# Presentation: 668945

## Belt Air Federal Advisory Committee Briefing

- Ronald Reagan Building
- Washington, DC
- January 9-10, 2007

## Historical Background of Belt Air Rule

- 1985 Ventilation Rule Pre-proposal included use of belt air
- 1988 Proposed Ventilation Rule included use of belt air – Six public hearings
- 1989 MSHA Belt Entry Ventilation Review Committee reports Belt Air can be used safely with precautions
- 1990 Belt- Air Hearing takes place in Reston, Virginia

## Historical Background of Belt Air Rule (cont.)

- 1991 Secretary of Labor forms Federal Advisory Committee on Belt Air
- 1992 Final ventilation rule excludes Belt Air, defers to Advisory committee which concludes that Belt Air can be used to safely ventilate working faces provided certain conditions are met
- Belt-Air Rulemaking is placed on the Regulatory Agenda in 1992

## Advantages of Belt Air Use

- It allows quicker detection of combustion
- It represents a potential cost savings for new mines because fewer entries would be needed, resulting in lower mining and ventilation costs
- Increases the efficiency of the ventilation system
- It can allow for greater quantities of air at the face
- When used to increase the total quantity of air, it dilutes methane and respirable dust

## Belt Air Course Ventilation – 75.350

- Belt air course cannot be used as a return air course.
- Retains requirements for separation from intake and return entries with permanent ventilation controls.
- Allows use of belt air to ventilate sections as long as certain requirements are met.

## Belt Air Usage Requirements

- Install, operate, examine, and maintain Atmospheric Monitoring System (AMS) per requirements in 75.351
- Training requirements
- Establish designated areas for dust monitoring
- Monitor primary escapeway for CO or smoke
- Sections must be developed  with three or more entries

## Slide 7

**Notes:**
Longwall section using belt air.  Intake air is used to fulfill section requirements before moving to the return and out of the mine.  Isolation of the belt air course is still required to be maintained.

## Slide 8

**Notes:**
Continuous miner section using belt air.  As in the longwall example, all air is used to fulfill section intake air requirements prior to exiting the mine via the returns.  Additionally, the air quantity within the belt air course can be significantly increased. Isolation of the belt air course is still required to be maintained.

## Point Feeding – 75.350(c)

- Permitted with the following precautions:
- Monitoring of point feed for CO or smoke
- Monitoring belt air course for CO or smoke
- Means to remotely close point-feed regulator
- Minimum velocity through point feed
- Location approved in mine ventilation plan
- AMS installed, operated, examined, and maintained

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- (a) AMS Operation
- 	Establishes when an AMS must be operated and when a designated AMS operator is on duty
- (b) Designated surface location and AMS operator
- 	1.  Requires mine operator to designate surface location
- 	2.  Specifies duties and location of AMS operator
- 	3.  Requires schematic (map) of sensor locations
- 	4.  Requires names and method to contact key personnel

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- 75.351 (c) minimum operating requirements
- 	1.  Requires automatic signals on surface for malfunctions
- 	2.  Requires automatic alert signal on surface
- 	3.  Requires automatic alarm signal on surface, at sections, and at other locations per approved program of instruction
- 	4.  Requires system to identify operational status of all AMS sensors

## 75.351 (d) location and installation of AMS sensors
	1.  Addresses specific location within entry

75.351 (e) location of sensors – belt air course
	1.  Specific location and spacing requirements (1000 ft)
	2.  Permits lower velocities with reduced spacing (350 ft)
	3.  District manager may require additional sensors

- 	1.  Addresses specific location within entry
- 75.351 (e) location of sensors – belt air course
- 	1.  Specific location and spacing requirements (1000 ft)
- 	2.  Permits lower velocities with reduced spacing (350 ft)
- 	3.  District manager may require additional sensors

**Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351**

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- 75.351 (f) location of sensors – primary escapeway
- 	1.  CO sensors required within 500 ft of section
- 	2.  CO sensors required within 500 ft of beginning of panel
- 75.351 (g) location of sensors – return air splits
- 	1.  Addresses location of methane sensors
- 75.351 (f) location of sensors – electrical installations
- 	1.  Requires specific locations for CO and smoke sensors installed to comply with 75.340

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- 75.351 (i) establishing alert and alarm levels
- 	1.  Establishes alert and alarm levels for methane, CO, and smoke sensors
- 		- for methane 1.0 and 1.5 percent
- 		- for CO 5 and 10 ppm
- 		- for smoke optical density of 0.022 per meter
- 75.351 (j) establishing CO ambient levels
- 	1.  Method and level approved in ventilation plan

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- 75.351 (k) installation and maintenance
- 	1.  Requires system to be installed and maintained by trained personnel and maintained in proper operating condition
- 75.351 (l) sensors
- 	1.  NRTL or Secretary Approval
- 75.351 (m) time delays
- 	1.  Permits time delays to be used up to three minutes if a demonstrated need exists
- 	2.  Approved in ventilation plan

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- 75.351 (n) examination, testing, and calibration
- 	1.  Visual exam of system required each shift
- 	2.  Functional test of alarms required every seven days
- 	3.  Calibration of sensors required every 31 days:
- 		- In accordance with manufacturer specs;
- 		- Concentration sufficient to activate alarms;
- 		- Cal gas certified traceable to NIST standard

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- 75.351 (o) recordkeeping
- 	1.  Records required for:
- 		- Alerts and alarms, malfunctions, seven-day test, calibrations, maintenance performed
- 	2.  Person entering record must include:
- 		- Name, title, date, and signature
- 	3.  Establishes “AMS Log”
- 		- Can be book or computer file
- 75.351 (p) retention period
- 	1.  One year available to miners and MSHA

