The NSW Resources Regulator has completed a causal investigation into the March 2019 evacuation of 70 coal miners at the Metropolitan Colliery in Helensburgh.
The investigation identified a number of factors that contributed to the unexpected increase of carbon dioxide and methane levels to hazardous levels and led to the 21 March evacuation. It was established on 2 April and included representatives from the Resources Regulator, the mine operator — Peabody Energy - Metropolitan Colliery — as well as worker representations.
“A causal investigation was launched immediately to gain a better understanding of what caused the elevated gas levels, and to provide information to the mining industry to help prevent similar incidents in future,” Acting Chief Inspector Leigh Nicholls said.
“Following the incident, remote gas monitoring systems were used to monitor gas levels in the mine until carbon dioxide and methane levels returned to non-hazardous levels and workers could return,” Nicholls said.
Workers remained out of the mine for seven days until carbon dioxide and methane levels returned to non-hazardous levels. As stated in the report, “The team was formed to investigate the circumstances that required the unplanned withdrawal of workers from the mine and the reasons for the prolonged period required to establish safe mine re-entry conditions.”
The report identified the following contributing causal factors:
- Incomplete knowledge of the strata, gas contents and geology in the current mining area.
- Elevated stress loading on the longwall face supports, influenced by increasing depth of cover.
- The fracture profile into the strata around the extraction area exacerbated by regional syncline.
- Gas migration due to a reduction of confinement resulting from geological conditions.
The Resources Regulator has called on all mine operators to review their safety management systems in light of the findings of its investigation into the incident.
The report can be found here.
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