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Mosaic Potash Operations Refuge Stations

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Permanent Stations: View of bathroom facilities. Permanent Stations: General View Opposite end ... and build a structure design that works and meets the ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Mosaic Potash Operations Refuge Stations


1
MosaicPotash OperationsRefuge Stations
Esterhazy ColonsayFebruary, 2006
2
Description of Permanent Stations
  • A refuge station is an ordinary tunnel or drift
    in the mine that has both ends blocked off. 
  • Sometimes, it is a dead-end drift that only has
    one end that needs to be sealed with a wall. 
  • At Esterhazy, the enclosed area would usually be
    50 feet wide x 8 feet high x 200 feet long. 
  • At Colonsay, the drifts are taller and narrower
    (10 or more high x 30 feet wide) and their
    refuge stations enclose at least that same length
    of drift (often more). 
  • We always use two sealing walls about 10 feet
    apart
  • The sealing walls may have a metal door or Velcro
    doorflap that lets people pass through and seal
    behind themselves. 

3
Description of Permanent Stations
  • Saskatchewan Mine Regulations 398 and 399
    (available at www.qp.gov.sk.ca) defines and
    requires two different types of refuge stations. 
  • At least one primary refuge station must be
    provided in a mine excavated in solid host rock
    or made of steel, gas tight, clearly marked, etc.
    and equipped with
  • at least 36 hours of breathable air for the
    number of workers expected,
  • potable water,
  • food,
  • lights,
  • first aid supplies,
  • sanitation facilities,
  • fire fighting equipment,
  • an effective means of communication to surface
    and
  • sufficient seating. 

4
Description of Permanent Stations
  •   Employers are also required to provide
    auxiliary refuge stations within reasonable
    distance of all locations where workers are
    expected to take refuge.  The auxiliary station
    must have
  • 36 hours of air for the number of persons
    expected to be there
  • potable water
  • communication to surface and
  • sufficient material to maintain the seal around
    the door of the refuge station.
  • Although some refuge stations are equipped with
    compressed oxygen bottles, or compressed
    breathing air bottles, the 36 hours of
    breathable air can be provided by the rough rule
    of one cubic yard (meter) of air for one person
    for one hour.  10 people x 36 hours require
    minimum 360 cubic yards of air space a typical
    Esterhazy refuge station has about 3,000 cubic
    yards of air space. 

5
Description of Permanent Stations
  •   Employers are also required to provide
    auxiliary refuge stations within reasonable
    distance of all locations where workers are
    expected to take refuge.  The auxiliary station
    must have
  • 36 hours of air for the number of persons
    expected to be there, potable water,
    communication to surface and sufficient material
    to maintain the seal around the door of the
    refuge station.
  • Although some refuge stations are equipped with
    compressed oxygen bottles, or compressed
    breathing air bottles, the 36 hours of
    breathable air can be provided by the rough rule
    of one cubic yard (meter) of air for one person
    for one hour.  10 people x 36 hours require
    minimum 360 cubic yards of air space a typical
    Esterhazy refuge station has about 3,000 cubic
    yards of air space. 
  • The Colonsay mine has 8 primary refuge stations,
    with 2 more planned, plus 4 portable units. 
    There is also material for 6 auxiliary refuge
    stations near the working faces.
  • Esterhazy K1 and K2 mines have a total of 21
    refuge stations.

6
Permanent Stations General View of Refuge Station
7
Permanent Stations View of bathroom facilities
8
Permanent Stations General View Opposite end
9
Permanent Stations Refuge Station Entrance
10
Permanent Stations View of airlock at entrance
11
Descriptions of Portable Refuge Stations -
Colonsay
  • The portable units at Colonsay were developed in
    response to the 2003 Mine Regulations which
    required refuge stations to support people for at
    least 36 hours. 
  • Earlier home-made refuge stations that were used
    by some Saskatoon area mines became
    unacceptable. 
  • Kevin Huber and the mine rescue group at Colonsay
    did a great deal of research and testing to
    develop and build a structure design that works
    and meets the criteria of the 2003 Mine
    Regulations. 
  • Modeling by Dave Cisyk at Esterhazy and testing
    by the Colonsay team have shown that the limiting
    factors in refuge stations is not the amount of
    oxygen available
  • Humans are always exhaling CO2 gas when they
    breathe and the CO2 will build to toxic levels
    long before the space runs out of oxygen.  
  • Colonsay found that they had to stock and deploy
    soda lime to absorb the CO2 in the portable
    stations. 
  • Humidity build-up was found to be quickly
    unbearable in the portable stations until
    de-humidifiers could be installed with sufficient
    battery power for 36 hours, and a way of
    disposing of the condensate from a gas tight
    chamber.


12
Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations -
Colonsay

13
Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations -
Colonsay

14
Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations -
Colonsay

15
Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations -
Colonsay

16
Portable Refuge Stations - Colonsay
  • A complete 28 page report on the Portable refuge
    station is available at Colonsay. Contact R.
    Bruce Fraser or Kevin Huber
  • Note that we are not promoting this refuge
    station for other sites. It simply works well for
    Colonsay.
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