Mine Communication & Information for Real Time Risk Analysis

Communications in coal mines are poor by general industry standards, and generate significant risks in the lack of information available from underground areas. Mines often employ multiple incompatible systems for communication. This report concludes that there is no technical barrier to the upgrading of coal mine communications to equivalent standards of those used by general commercial and industrial organisations. The greatest needs are for a system that has a common standard, has wide band capacity, and allows for easy connectivity for sub-networks which are customised for specific applications. Mines are vulnerable in times of emergency, as traditional communications systems may fail. A new emergency communication system LAMPS has the potential to be integrated into a mine communications network, but still retains functionality following a major incident in the mine. An improved communications system would allow real time risk assessment to be carried out at the mine, and the requirements for monitoring, assessment and decision making have been investigated for some common hazards. These include ventilation issues, strata control and emergency response. This would incorporate the latest technologies in safety management and real time risk assessment, using computerbased assessment, assisted decision making, and virtual reality.