Bush team reconsiders mine safety : Sure, sure

In a related development, the Bush administration has named Billy Sol Hurok as the new director of mine safety. Hurok was quoted as saying "They'll get blowed up real good from now on."

I have heard politicians promise mine safety all my life. I'm sure they have made some progress, but, obviously, money keeps them from taking it too far.

Miners waited for the knock
By Andrew Darby
January 4, 2006

THREE miners trapped by a burning truck in an underground nickel mine on Tasmania's west coast spent hours inside a purpose-built refuge chamber, sealed off from the thick smoke, before they were rescued.

The three men on the night shift at the new Avebury mine near Zeehan sat tight in the oxygen-equipped steel chamber for almost eight hours yesterday.

"These refuges can usually take six or eight miners, but they are quite cramped," said Inspector Mark Beech-Jones, of the Tasmanian police.

"I wouldn't like to be in one. You'd be counting the minutes down, wouldn't you?"

The refuge chamber, or safety room, is mandatory under State Government regulations. As well as having a 72-hour oxygen supply, the chamber may be stocked with food if it is also the "crib", or meal break room.

The three men, Nigel Joseph Mayes, 43, of Montrose in Hobart, Dean Malcolm Whiley, 46, of Ridgley, near Burnie, and Clint Andrew Mayes, 30, of Mt Helen in Victoria, were working the night shift at Avebury when a truck rolled on its side after its brakes failed as it rounded a corner.

It caught fire about 400 metres into the mine's main decline, or sloping shaft, about 3.30am and smoke began to fill the decline.

Police said the uninjured driver, who they did not name, walked down the decline and found the other two men. They entered the refuge at 4am.

"They followed their safety training and went to just sit and wait it out," Inspector Beech-Jones said.

"They are trained to wait for the knock on the door, and that's what they did."

Rescuers were alerted by a geologist who arrived at the mine at 7.45am, and firefighters made their way in about 10am. After putting out the fire in the truck, the rescuers made their way to the refuge.

The three miners were not injured and were allowed to go home. The mine is expected to reopen today.

The Tasmanian Resources Minister, Bryan Green, said it was a reminder that mining had been hazardous before modern standards were introduced. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/miners-waited-for-the-knock/2006/01/03/1136050442591.html