Rescue and Recovery operations in India

Rescue and Recovery operations in India

  - An over view

1.0 Introduction:
 The basic needs include Rescuing the persons who are
or likely to be affected by noxious gases in the event of an
underground fire.
 In the case of an explosion, the rescue services are
required on a much larger scale to deal with the
emergency.
 The psychological effect of rescue services in the event of
fire or explosion are not measurable.
2.0 Historic Developments
 The history of oxygen breathing apparatus dates back to
1853, prof schizwan devised a portable apparatus for
breathing, using barium peroxide.
 In 1880 Henry Flue, used his apparatus in an irrespirable
atmosphere in coal mines in London.
 Fairly safe and satisfactory type of 2hrs apparatus was
available only after 1906.
 In 1903, the first Drager Apparatus was designed and
manufactured by Berhard Drager of Germany.
 In India, the necessity of having mines rescue station was
felt by Dr. D Penmen, the then Chief Inspector of Mines,
in 1936, after a series of disasters.
 Under the Mines Act, rescue rules were promulgated in
1939 and subsiquently two rescue stations were
established in Aug 1941, one at Dhansar and another at
Sitarampur respectively.
 Rescue Rules 1939 was exhaustively amended in 1959
and a new Code of Coal Mines Rescue Rule 1959 came
into existence.
 Subsequently, 15 Rescue Stations were set up by
CCMRSC at various locations in all the coalfields, in
India.
 In 1985, again these rules were thoroughly amended and
Mines Rescue Rules 1985, came into existence, and is
continuing till date.

4.0 Rescue Operations
The paramount object of rescue is to save life. Recovery of
dead bodies comes second in importance to the rescue of lives.
The following occurrences in mines calls for rescue operations:
 An explosion
 Sudden influx of noxious gases
 Accidental fire due to electricity, etc.
 Accidental occurrence of fire due to friction
The three main objectives of rescue operations are:
 Locating the trapped miners and bring them to the surface
 Locating and extinguishing incipient or active fire
 After the fire danger is over, examination of the mine for
assurance that there are no dangerous concentrations of
noxious gases, which would prevent normal operations in
any portion of mines.
5.0 Recovery operations
An operation conducted in a mine as a result of an occurrence
of an emergency where no life is involved is called a recovery
operation.
The recovery operations in a mine include the following:
 Sealing off a mine or parts thereof.
 Re-opening of a sealed off area
 Inspection of a sealed off area
 Inspection of any mine working which has been suddenly
filled with noxious gasses and subsequently clearing by
coursing etc.
 Fire fighting work under ground
 Salvaging work from noxious atmosphere
 Operation of pumps etc in noxious atmosphere
 Repairing work of leaky isolation stoppings
 Collection of gas samples from irrespirable atmosphere
 Any other standby work of rescue team
6.0 Difficulties During Operations
· Quick concentration of noxious gases in restricted places.
· Confined nature of surroundings.
· Possibility of reaching the explosive limits further
complicates.
7.0 Dangers in Dealing with Fire
 Ordinary men working in mine may be needlessly
exposed or overcome by smoke and fumes from the fire.
 Chances of an explosion
 Lives of fire fighters may be Jeopardized or sacrificed
needlessly.

 

9.0 List of Equipments at Mines Rescue stations
 Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
 Oxygen Revivers/Resuscitating apparatus
 Self Contained Self Rescuers (SCSR)
 Lifting Bags
 Hydraulic Combi tools
 Retractable fall arrestors
 Infrared Thermometers
 CPR Mankin
 Personal Air monitor (Miniwarn)
 Portable Gas Chromatograph
10.0 Rescue Organization in Large Coal Company
Director (Tech.) P&P
I
General Manager (Rescue Services)
I
____________________________________________________________
I I I
Medical Superintendent Superintendent (Rescue) Associated Finance
I I
Paramedical Staff II
I I I I I I I
RRRT RRRT RRR T MRS RR RR RR
O/C-1 O/C-1 O/C-1 Instructer-3(Nos) RRI/C RRI/C RRI/C
Inst-1 Inst-1 Inst-1
BM-5 BM-4 BM-6 BM-11 BM-3 BM-3 BM-3
11.0 Post explosion investigations
· Situation and extent of falls
· The courses of the ventilating current
· The presence of smoke and gob stink where detected
· The temperature of ventilating current at various points
· The composition of the circulating air current derived from gas
sample analysis.
· Position of bodies, nature and extent of injures, whether
Fracture or burns or gasses.
· The position of coked dust on props, bars, girders etc. and
other evidences showing the direction of violence.

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