The authors of the study focused on the problem of hydrogasifying coal extracted from a particular location. Since hydrogen is transparent to radiation, it can only be heated by convection. To achieve this, we developed a swirler and utilized Fluent software (version 19.0) to simulate the primary flow vectors and the temperature distribution of hydrogen in the hydrogasification reactor. The process was carried out under varying conditions, including temperatures ranging up to 1173 K, pressures of up to 8 MPa, and gas flow rates between 0.5 and 5 dmn3 min−1. The results showed that the carbon reactivity of the char was high up to a certain level of carbon conversion. In this study, the kinetic equations of the hydrogasification process were developed based on the theory of active centers. The researchers also evaluated the kinetic constants at the maximum reaction rate for the analyzed chars. The analysis was conducted for four extreme cases of process parameters, which included temperatures of 973 and 1173 K as well as pressures of 6 and 8 MPa. The results showed that the maximum hydrogasification reactivity of chars could be accurately described using equations for both the first- and second-order reactions toward hydrogen. This was likely due to the use of a narrow pressure range of 6–8 MPa during the experiments. The kinetic equations developed in the study could be used to model the process on a technical scale.

The article presents the results of measurements of environmental noise caused by devices operating in the surface facilities of hard coal mines and by the technological processes related to the loading and transport of spoil and materials necessary for production. The research results are part of the program "Consequences of excessive noise in the mining environment of hard coal mines", the overarching goal of which is to reduce the emission of industrial noise. A sampling method was used to determine the actual values of noise levels emit-ted to the external environment from mines and mining plants as well as to identify the acoustic power levels of devices and processes constituting the main sources of noise in mines. The results showed that mines and mining plants are often not fully aware of the scale of the environmental impact of the undesirable noise they emit. Therefore, the current periodic measurements of environmental noise should be replaced with permanent monitoring, which will be beneficial not only for the environment and residents of housing estates located near mines but also for the mining plants themselves.

No AccessIndustrial noise as a source of hazards at the Mechanical Coal Processing PlantPiotr MocekPiotr Mocekhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9560-8462Search for more papers by this authorhttps://doi.org/10.14220/9783737016407.193SectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail About Previous chapter Next chapter FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Download book cover 1st edition ISBN: 978-3-8471-1640-0 eISBN: 978-3-7370-1640-7 History Published online:November 2023 PDF download

Purpose: The presented article is empirical in nature and deals with the issue of human resource management in the mining work environment in the face of health risks for workers exposed to the harmful effects of coal mine dust at the workplace. Its purpose is to draw the attention of the management of coal mines in Poland to the growing problem of the increase in the incidence of pneumoconiosis among miners and the obligations that fall on the employer and management in connection with the need to fulfill the provisions of Article 207 of the Labour Code (Labour Code) and the changing European legislation (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2017/2398 of December 12, 2017). The article presents the results of a health study of miners employed in the mining divisions of mine X exposed to the risk of harmful dusts and SiO2 chemicals contained in mine dust. The impetus for the study in question was the increasing incidence of occupational diseases among workers in Polish coal mines in recent years, among which new cases of pneumoconiosis predominated. In 2022, pneumoconiosis of miners accounted for 92.1% of all diagnosable occupational diseases in the PKD's economic activity section B - mining and quarrying. The second factor prompting the research topic was the amendment of the regulation on chemicals, their mixtures, agents or technological processes with carcinogenic or mutagenic effects in the work environment introduced on January 24, 2020, including crystalline silica - the respirable fraction formed during work - among the agents with carcinogenic or mutagenic effects. Design/methodology/approach: A study of the assessment of the prevailing dust hazard and the frequency of respiratory lesions among workers in the mining departments of mine X exposed to the harmful effects of mine dust as a by-product of the manufacturing process was carried out using the following methods: individual dosimetry, infrared spectrometry, directional interview, diagnostic tests and spirometry. Findings: The results made it possible to identify the workplaces with the highest exposure to harmful effects of coal dust and to recognize the effects of this action in the form of respiratory lesions in 28.6% of the miners of mine X examined, who had not previously reported health complaints. Research limitations/implications: Health examinations of coal mine workers are a sensitive issue and one that is reluctantly raised by mine management, union organizations and the workers themselves. The inadequacy of Polish legislation, which, in the event of the diagnosis of symptoms of an occupational disease, guarantees an employee to keep his or her previous salary as a result of transfer to another job for only 6 months (Article 230 of the Labor Code), causes employees to hide their health status until they are eligible for retirement and are reluctant to undergo earlier diagnostic examinations. The condition for making the data available for the purposes of the above article was to guarantee the complete anonymity of the subjects and the workplace, which is in line with the policy of the Silesian University of Technology, which guarantees the anonymity of the data obtained in circular letters addressed to the Mining Companies. Practical implications: Recognized new cases of pneumoconiosis incidence among surveyed employees of mining divisions indicated the necessity of changing the current approach of employers and managers to the issue of measuring harmful factors at workplaces and the necessity of expanding preventive examinations of miners to include capillary blood gasometry, peripheral blood morphology, low-dose high-resolution computed tomography allowing scrinig of lung cancer. The proper approach of mine management and health and safety services to miners' health issues should improve the financial condition of mining companies and mines by reducing the occupational morbidity of the protection of employees, who are the pillar of the company's efficiency. Social implications: A review of the literature and the results obtained show that the problem of the incidence of pneumoconiosis among coal mine miners not only in Poland is again a growing social problem, resulting in an increase in occupational morbidity rates and incurred social costs related to the loss of physical ability to perform work by miners and the need for their treatment. On the other hand, the consequences of long-term exposure of workers to harmful factors leads to occupational diseases, the consequence of which is often a change of job and loss of part of the workers' wages, so it would be advisable to consider public consultations in this area in order to develop new legal regulations to increase worker protection. Originality/value: The article is directed to the management of coal mines and health and safety services. It presents the results of environmental measurements and diagnostic tests of miners carried out in real time, to which access is difficult. In addition, the article presents solutions for early diagnosis of respiratory health disorders and better management of human resources and protection of miners' health as a superior value. Keywords: mine, mining division, pneumoconiosis, mine dust, occupational disease, diagnostic testing, spirometry. Category of the paper: Research paper.

