Some Mining Safety History
A story sent in by one of our readers:
I thought this story should be shared in the ohs industry – just finished doing some dangerous goods work at a very large sewerage treatment plant and an Engineer who I knew from many years ago (when I was working in the sewer, water & drainage industry) asked me if I could get his miners flame safety lamp going again. Obviously it is only used as a show piece and talking point.
Having serviced probably thousands of them, I still had a few parts so we pulled it apart, removed the seized flint, put in a new flint, a bit of general clean up and gave it a drink of fuel and 3 strikes later it fired up with the appropriate flame. Not bad as the lamp was last serviced over 20 years ago.
Back then the procedure was to place a length of Lead Acetate paper onto the lamp so it could be used to test for a flammable atmosphere or low oxygen levels and Hydrogen Sulphide all this from a little flame and a bit of paper – they are called multi gas monitors now. Would the electronic models perform as good under the same circumstances?
Did they (miners flame safety lamp) work – yes – they protected many lives and certainly saved many too. Should they still be used for the purpose – no!
I guess that’s what happens to us all in the end.
bsafe Les
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