The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-01-05
VENTILATION OF MINES
EFFICIENCY AND HEALTH
CONCLUSIONS REACHED FOL-
LOWING EXHAUSTIVE INVES-
LEGATION OF SUBJECT.
CBy d. Harrington. u. ). Bureau of
Mines)

vention. health. safety and efficienc,
are closely interlocked. There is az
much reason for providing adequat,
ventilation for metal mines as for Goa
mines. Metal mines rarely, If ever
make provision for ventilation unit
forced to do so by some untOward con-
ditiOn or occurrence; coal mines, OF
the other hand. universally provide for
, ventilation. Efficient ventilation OF
metal mines consists in supplying cir
culating air at places where the men
work, so that they may exert them
selves at maximum physical capacity
without endangering health. Many
metal mine officials are ignorant of
the principles of air circulation. this
being true of those technically edu-
Gated as well as those without techni-
cal training. Workers in metal mines,
including shift and other bosses, must
be educated to respect ventilating de-
vices (such as doors, regulators over
casts. brattices. fans) and to become
as familiar with these devices as are
coal miners; many metal miners and
fad and obstruct rather than aid i'm
provements. Ventilation should be un-
der adequate supervision; the person
in charge should report to high Off
tal: many local officials in metal
mines are not in sympathy with ven
tilation betterments. Each mine should
be ventilated within itself; interven-
/ 4.
gerous, inefficient and unsatisfactory.
Every mine (coal or metaD should
have a mechanically driven fan, on the
surface, in a fireproof house, that is
capable of reversing the air currents
without delay. Metal mines should be
ventilated by fans in order to avoid
danger from explosive fumes and to
provide fresh air for the workers.
When the temperature of the surface
air and that of the underground rock
and water are about equal, in mines
relying on natural ventilation the cir
culation of air may become sluggish or
may reverse in direction. In time of a
fire naturally ventilated mines are at
disadvantage because of the inabil-
ity to control the direction of the air
currents. There are records of natu-
rally and inadequately ventilated
mines which have filled with carbon
dioxide or other gas. Some of the
workers have been overcome and work
has been suspended. With efficient
mechanical ventilation this trouble was
avoided.
Workers in metal mines are much
less healthy than workers in coal
mines, because of the superior ven
tilation of the collieries Miners con-
sumption is caused primarily by
breathing fine particles of certain min
eral dusts, especially silicious dust
over so per cent of our metal produc-
ing mines are working in silicious ma
terial It has been proved that the
fine dust in metal mines remains sus-
pended in still air for several hours;
it causes miners consumption. poison
ing, and bronchitis; it is the cause of
more deaths among our 175,000 metal
miners than coal dust is among 100000
coal miners. Miners consumption is
caused chiefly by siliciOus dust. In
vestigations in our metal mines indi-
cate that the air of mines so far stud
led is from to 40 times as dusty as in
South African gold mines.
Intake air in metal mines is fire.
quently dusty A crusher house may
be near the collar of the shaft or of
the air-intake shaft. The busiest
and most dangerous occupation under
ground is dry drilling. and the average
dust content of air in five large mines
in various parts of the United States !
was 2O5 milligrammes per cubic metre. |
For similar work in South African |
Mines but using precautions against |
dust formation, the air contains less
than mig. of dust per cubic metre.
Regulations in several states are pro-
vided to prevent dust in drilling, but
they are not observed Miners appre-
ciate the dangers from dust but they
often prefer to take the risk rather
than to endure slight discomfort or ex
ira trouble. Mine and state officials
feel that, unless the miner will willing
ly aid they cannot force him to pro-
tect his health and, incidentally that
of his family 1t is my opinion that
dry drills be supplanted by those that
are equipped TO prevent dust, and that
the use of such devices should be en-
forced both upon miners and opera
tors in metal mines. There is no valid
excuse for dry drilling except in few
instances; spraying may be effective if
used intelligently; on the other hand,
1t may intensity the business of the
air if used without intelligence. Eff
cient water drills are now available,
including efficient wet stopers for up
per holes; dry drilling should be pro-
1ibited Some dusty metal mines have
little dust in the air at
certain times, and a low average dust
content OF all places. because of the {
of ventilating currents, es-
at the working places. The
mines appear to be singularly free {
rom miners consumption or other di-
;eases, vet the employees work eff {