## Atmospheric Monitoring System – 75.351

- 75.351 (q) training
- 	1.  AMS operators must be trained annually
- 	2.  Record must be maintained for one year including:
- 		- Content of training
- 		- Person conducting training
- 		- date of training
- 75.351 (r) communications
- 	1.  A voice communication system and the AMS system must be installed in separate entries

## Required Responses – 75.352 (a)

- 75.352 (a) (1) alerts
- 	1.  Notification of appropriate personnel by AMS operator
- 75.352 (a) (2) alarms
- 	1.  Notification of appropriate personnel including miners working on working sections and other locations

## Required Responses – 75.352 (b)

- 75.352 (b) (1) alerts
- 	1.  Identify sensor and initiate investigation
- 75.352 (b) (2) alarms
- 	1.  Identify sensor and initiate investigation; initiate fire fighting and evacuation procedures

## Required Responses – 75.352 (c) and (d)

- 75.352 (c) methane sensors
- 	1.  identify sensor
- 	2.  examination
- 	3.  actions required under 75.323
- 75.352 (d)
- 	1.  Immediate actions to return system to proper function
- 	2.  Establishes procedures to manually monitor belt air course while continuing belt operation

## Ventilation Plan Requirements – 75.371

- Add six requirements subject to ventilation plan approval:
- Designated area (DA)
- Location of point-feed regulators
- Additional CO sensors in belt air course if required
- Time delays
- Reduced alert and alarm settings
- Alternate instrument; alert and alarm levels for monitoring under 75.352

## Mine Ventilation Map – 75.372

- Location and type of all required AMS sensors

## Escapeways – 75.380

- Addresses the use of point feeding

## Costs

- The belt air rule is an alternative means of compliance – as such, it is almost of necessity a cost savings to the mining industry
- Cost savings primarily from:
- Reduced air horsepower requirements
- Delaying some shaft sinking costs
- Eliminating costs of filing and litigating petitions for modification of the existing standard

## Safety Benefit

- This rule requires the use of technologically superior AMS
- These systems provide early-warning fire detection
- This capability will save lives and mine property
- Using belt air with AMS fire detection technology can provide mine operators with ultimate cost savings – the detection of fires before significant damage occurs; possibly avoiding costs of sealing and mine recovery; or permanent mine closure due to a serious fire.

## Overview of Compliance Guide

- Belt Air

## Introduction

- The rule allows all mine operators the option of using belt air as intake air
- As of June 1, 2004, all granted petitions for modification (except in mines using two entries) to use belt air were superceded by this rule

## Who can be an AMS operator?

- The AMS operator must be properly trained and be knowledgeable about the operation of the AMS according to 75.351 (q)
- The AMS operators performance is critical in safely using belt air to ventilate working sections and setup and removal areas

## Who are appropriate personnel?

- Appropriate personnel will be different individuals depending on the type of signal and the location where the signal originates

## What is a belt air course?

- The entry in which a belt is located and any adjacent entry not separated from the belt entry by permanent ventilation controls, including any entrees in series with the belt entry, terminating at a return regulator, a section loading point, or the surface

## What is the carbon monoxide ambient level?

- The average concentration of carbon monoxide detected in an air course
- This average is representative of the composition of the mine atmosphere over a period of mining activity during non-fire conditions
- Separate ambient levels may be established for different areas

## What is point feeding?

- The process of providing additional intake air to the belt air course from another intake air course through a regulator
- A minimum air velocity of 300 fpm must be maintained through the point-feed regulator
- The use and location of all point feeds must be approved in the ventilation plan

## Point Feed Example

## How are the detection systems and fire suppression systems treated in this rule?

- 30 CFR 75.350 (a)(2) requires that air velocities must be compatible with all fire detection systems and fire suppression systems used in the belt entry

## Sensor Spacing

## Alert and Alarm Levels and Ambient Levels

- All alert and alarm levels are set at 5 and 10 ppm above the ambient level
- The MSHA District Manager may require lower levels depending upon local mine conditions
- Use of diesel-discriminating sensors will reduce alerts and alarms caused by diesel equipment

## Time Delays

- Time delays are permitted when a demonstrated need exists and the delay is approved in the mine ventilation plan
- Determination of the length of time delays is dependent upon conditions at the mine
- In any case, the maximum time delay allowed is three minutes

## AMS Sensors, Examination, Testing, and Calibration

- Visual examinations once each shift
- Records of hazardous conditions found must be kept
- All alarms functionally tested once every seven days
- Functional test requires calibration gas be applied to activate alarms
- Any other method used must be equally effective
- The AMS operator must be notified prior to testing, calibration, or alarm activation

## AMS Sensors, Examination, Testing, and Calibration

- The AMS operator must notify miners on the affected sections
- Calibration intervals not to exceed 31 days
- Calibration gas must be traceable to NIST standards
- Calibration gas must be within (+) or (-) 2.0 percent of the indicated gas concentration
- Calibration and testing must be performed by properly trained persons

## Recordkeeping Requirements

- Computer printouts
- Hand-written notations
- Pre-printed forms
- Electronic records
- Record must not be susceptible to alteration
- Record must be kept separately from other records and identified as the “AMS Log”
- Retain records for at least one year at a surface location at the mine and made available for inspection by miners and authorized representatives of the Secretary

## Actions in Response to AMS Signals

- AMS operator must immediately respond to AMS signals and notify appropriate personnel
- In addition, in the event of an alarm from a single sensor or an alert from two consecutive sensors, the AMS operator must immediately notify appropriate personnel which may include the responsible person
- Affected underground personnel must be withdrawn to a safe location as identified in the program of instruction required under 75.1502
- Actions must be appropriate for the type of signal received

## Thank you

- Michael G Kalich
- Senior Mining Engineer
- MSHA