Preventing Mine Collapses

On Behalf of | Mar 13, 2017 | Workplace Accidents |

Mines are extremely dangerous places to work in. They are filled with unexpected dangers and an unstable structure which can easily disintegrate if proper precautions are not taken. The first step towards creating a safer mining experience is to train workers in the special conditions that exist within the mine and the safety precautions, which need to be taken. Such training programs need to be made mandatory for any worker who has to venture inside a mine. It would also be useful to put a plan in place for the workers who have to go inside a mine. The plan should stipulate a certain number of hours that need to be spent in training before being allowed inside mines.

 

Today, digital simulations can be used to show new workers the conditions that they can expect inside a mine and how they are supposed to react to them. These simulations serve to test the response timing and decision-making skills of the new workers to determine whether they can be trusted to go into the mine. The use of explosives for blasting parts of the mine should only be carried out by trained professionals. The workers in charge of explosives should also be required to repeat their training course and take a re-certification test at regular intervals to ensure their knowledge does not become obsolete.

Rules should be put in place by the government to promote mine safety, and these rules need to be enforced by labor organizations. Many international mining companies exploit their workers and force them to work for long hours in dangerous environments with no safety gear. These kinds of practices must be vigorously opposed by international worker’s rights parties and efforts must be made to put a universal program in place for mining operations that need to be followed by every country in the world.

Finally, the use of explosive products needs to be watched over strictly to prevent overuse, which can not only weaken the mine’s foundations but also result in the creation of explosive dust that has been responsible for many nasty accidents over the years. In place of manual explosives, a conscious shift needs to be made towards adopting electronic explosives, which remove the need for any workers to have to stand near the explosives or within it’s blast radius.

 

FindLaw Network