Analysis of the causes of methane explosions, flashes and ignitions at coal mines of Russia in 2005—2019

The paper contains up-to-date data on accidents at Russia’s coal mines in due to methane explosions, methane flashes and methane ignitions (including that involving coal dust) in the period 2005—2019. The data were obtained during a systematic analysis of materials of technical investigations of accidents causes. The reasons for the decrease in accident rates over the past decade are indicated and the urgency of emergency resistance increasing at coal mines in the existing conditions is substantiated. The paper presents the accidents distributions by occurrence places and operating conditions of mines and compares the obtained data with the analysis results in the earlier period of 1990—2004. The authors presented injuries statistic due to the accidents with indicating of the fatal injuries cases, depending on the victims’ profession and the accidents’ type. The characteristic of the hazardous impact of damaging factors during methane-air mixtures’ explosions is given. The results of system analysis of causes of methane explosions, methane flashes and methane ignitions (including that involving coal dust) are presented. The main technical and organizational reasons for occurrence of explosive air mixtures and high-temperature initiation sources in mine workings and mined-out spaces of coal mines are indicated. The comparison of the obtained data with the analysis results in the period 1990—2004 is given. The significant influence of organizational and subjective factors on the hazard sources occurrence risk during underground mining is indicated. Also in the conclusion, the authors indicate possible ways to reduce human errors probability during protective systems exploitation.

Kabanov E.I., Korshunov G.I., Kornev A.V., Myakov V.V. Analysis of the causes of methane explosions, flashes and ignitions at coal mines of Russia in 2005—2019. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(2—1):18-29. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236-1493-2021-21-0-18-29.

Kabanov E.I.¹, Assistant, Safety Department;
Korshunov G.I.¹, Professor, Safety Department;
Kornev A.V.¹, Associate Professor, Safety Department;
Myakov V.V.¹, Graduate Student, Safety Department;
¹ Saint Petersburg Mining University, Russia.

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