Mojave Underground USA Wiki - User contributions [en]

Mine Safety

2008-06-13T03:39:07Z

70.197.223.180:

There are perhaps a dozen or so different ways that you can end up dead from exploring old mining areas including (but not limited to) obvious things such as steep drops, hidden vertical shafts, collapse, or the less obvious CO2 buildup, oxygen depletion from ammonia build-up, getting lost, bumping your head only to pass out and wake up with no battery juice and then really getting lost, animal attack, Hanta Virus, cyanide, lead or arsenic exposure, etc. So not surprisingly, a good solid whiff or two of hydrogen sulfide (a.k.a., sour gas) is just as effective as any of these above-mentioned ways.

Because of this, we do require hardhats and backup lighting. Although we have not yet been able to afford a gas meter (they are in the thousands) the best we have is the knowledge of certain gases properties, smells, and the content of the surrounding areas (mold, poo, rot, ect).

Certain mines have are covered in a mud/rust/oil sludge mixture (a.k.a. Reesty Goo) Hiking through this is dangerous due to its very slippery properties and high FeO2 hydrocarbon content. We recommend wearing gloves and pants that close over your socks. Good hiking boots are also an advantage.

Temperatures inside mines are usually around 50F-60F. This temperatures varies about +-5F through the different seasons. Water temperatures can be even lower. Certain passages require wading through water. Over prolonged exposure, hypothermia may set in. Waterproof boots are a plus. Pack spare socks and a jacket when entering mines with these properties.

Please be in good shape for endurance. While most of what we do does not require extremely fit mountaineers and hikers, we do ask that you be willing to endure 6+ hours of physical activity if you wish to join us. Each event will be classified as to its difficulty on a scale of 1-10.

Remember, we are not responsible or liable for you in any way, shape, or form. We do not accept any responsibility to any insurance coverage in case of accident. By joining us, you agree to this.

With that out of the way, in all reality, mines are not as dangerous and the media would have us believe. By using some simple safety skills, a mine can be as safe as your home.

Some safety tips:

1. Never touch supporting structures.
Supporting structures are usually wooden beams that hold a ceiling up and prevent collapses. Many of the structures were put in place under the direction of the mine engineer who deemed the surrounding rock unstable. Decades later, these structures are decaying and beginning to give away. They may be the only thing holding up a ceiling.

2. Never touch the ceiling.
Prying neat rock or using the ceiling for balance are not good ideas. Since these tunnels have been holding themselves up for decades, it doesn't take much for some of them to give way. Many times, cave ins are so large that it could take days for recovery crews to extract you.

3. Keep your voice low, and avoid lower pitches.
Sound waves are vibrations traveling through the air. In a tunnel, your voice is reverberated off the hard rock walls. Loud voices cause stronger vibrations. Deeper voices cause a deeper penetrating and more powerful wave. By minimizing the vibrations you make, you help protect yourself from a cave in. Speaking softly also help an individual to concentrate and think more reasonably.

4. Always have at least one spare light and two spare batteries for each light.
A light going out is never a good thing. We've all heard stories of people getting out of caves with their cell phone or watch. Don't let this happen to you! A great advantage we have is the wonderful technology of white-LED. These bulbs don't burn out or break. Their power usage is nominal compared to Xenon and incandescent bulbs. However, things still do happen to them. If the hardware of the light fails, you've got a backup to get you out. The spare batteries are a must. If your light dies and you have no spare batteries, the red-LED uses much less power that the white, and you can usually get yourself out on that.

5. Never explore without a buddy.
Splitting up for any reason is a bad idea. If by chance a safety incident occurs, having another person with you may be what it takes to survive or get out if you're lost.

6. Keep tabs on your location.
There are some mines that are a simple one way audit that eventually dead end, and others that you can spend days in, much like the Ophir Hill Mine. Keeping either a visual or paper tab on your location can get you out of situations that you might not have been able to get out of otherwise.

7. Avoid potential cave in areas.
Areas where piles of ore and broken supporting timbers lie are usually some of the most dangerous areas of a mine. If you must cross these. use your best effort to follow the other rules outlined in these basic rules. Be smart!