The article presents the results of measurements of environmental noise accompanying the operation of devices operated in surface facilities of hard coal mines and noise generated in technological processes related to the loading and transport of spoil and materials necessary for production. The research results presented in the article are part of the program of "Consequences of excessive noise in the mining environment of hard coal mines", the overarching goal of which is to reduce the emission of industrial noise. The research described in the article, carried out using the sampling method, was introduced in order to determine the actual values of noise levels emitted to the external environment from mines and mining plants, as well as to identify the acoustic power levels of devices and processes constituting the main sources of noise in mines. The obtained results showed that mines and mining plants are often not fully aware of the scale of the environmental impact of undesirable noise they emit. Therefore, the current periodic measurements of environmental noise should be replaced with permanent monitoring, which will be beneficial not only for the environment, residents of housing estates located near mines, but also for the mining plants themselves.

Statistical data on occupational diseases registered by the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz indicates a renewed increase in the number of pneumoconiosis in Poland in recent years, especially in the section of PKD (Polish Classification of Business Activities) - mining. Simultaneously, in 2018, because of the implementation of Directives of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, changes were introduced to Polish legislation in the field of protection of workers against the risk of exposure to carcinogens or mutagens related to the respirable fraction of crystalline silica formed during work. Considering this information, the members of the Department of Safety Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology attempted to assess the dust hazard and the frequency of occurrence of respiratory diseases among the employees of the preparation plant of mine X exposed to the harmful effects of industrial dust produced in the work process. The following methods were used as part of the research: individual dosimetry, infrared spectrometry, directional interview, diagnostic tests, and spirometry. The obtained results made it possible to identify workstations with the highest exposure to the harmful effects of industrial dust and to recognize the impact of this action in the form of patho-logical changes in the respiratory system in 18.4% of the miners surveyed.

In this paper, a system which uses hot furnace gases from a metallurgical process to heat compressed air necessary for another energy process is presented. The applied construction of the recuperator ensures high temperatures of the heated air needed for its utilisation in a separate process. Their levels depend on the processes in the reactor. A limitation to the construction of the installation is creep resistance of the materials used to assemble the recuperator modules which operate under high-temperature regimes. The well-prepared gas dynamic design of the recuperator ensured low pressure loss for the flowing air. Furnace gases leaving the recuperation system still have a high energy potential which can be utilised. As it is not possible to manage such large amounts of additional energy, the problem will be solved in the future when necessary.

In the paper, the course of post-reaction gas afterburning generated during the metallurgical process where the reduction of metal and semi-metal oxides is performed with the use of carbon is presented. Process waste gases can be an alternative source of energy to be used in the same process or converted to another. The participation of chemical enthalpy in the total energy stream of the post-reaction gas is 93 %, the rest is physical enthalpy. In the study, particular attention was paid to the proper mixing of fuel and oxidizer and to maintaining an appropriate ratio of excess combustion air λ a . The dynamics of the post-reaction gas combustion processes was calculated according to several popular models but the best results were obtained using the two-step mechanism with reaction constants according to Westbrook-Dryer.

The article presents the results of the analysis and calculations of the ventilation network of the decommissioned hard coal mine Y for the model of its target operation. After the end of hard coal mining and the liquidation of most of the mining excavations, the former Y hard coal mine will become an element of the drainage system and a protection for other, still active mining plants. In order for the Y excavation to be transformed into a mine water pumping station, its ventilation system should be rebuilt, and new parameters of the main fan should be determined for a smaller network of mining excavations. For this purpose, using the AERO-2016D program by POK “Zachód” Spółka z o.o., the parameters of the ventilation network were simulated in the target model of mine Y after the liquidation of the “Southern” shaft and mining excavations at levels 530m and 660m. The results of the simulation made it possible to select the optimal main fans for the target model of the transformed mine Y.

