Examinations are your first line of defense
- Check for methane, check methane monitors
- Check ventilation controls
- Check permissibility
- Clean up accumulations of combustible material
- Check water sprays and cutting bits on the
continuous mining machine
Ventilation
- Know your ventilation plan: sufficient to dilute and render harmless explosive, noxious gases, dusts and fumes
- Maintain ventilation controls
- Maintain bleeders free of roof falls and water
Rock Dust
- Keep bleeder entries well rock dusted
- Use mechanical means to regularly apply rock dust in inaccessible worked-out areas
- Maintain 80% rock dust in all areas
- Rock dust within 40 feet of faces
- Rock dust downwind of mining
- Continuously rock dust longwall tailgate and immediate return