In the Paskov Mine, miners go on belts together with mined coal

PASKOV Mine – What is strictly forbidden and punished in other mines is permitted and offered in the Staříč Plant of  Paskov Mine. It’s  a drive on the belt together with mined coal. This option may be used by the miners on the 5^th floor at a depth of 1,192 metres in Cross-Cut 2252. They may go on the belt along an 800 m long section. They may thus save their pains, and in the mine, their strength is required more than enough.

“We have been considering this novelty since 2006. We knew that similar people’s transport was in service in Germany, Poland and Russia. Therefore, we were going to German mines in order to gain experience. We got acquainted with safety precautions and made efforts to introduce them in a selected section of our mine. And we have managed to do that. In the end, the Czech Mining Office approved people’s going together with mined coal on Conveyor PDO-F02,“ explained Tadeusz Pieczka, Engineering Deputy Director.

Safety Precautions

However, it was preceded by a great deal of strict safety precautions, particularly, construction of departure and arrival stations with protective elements, including good lighting along the whole route. The belts must have perfect connections, and the whole section is guarded by electronic sensors, which monitor the allowable level of mined coal. Upstream of the arrival station, there is a stoplight. In the end, there are also well visible warning and informative signs, drawing people’s attention to the near exit, and a barrier, securing everything. In the event of any failure to comply with safety regulations, the belt automatically stops.

People who would like to take advantage of this “convenience“ have properly been trained and also participate in relevant practical exercise. They must demonstrate their ability to get on and off the belt safely. For the entire period of going on belt together with mined coal (since this September), no lapse has occurred.

And the miners relish this drive option. No wonder – the section leading to the coalface or mining location in Seam 080 is two and a half kilometres long. At first, miners go there by a little train, and when going back, they can use the said belt transport.

They want to take advantage of experience

At present, the Paskov guys consider taking advantage of their experience also in other areas. With progressing mining, the distance from the main pits gradually increases, and one also goes into greater depths. Therefore, no wonder that under the Production Optimization Programme 2010 (“POP 2010”), which anticipates application of a new mining machine set in Chlebovice at the end of the next year, they want to transport people along a 250 m long inclined corridor on the belt without mined coal. A similar method is applied along the inclined shaft of Cross-Cut 2255 of Staříč Mining Plant, whose length is the same.

(Josef Lys)