Costs and Benefits of Proposed Mining Safety Practices

Past and present Bureau of Mines research contracts were searched to find results which could be translated into changes in the mine power system, its components, or in procedures which would increase the electrical safety of the system. The research findings are applied to an accident data base of approximately 1300 electrical accidents which occurred in the coal mining industry in 1975, 1978, and 1979. The accidents were evaluated to determine to what extent the research might lead to their elimination or to a reduction in their severity. The research-related safety changes were grouped into 24 distinct categories. The anticipated safety changes related to each category were then applied to a representative model coal mine to estimate their expected costs. Using these costs and the expected reduction in electrical accidents as the benefits, suggestions are made as to which items should be given highest priority for implementation by the industry. Recommendations are made also concerning where future safety research should be concentrated and where manufacturers should strive to improve equipment safety.