In connection with the liquidation of the hard coal mine Y and the change its functionality, it is necessary to modernize the main fan station installed at the “Northern” shaft of mine Y. The article presents concepts of changing the efficiency of WPK 5.0 fans installed in the “Northern” shaft and the methods of air flow regulation for target model of a mine with a reduced network of mining excavations. It discusses four alternative variants of technical solutions. The most effective of them are illustrated with a preliminary economic analysis, the results of which enable the right investment decision to be made.

According to the reports, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, millions of employees in Europe are exposed daily to industrial noise and all risks associated with it. About 7% of employees suffer from a hearing problem and noise-induced hearing damage is the most common occupational disease in Europe because it accounts for about one-third of all work-related diseases and is more common than skin and respiratory diseases. The industries with the highest noise emissions in the work environment include heavy industry, mining and construction, although the noise is also increasingly appearing in other sectors of the economy. The research issues discussed in the article introduce the issue of noise in the mining work environment of Polish hard coal mines and identify its causes, effects and threats. The article presents the results of hearing screening tests conducted in 2019 using the Mobile Hearing Diagnosis Center among over 3,000 employees of 37 hard coal mines located in the Slaskie and Malopolskie voivodships and describes the effects of exposure to noise among employees. The article also identifies noise sources and presents the level of their emissions in connection with the operation of machinery and equipment used in Polish hard coal mining. The obtained results of the measurement of the sound intensity of mining machines and devices point to repeatedly exceeding the permissible hygienic standards of Polish and European noise emission. The results of the research presented in the article indicate the urgent need to take action to constantly control the noise level at the workplace and introduce solutions that will enable its reduction and allow better protection of employees against its disastrous consequences. The article is an interesting case study of research conducted in a natural industrial environment that allows you to start a broad discussion on harmful factors in the work environment and look for solutions that increase the level of employee safety during work.

AbstractThe publication presents partial results of hearing screening tests conducted in 2019 among employees of 37 hard coal mines located in the Śląskie and Małopolskie voivodships. The tests were carried out in different cities of both voivodships using the Mobile Hearing Diagnosis Center, which parked near the selected mine and specialized hearing diagnostics points of the ACSłuchmed Sp. z o. o. from Lublin. At the diagnostic points, detailed total audiometry tests were conducted on people diagnosed with hearing disorders as part of screening tests. The obtained results allowed to identify branches and workplaces with the highest risk of noise hazard in mines. The presented publication shows the results of noise measurement during blasting works and the results of anonymous surveys conducted among employees of the Department of Blasting Technology of hard coal mines. The survey concerned the subjective feelings of employees regarding noise levels at the workplace and its impact on their well-being and state of health. In the publication summary, the author draws attention to the need to take measures to constantly control the noise level at the workplace and introduce solutions that will enable its reduction and allow for better protection of employees against its damaging consequences.

The article deals with the issues related to the impact of the technical condition of the mining gallery: preparatory, near-wall, main (transport) and ventilation for the safety of mine crews working underground. The author presents an accidental statistics of recent years in underground mining, with particular emphasis on events arising as a result of a rock burst, a collapse, fall of rocks from the roof and the side wall. He describes the current legal status in the field of infarct danger, fall of rocks from the roof and side walls as well as selection and control of the frame support. Control methods of the condition of support of underground workings have been described and attention has been drawn to the fact that the visual method used by most mines to assess the condition of the corridor workings is insufficient due to the safety of working underground.

In Poland as well as in most European countries one of the most important problem, is still high rate of occupational diseases among workers of different branches of national economy. It is caused by many factors such as: high percentage of workers exposed to one or a few harmful factors in technological process, exceeding acceptable limits of a factor in a workplace, inappropriate identification of harmful factors and long-term effects of exposition to them. This chapter presents basic assumptions of computer system supporting health risk evaluation in mining The computer system uses assumptions of rating method of health risk evaluation worked out in Institute of Ergonomics and Safety Management in Technical University of Silesia. The advantages of presented computer system supporting health risk evaluation are: the easiness of registration and documentation of all activities in the range of health protection of workers in the work process, the possibility of determining aims and priorities of activities in the field improving work conditions, enabling controlling hazards by showing the necessity of undertaking activities essential for their reducing, obtaining a up-to-date information which leads to taking fast preventive actions.

In connection with the mining reform, which took place in 2015, and the necessity to liquidate some of the active mining plants, the Management Board of SRK S.A. established the Emergency Rescue Station. Below article describes the beginnings of SRK mining rescue organization and its current situation. The main intention of this paper is to present an analysis of SRK S.A. mining salvage costs in 2015-2017 related to its equipment, maintenance and operations. Next important aspect is a presentation of the results of the SWOT analysis, which tries to answer the question if having its own mining rescue services bring SRK S.A. losses or financial benefits. The presented results are an interesting case study that illustrate the actual level of annual expenses and capital expenditures borne by SRK S.A. in order to ensure the safety of people working underground in liquidated mining plants and the savings brought by own mining rescue services.