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~.. 75 CHAPTER 11 AUGER SAFETY Auger mining has many inherent safety hazards that are common to all forms of mining and some hazards that are peculiar to auger mining operations. Auger safety hazards will therefore be treated here in two broad categories. First, w•e will consider those hazards which are more or less associated with auger mining. There are highwall spalling, highwall collapse, hazardous entry into abandoned underground workings, auger machinery hazards, and compactness of auger operation. Second, under general hazards we will treat those cases of hazards requiring the use of personnel protective equipment that is also used at both surface and under- ground operation. Specific Auger P9ininq hazards The Highwall The base of the highwall can be a very hazardous place to work. Drilling and blasting to create the high~:~all and exposure to the elements and weathering tend to alter the composition of the face and serve to increase the potential hazard of rock fall. Auger mining conducted at the base is particularly susceptible to this risk of safety to men and machines. Auger miners in general have come to accept this condition as a normal hazard of the trade and before undertaking any augering operation will carefully scrutinize the highwall face for any signs of loose rock or seam cracks. Improper augering can produce highwall shearing and sub- sidence of great magnitude as well as rock slides. The very nature of the augering process undermines the base of the highwall in order to recover additional quantities of coal, thereby increasing the potential hazard in direct proportion to the height of the highwall. Geologic faulting within a given area can also produce unstable highwalls. Highwall collapse has been known to bury augering equip- ment in its entirety. In at least one case, a large coal mining company, instead of relying upon experienced subcontractors to carry out an augering operation, purchased a new machine and elected to learn the art of augering. The end result was that the machine was buried under rock and the entire operation abandoned. In another such case of highwall collapse, on one of the Engineers visits to an auger mine, the machine was operating and pictures were taken of the actual operation. A few days after the visit, this machine was also partially buried as a result of high- wall collapse. In this case, the operator had cut into a previously driven hole located just beyond an abrupt change in contour direction an3 had allowed too little support material to remain for the highwall. The operator ultimately recovered his rtiachine flights and auger bit.