Nicol prisms, which constitute an essential part of every polarizing microscope. The principle governing the construction of the Nicol prism is as follows:Ordinary light in passing through a crystal of calcite is resolved into two rays of plane polarized light vibrating in planes at right angles to each other and having different indices of refraction. Thus the two rays follow different paths through the crystal. The prism of Iceland spar is cut diagonally and cemented together again with a transparent cement having an index of refraction intermediate between the two rays passing through the prism. Canada balsam is employed for this purpose. The prism is cut at such an angle that the ray having the greatest index of refraction meets the surface of the balsam at an angle greater than the angle of total reflection, and it is thus deflected to the side of the prism, while the second ray passes through. Thus one of the rays is eliminated and polarized light vibrating in a single plane is obtained."

Apr 1, 1920

By Robert F. Randolph

Introduction This paper is a descriptive analysis of injuries and fatalities at small surface bituminous coalmining companies in Pennsylvania. The purpose of analyzing a specific industry sector and location is to identify issues that might be missed in a wider analysis. Other studies of small mine safety (e.g., Peters and Fotta, 1994, Randolph and Boldt, 1997) have shown that the relationship between safety and mine size is not a simple one. Some injury types occur at higher rates at small mines, while others occur at lower rates. Consequently, an analysis limited to a specific type of mining can help identify hazards and issues specific to that sector. The results of this analysis will be useful for directing training, intervention, and research efforts towards the most prevalent causal factors and incident types. Procedures and Definitions Data sources The primary sources of data for this analysis were files provided by MSHA containing information collected under Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50. These files, commonly referred to as “Part 50 data”, are provided though MSHA’s Program Evaluation and Information Resources directorate. Two primary types of injuries were selected from the Part 50data: Fatalities (MSHA “degree of injury” code 1) and lost-time injuries, otherwise known as nonfatal with days lost (MSHA “degree of injury” codes 2 through 5). Lost-time injuries involve either actual days away from work or days of restricted activity or both. Fatality and lost-time injury incidence rates were calculated using the standard MSHA formula: Number of injuries per 200,000 employee-hours. Additional information on company sizes and mine ownership was provided by the Pennsylvania State University College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Time span A five-year time span was selected for this study. More than a single year of safety experience is usually needed to capture a broad range of incident types. Many types of injuries, especially fatal injuries, can be extremely rare, and may be missed if too short a time span is selected. However, a time span that extends too far back may begin to suffer historical threats to validity. That is, incidents that occurred several years ago may be caused by hazards that have since been remedied or may be related to mining practices and conditions that no longer exist. A five-year span offers a practical compromise between these two concerns. Consequently, the MSHA Part 50 data files from 1993 through 1997 were used. The 1997 file was in “preliminary” form at the time of the study, so small variations from the final 1997 “close out” file can be expected. Based on past experience, we do not expect the close-out variations to have a significant impact on the findings.

By Robert W. Waytulonis

This publication contains 1,000 citations of technical and semi-technical literature treating diesel-powered equipment usage underground both generally and specifically. These citations were gathered by U.S. Bureau of Mines personnel over the period of 1978-1983. The citations concern diesel engines as powerplants for underground mining use; their design, emission characteristics and control, maintenance, usage; and health and safety aspects. All citations have been abstracted and arranged 1n a subject classification system with extensive cross-referencing.

Jan 1, 1983