# Presentation: 356567

## OVERVIEWOF ROUND TABLE COMMENTS

**Mine Roof Safety Seminar**

## Focus For Round Table Discussion

- What are your concerns with regard to roof control safety in performance of your job?
- What do you do regularly to get the job of roof control done right at your operation?
- What improved or additional resources would help your roof control efforts?

## Mine Operators/Agents

- 	**Perform thorough pre-mining evaluations of roof control issues**
- Review available geological information for area of projected mining
- Consider impact of other mining activity above and below
- Acquire information on roof characteristics of other mines working same seam of coal
- Review mine and roof concerns with MSHA & State
- Engineer mine lay-out to address anticipated roof control concerns

## 	Become actively involved in development and implementation of roof control plan

Review DRAFT plan and ask the right questions
Evaluate results of review process in plan development
Make available all necessary resources for effective roof control
Ensure that all miners receive instruction and understand the approved plan
Follow-up after implementation of plan to evaluate effectiveness and understanding
Establish responsibility and accountability for performance in mine roof control

- Review DRAFT plan and ask the right questions
- Evaluate results of review process in plan development
- Make available all necessary resources for effective roof control
- Ensure that all miners receive instruction and understand the approved plan
- Follow-up after implementation of plan to evaluate effectiveness and understanding
- Establish responsibility and accountability for performance in mine roof control

## 	Before beginning operations at a mine with previous development,

Obtain all available information possible from the previous operator
Obtain information available regarding the mine from MSHA and State
Evaluate face areas and outby prior to mining
Utilize test holes and stratascope evaluations as needed
Train all miners in roof control plan and characteristics of new mine roof - Utilize the walk-around portion of Part 48 Training to familiarize miners with roof conditions
Require more in relation to test hole drilling and on-shift examination until there is a “comfort zone” established

- Obtain all available information possible from the previous operator
- Obtain information available regarding the mine from MSHA and State
- Evaluate face areas and outby _**prior to mining**_
- Utilize test holes and stratascope evaluations as needed
- Train all miners in roof control plan and characteristics of new mine roof - Utilize the walk-around portion of Part 48 Training to familiarize miners with roof conditions
- Require more in relation to test hole drilling and on-shift examination until there is a “comfort zone” established

## Section/Mine Foreman

- 	**The immediate supervisor must set the focus for mine roof safety**
- Establish and maintain responsibility and accountability for effective roof control
- Ensure that miners have been trained, understand and follow the approved roof control plan
- Review the preshift book for any roof hazards/changes
- Review the mine map to review section location in relation to outcrop, depth of cover, and adjacent mines
- Be aware of any linear information
- Debrief the outcoming section foreman regarding roof conditions
_**Promptly**_ share roof information with the roof drill operators and the mining machine operators

## Spend time evaluating and providing feedback to drill crews and miner crews on roof control procedures
Make roof control safety a regular part of safety contacts and meetings
Seek feedback from drill operators and miner crews on current and changing roof conditions
Ensure that changes in roof conditions, plans, or procedures are clearly and promptly communicated to all miners
Promptly address all detected or reported roof related hazards

- Make roof control safety a regular part of safety contacts and meetings
- Seek feedback from drill operators and miner crews on current and changing roof conditions
- Ensure that changes in roof conditions, plans, or procedures are clearly and promptly communicated to all miners
_**Promptly**_ address all detected or reported roof related hazards

## 	Conduct frequent, careful examinations of roof activities

Conditions of roof can change quickly - even though preshift examination has been made, check the roof before mining and bolting operations begin
Be especially mindful of roof examinations where single shift operations occur and after weekends and holidays
Give priority to your time in the face with your men to know what they are doing
Give close scrutiny to unbolted cuts and signs of change in conditions reported
Check outby test holes to evaluate for cracks or lateral shift
Note any change in rib conditions that indicate weight transfer
Use face area roof conditions as a guide to determine the depth of the cut to take

- Conditions of roof can change quickly - even though preshift examination has been made, check the roof before mining and bolting operations begin
- Be especially mindful of roof examinations where single shift operations occur and after weekends and holidays
- Give priority to your time in the face with your men to know what they are doing
- Give close scrutiny to unbolted cuts and signs of change in conditions reported
- Check outby test holes to evaluate for cracks or lateral shift
- Note any change in rib conditions that indicate weight transfer
- Use face area roof conditions as a guide to determine the depth of the cut to take

## Roof conditions can change during a cut and require changes in procedures - coordinate with crew to recognize and respond accordingly
Recognize the impact that the activities of different shifts have on each other - coordinate changes in the roof and other issues promptly between shifts
Establish and maintain your competence in roof safety and the confidence of your crew in your commitment to roof safety

- Recognize the impact that the activities of different shifts have on each other - coordinate changes in the roof and other issues promptly between shifts
- Establish and maintain your competence in roof safety and the confidence of your crew in your commitment to roof safety

