Document ByK00ZY5e9Bpv3zJ0nJJ4RDz4

r ) ? |7 '1 State Mining Engineer, Min#* Departaent, mn. laicoo^us. ?l*t '.ugui*t, 1951* Vontllatloa - toetfllan _Bluo gb*fto# IHm - 'tttenooa. A visit w aode to ths asbestos alas operated by Austrslion Blue Aobootoo Ltd. at vitteaoea, tad underground working* and treetaent plant Inspected, Sw attached aba*ts give tho tehulation of dut ecuats and toapersture reeding* recorded. Zo conjunction with tbo ventilation officer of tb# alao aa air survey ** eonplotod and tbo oceoapa^lag plan givs* dlroetlon and voluao of air flow, toaporotaro readings, and dart count* rooordod In tbo air cbaaaola. tho following points engaged y attoatloa and were discussed with tbs alas asnsger, Mr. Pool Thoaos. A fair volano of air (19,960 o.f.a.) ontors tbo Bias through tbo South hsulsge odlt oa tbo upper tua but oftor flowing opproxlsstoly 900 foot this voIubo dlslslabe* to 11,960 o.f.a. sad ftor naotbor 400 ft. tbo Initial voloao la dlaLslabod to 6,390 e.f.au loss tbaa half tbs voluao vbiob ontors tbo at no st this portioalar atrseoo. Brattles* in poor condition sad faulty stopple** allow this good sir to oooopo through old workings ond ohert elroult to tho oxbaur fta. Sous of tbs doors uaod as stoppings *ad regulators to tbs fie* of Ir art of poor eoastructloa* end buoklod considerably its# to eooossoloa frou oxploolooo during firing. Sow door* asedeeuippla* with s sslf-eloelng dovioo e.g, strong springs* osssslslly astsd a door soar tbo battery ohargiag station. (Mr. ftasia la reply to this suggestion oold tbut s self closing dovioo bod boon fitted but bad slat disappeared and aoggootod theft.) On tbo lovor oooa 27,260 o.f.a. oatora tbs alas and through rinse-rise ooanootloaa flow to tbo upper ooaa, therby vontll- atlag tbo workings oa tbo northern old#. This sir Is ovbaustsd by ths sala exbaust fan. Intake s ir. Upper Seaa tower 3**o 19,960 e.f.a. 27.260 Total Intake air 40,620 c.f.a. Exhaust Mr (Measured past faa) 39,990 e.f.a. Sloes it is nsessaary that ths asbestos hoa alnod should not bo vet tbo aaoust of duet portleloo la tho lr to high. Especially lo this noticed whore tbo ore lo scraped into i-adtng poekota by scraper holets. tho hoist operator lo subject*d to this, dor Respirators are oa order and olll bo issued to tho hoist orsratorw shoo r#eolvod. Venturi duets and eleth. It was noted that 6* dies, stool pipes wore la uss for considerable distances fro* tho fao. Tboo pipes are very satisfactory la resisting daaags duo to firing, but, tho loso of efficient by tbo faa duo to friction loco lo high, sad t doerosee la voluao of air supplied,, is groat. Therefore the use ofl th 6* dies. stool plpea lo uasarrsntsd. (Mr. thoaos oays they are oodosveurlng to soouro 10* dlaa rubborlooC venturi cloth*.} Venturi duets sad elotb wer* net suspended to the wall* nl nit e.#*, were lying eo the floor of the working*, doth* were not up to the working fee* *ad la do os* were they ne*rr thus 1$ ft. and thi# distance varied, being up to approximately 70 ft. in the *o. i Tirivo on the l/pper Seem, The **1**1100 of the position of the electric fans seed i ventilating the working face la development end# In nose e"*e # poe In the particular ease of tho 2 t Oriv* the f#a i* ahead of an opening to the upper seaa aad thus causes the *lr to he recirculated. tte ventilating of etopee requires attention. The uee of secondary mesh*nisei ventilation Is urged where one eeotloo of the etc Is advanced sore than 10 ft. past the general fee of the stops. KtaUlailaa fffflctr* At the tlae of ay visit the surveyor wee filling the position of vootllatloa officer. The eppolntoent of e permanent offic la a noeeselty. Ventilation oa this olos aeedi sore eupsrvlaloa as ovldeneod by the Incorrect seleetloa of fen sites ee Instwnoed above. Tho rwoordlng of temperature* ad eetlon aecsssarr when they are fouac to he too grest, Is of grest 1sport#nee, and If poeelbl*. dust eweclet should he taken. Kero suparrieloo should be given by shiftsbosses to the Mcseelty for keeping venturi eloths up to the face, end the co-operation of tho sinere eleo obtelned. Tiwitunt Plant. By ecsporlag tho result* of dust aeaelee takoa during this vlelteltb thoe* taken by Mr. Lloyd la September 1950, it will be soon that conditions have improved. Tho lsproveseat Is probably due t tho Installation ef a *araan dust eollsoter (wet), and fans which exhsust to atmosphere shove tho sill building. the ere* in the vicinity of tho treataent plant appear* very duety end la probably duo to tho ewfaaust, froa tb* fans la the plant, drifting down or holag forood down by tbs wind. (The witoetlos of tho plant la re*pact to tbs walls of tbs gorge any cause the wind to boor down.) It wan suggested that nere lengths ef due** would earr the exhaust dust higher end la eona Manure ellatmte the duet mlear. Chaaaehouae. Several drswlags ef chaogwroea* as in see la R-lwoerU* were obtained end supplied to tho ala* superintendent, they were dleeueeed s<^ Information recuired wen cupelled, the present changsroom appears te be too saall for tho nuaber of mi uHng It aw another building will be recuired. The seleetloa of e sit* for the new chsngoroon seen* to bo tho aejor prohlen. general. Oa ex#atnation of tho dust samples, both from undervrvu and the treatment plant, the aaouot of fibre visible la very aa# 11. Sons samples appeer to bave eo fibre present, and an estlcet# of the percentage of flbro present la the #ir would be very difficult to oa tho development fc*s are taken over *n average of 7 f` high by 8 ft. wide and contain: only e total of 2 inches of fibre lr e height of 18 to 24 inches. This gives about 2.5^, by ersa, ee sobeetoe. In stops fanes tekes 3 ft. 6 inches blah and 8 ft. wld< the percentage of fibre rises to 5?- thilet boring, the nachin* miner endeavours not to bore the fibre and tbua be Is subjected to very little ettack by tb* fibTh# country rock surrounding the fibre le considered variously a# a ferruginous cuertelte _or ferruginous sandstone, both of which rock* bevs s high silica content. Tha high temperatures aeasured at working place* to the nine ;sn be attributed atialjr to too footoro. (1) Tha look of tha uoo of watar on tho walla, backs,and facta? of working placet, and on tho broken dirt oltbor left or oeing bogged. (2) Tho nogloat by minor* to beep tho vowtmri clothe op to tho working place#, and o look of supervision in this matter. It is folt thst .vs gttlettoa- conditions-generally. would bo improved bjr ottoottoa to tits aboto. setter*. Tho greater as# of voter tn tbs ala* could ho achieved if s proceae.ofLflbre-drying was incorporated ia tho trootmoat pleat. Since ajr visit to the mine, the Senior Inaeoctor of Minos bas bean advised that Ur. <?. McMahon bat boos appointed Ventllstfa Officer sttacbod to tho company. Zt is hopsd that this sopolntssnt will have the effset of laproring eurervieion, and installation of ventilating appliances. f ASSISTAifr TEffflhATIOJ frePECTOB OT