8. Watch your floor.
On occasion, a miner would carelessly and accidentally dig into the floor of another tunnel; or a shaft could be dug down and later closed with wooden planks. These floors are known as false floors and can give way when walked on. Keep tabs at all times what you are walking on. If you find you are on wooden floors, use extreme caution, and consider returning back to solid ground until you can investigate further.

9. Check your air.
Make sure the air smells normal, and that throughout your exploration your breathing remains normal. Heavy or labored breathing may be a sign of low oxygen levels or high carbon dioxide levels. If you smell rotter eggs, photo-fixer, or similar, your are likely breathing the toxic gas of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). A concentrated pocket of this will and has killed miners. hydrogen sulfide is usually encountered in coal mines or near coal seams. Hydrogen sulfide has a high specific gravity, and is heavier than atmospheric air. Stale air, or "black damp" is caused by a lack of oxygen and higher concentrations of carbon-dioxide. Respiration, decay of vegetation, animal, or other organic matter can cause CO2 to accumulate. Heavily timbered areas may be this way. CO2 has a high specific gravity, and will pool in low-lying areas with minimal or no air circulation. Keep a lighter on you. They help test which way airflow is moving, along with the concentration of oxygen in the area. Most of the open atmosphere contains 20.9% O2. Any concentration below 16% will extinguish an open flame and is very dangerous.(If in a coal mine, never light a lighter!! High amounts of methane and coal dust can cause quaking explosions!)

10. Research your areas.
If possible, learn the type of mine you are exploring, its rock composition, and a basic history of the area such as last date mined. This little extra information can help you determine the safety of the mine and allow you to use smarter logic.

Last but not least, Always inform another trustworthy party where you are going, an approximation of when you will be back, and who to contact if you are not in contact with your party by a certain deadline.

While this list is quite thorough, mine safety is up to the individual. Use your God given logic and brains when entering a mine. Don't do anything that jeopardizes you or anyone around you. You are ultimately responsible for you own safety.

Mojave Underground and its leadership are not in any way responsible for any form of personal damage to individuals or property.

Mine Safety

2008-06-13T03:35:14Z

70.197.223.180:

There are perhaps a dozen or so different ways that you can end up dead from exploring old mining areas including (but not limited to) obvious things such as steep drops, hidden vertical shafts, collapse, or the less obvious CO2 buildup, oxygen depletion from ammonia build-up, getting lost, bumping your head only to pass out and wake up with no battery juice and then really getting lost, animal attack, Hanta Virus, cyanide, lead or arsenic exposure, etc. So not surprisingly, a good solid whiff or two of hydrogen sulfide (a.k.a., sour gas) is just as effective as any of these above-mentioned ways.

Because of this, we do require hardhats and backup lighting. Although we have not yet been able to afford a gas meter (they are in the thousands) the best we have is the knowledge of certain gases properties, smells, and the content of the surrounding areas (mold, poo, rot, ect).

Certain mines have are covered in a mud/rust/oil sludge mixture (a.k.a. Reesty Goo) Hiking through this is dangerous due to its very slippery properties and high FeO2 hydrocarbon content. We recommend wearing gloves and pants that close over your socks. Good hiking boots are also an advantage.

Temperatures inside mines are usually around 50F-60F. This temperatures varies about +-5F through the different seasons. Water temperatures can be even lower. Certain passages require wading through water. Over prolonged exposure, hypothermia may set in. Waterproof boots are a plus. Pack spare socks and a jacket when entering mines with these properties.

Please be in good shape for endurance. While most of what we do does not require extremely fit mountaineers and hikers, we do ask that you be willing to endure 6+ hours of physical activity if you wish to join us. Each event will be classified as to its difficulty on a scale of 1-10.

Remember, we are not responsible or liable for you in any way, shape, or form. We do not accept any responsibility to any insurance coverage in case of accident. By joining us, you agree to this.

With that out of the way, in all reality, mines are not as dangerous and the media would have us believe. By using some simple safety skills, a mine can be as safe as your home.

