EXPLOSION AND/OR FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY: A COMMON APPROACH, STRUCTURED FOR UNDERGROUND COALMINE ENVIRONMENTS

In order to meet statutory requirements concerning the workers health and safety, it is necessary for mine managers within Valca Jiului coal basin in Romania to address the potential for underground Ores and explosions and their impact on the workforce and the mine ventilation systems. Highlighting the need for a unified and systematic approach of the specific risks, the authors arc developing a general framework for fire/explosion risk assessment in gassy mines, based on the quantification of the likelihood of occurrence and gravity of the consequences of such undesired events and employing Root-Cause analysis method. It is emphasized that even a small fire should be regarded as being a major hazard from the point of view of explosion initiation, should a combustible atmosphere arise. The developed methodology, for the assessment of underground fire and explosion risks, is based on the known underground explosion hazards, lire engineering principles and tire test criteria for potentially combustible materials employed in mines.