## Roof Bolting Machine Operators

- 	**Understand that “there is a lot more to roof bolting than just putting up bolts in a place”**
- Know, understand, and follow your approved roof control plan
- Understand that the approved roof control plan is the minimum - provide _**additional**_ support as required
- Make sure you know from the map when mining near outcrop or low/high cover areas
- Keep informed of overlying/underlying mine workings and strata separation
- Ask about information on faults/linear surveys and other geological information
- Become familiar with roof drill and roof support equipment and supplies and maintain compatibility

## Don’t compromise quality or roof support installation for speed of installation
Know “what the bolts installed are doing” - check bolts and test holes outby
Be responsible for communicating changes in roof conditions promptly to your foreman and other miners
Participate in safety meetings and share information about roof conditions and roof control plan
Follow-up to ensure response to all reported roof hazards

- Know “what the bolts installed are doing” - check bolts and test holes outby
- Be responsible for communicating changes in roof conditions promptly to your foreman and other miners
- Participate in safety meetings and share information about roof conditions and roof control plan
- Follow-up to ensure response to all reported roof hazards

## 	Make preparations for installing effective roof support before going to the working place

Discuss the drilling activities and general roof conditions each day with incoming/outgoing roof drill operators and mining machine operators
Determine that sufficient supplies and materials are available to drill test holes, install and evaluate roof supports

- Discuss the drilling activities and general roof conditions each day with incoming/outgoing roof drill operators and mining machine operators
- Determine that sufficient supplies and materials are available to drill test holes, install and evaluate roof supports

## 	Commit yourself to 100% effectiveness for the roof supports you install
Note ribs and roof conditions up to roof bolting machine to look for any changes
Do a good visual and look for cracks in the roof, evidence of water, discoloration of seam/roof, sloughing of coal, draw rock, and other flags for concern
Set ATRS in proper and firm position
Note bit size and expansion shell compatibility if using conventional bolts, note date of resin and tube size if using resin bolts
Position your body to stay under support during the drilling process
Note any loose ribs or roof changes as drilling is advanced
Note movement of steel during drilling to identify horizontal cracks, soft streaks, coal seams, water drainage, etc.

- Note ribs and roof conditions up to roof bolting machine to look for any changes
- Do a good visual and look for cracks in the roof, evidence of water, discoloration of seam/roof, sloughing of coal, draw rock, and other flags for concern
- Set ATRS in proper and firm position
- Note bit size and expansion shell compatibility if using conventional bolts, note date of resin and tube size if using resin bolts
- Position your body to stay under support during the drilling process
- Note any loose ribs or roof changes as drilling is advanced
- Note movement of steel during drilling to identify horizontal cracks, soft streaks, coal seams, water drainage, etc.

## During bolt installation, look for:
proper torque if using conventional bolts
good return on resin if using resin bolts
Check plate compatibility with needed bearing surface if draw rock is present use larger plate
Drill test holes as needed with the following thoughts:
drill slowly and analyze the steel movement
drill deeper than one foot above anchorage if needed to determine conditions
note any dust or water output from the hole
Note conditions at the end of a cut, such as:
feathered edges, indicating a slip
change in roof strata, laminations, etc.
Be alert to abrupt transition zones where the mine roof changes from, for example, sandstone to shale, or vice-versa and when changes in elevation occur abruptly

- proper torque if using conventional bolts
- good return on resin if using resin bolts
- Check plate compatibility with needed bearing surface if draw rock is present use larger plate
- Drill test holes as needed with the following thoughts:
- drill slowly and analyze the steel movement
- drill deeper than one foot above anchorage if needed to determine conditions
- note any dust or water output from the hole
- Note conditions at the end of a cut, such as:
- feathered edges, indicating a slip
- change in roof strata, laminations, etc.
- Be alert to abrupt transition zones where the mine roof changes from, for example, sandstone to shale, or vice-versa and when changes in elevation occur abruptly

## MSHA and State

- Involve front-line supervisors and face workers in a meaningful way in roof control plan development and review
- Make available geological, mine and seam data and records part of plan development and review
- Work at not only making technical information on mine roof available to operators but assisting in getting it to the miners in an understandable and relevant way to help improve roof safety
- Continue to emphasize agency presence in the mine face areas providing observations and feedback to mines on roof safety
- Commit time to develop and improve agency staff in their knowledge and skills related to roof control
- Recognize and respond “when doing what’s right conflicts with doing what’s legal” - meet and resolve such situations promptly

## Work within the agencies to establish and apply consistent interpretations of law, regulations, and plan procedures as they relate to roof control
Listen to the people affected by roof control issues when considering agency policy and procedure changes

- Listen to the people affected by roof control issues when considering agency policy and procedure changes

## Slide 17