Some safety tips:

1. Never touch supporting structures.
Supporting structures are usually wooden beams that hold a ceiling up and prevent collapses. Many of the structures were put in place under the direction of the mine engineer who deemed the surrounding rock unstable. Decades later, these structures are decaying and beginning to give away. They may be the only thing holding up a ceiling.

2. Never touch the ceiling.
Prying neat rock or using the ceiling for balance are not good ideas. Since these tunnels have been holding themselves up for decades, it doesn't take much for some of them to give way. Many times, cave ins are so large that it could take days for recovery crews to extract you.

3. Keep your voice low, and avoid lower pitches.
Sound waves are vibrations traveling through the air. In a tunnel, your voice is reverberated off the hard rock walls. Loud voices cause stronger vibrations. Deeper voices cause a deeper penetrating and more powerful wave. By minimizing the vibrations you make, you help protect yourself from a cave in. Speaking softly also help an individual to concentrate and think more reasonably.

4. Always have at least one spare light and two spare batteries for each light.
A light going out is never a good thing. We've all heard stories of people getting out of caves with their cell phone or watch. Don't let this happen to you! A great advantage we have is the wonderful technology of white-LED. These bulbs don't burn out or break. Their power usage is nominal compared to Xenon and incandescent bulbs. However, things still do happen to them. If the hardware of the light fails, you've got a backup to get you out. The spare batteries are a must. If your light dies and you have no spare batteries, the red-LED uses much less power that the white, and you can usually get yourself out on that.

5. Never explore without a buddy.
Splitting up for any reason is a bad idea. If by chance a safety incident occurs, having another person with you may be what it takes to survive or get out if you're lost.

6. Keep tabs on your location.
There are some mines that are a simple one way audit that eventually dead end, and others that you can spend days in, much like the Ophir Hill Mine. Keeping either a visual or paper tab on your location can get you out of situations that you might not have been able to get out of otherwise.

7. Avoid potential cave in areas.
Areas where piles of ore and broken supporting timbers lie are usually some of the most dangerous areas of a mine. If you must cross these. use your best effort to follow the other rules outlined in these basic rules. Be smart!

8. Watch your floor.
On occasion, a miner would carelessly and accidentally dig into the floor of another tunnel; or a shaft could be dug down and later closed with wooden planks. These floors are known as false floors and can give way when walked on. Keep tabs at all times what you are walking on. If you find you are on wooden floors, use extreme caution, and consider returning back to solid ground until you can investigate further.

9. Check your air.
Make sure the air smells normal, and that throughout your exploration your breathing remains normal. Heavy or labored breathing may be a sign of low oxygen levels or high carbon dioxide levels. If you smell rotter eggs, photo-fixer, or similar, your are likely breathing the toxic gas of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). A concentrated pocket of this will and has killed miners. hydrogen sulfide is usually encountered in coal mines or near coal seams. Hydrogen sulfide has a high specific gravity, and is heavier than atmospheric air. Stale air, or "black damp" is caused by a lack of oxygen and higher concentrations of carbon-dioxide. Respiration, decay of vegetation, animal, or other organic matter can cause C02 to accumulate. Heavily timbered areas may be this way. C02 has a high specific gravity, and will pool in low-lying areas with minimal or no air circulation. Keep a lighter on you. They help test which way airflow is moving, along with the concentration of oxygen in the area. Most of the open atmosphere contains 20.9% O2. Any concentration below 16% will extingusih an open flame and is very dangerous.(If in a coal mine, never light a lighter!! High amounts of methane and coal dust can cause quaking explosions!)

10. Research your areas.
If possible, learn the type of mine you are exploring, its rock composition, and a basic history of the area such as last date mined. This little extra information can help you determine the safety of the mine and allow you to use smarter logic.

Last but not least, Always inform another trustworthy party where you are going, an approximation of when you will be back, and who to contact if you are not in contact with your party by a certain deadline.

While this list is quite thorough, mine safety is up to the individual. Use your God given logic and brains when entering a mine. Don't do anything that jeopardizes you or anyone around you. You are ultimately responsible for you own safety.

Mojave Underground and its leadership are not in any way responsible for any form of personal damage to individuals or property.