Statistical analysis of coal-mine fire incidents in the United States from 1950 to 1977

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6097635

McDonald, L B; Pomroy, W H

This Federal Bureau of Mines publication is a statistical analysis of all surface and underground coal mine fires reported in the United States from 1950 to 1977. Accounts of selected nonreportable fires and opinion data gathered via interviews with mine safety directors were separately analyzed. Both reported and nonreportable fires were analyzed by time trends, State, ignition source, burning substance, location in mine, equipment, detection, duration, injuries, fatalities, and successful extinguishing agents. It was found that the majority of all mine fires were electrical in origin. The equipment most frequently involved in underground fires was conveyor belts, and in surface fires, it was crushers and/or breakers. Underground fires occurred most often near the working face. Water and hand-portable extinguishers were the most common methods of extinguishment.

• Research Organization: Allen Corp. of America, Alexandria, VA (USA); Bureau of Mines, Twin Cities, MN (USA). Twin Cities Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6097635
• Report Number(s): BM-IC-8830; ON: DE82901034
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012000* -- Coal
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& Peat-- Mining
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Lignite
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BELT CONVEYORS
COAL MINERS
COAL MINES
CONVEYORS
DATA ANALYSIS
EDUCATION
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
FIRES
HAULAGE EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
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MINING
NORTH AMERICA
PERSONNEL
RECOMMENDATIONS
SURFACE MINING
UNDERGROUND MINING
USA