National Mineral Resources University (Mining University), Saint-Petersburg, Russia:

V. V. Smirnyakov, Assistant Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, smirnyakovvv@yandex.ru
V. V. Smirnyakova, Assistant Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

The article deals with the current problem of safety of personnel and operation in gas and dust explosion-hazardous coal mines. The authors have carried out statistical and technical analyses using evidence of investigation into circumstances and causes of accidents due to gas and dust explosions in the recent 25 years in coal mines in Russia and other coal producing countries. The research findings on natural, technical and organizational causes of the accidents show that there is a steady trend of stabilization in the number of such accidents. The authors think that the reason of this is the fact that aerological safety in coal mines is affected by factors that can be divided into adjustable and unhandy. The features to distinguish between the adjustable factors being conditioned by mining technology and the unhandy factors that are natural or of combined natural and induced character are presented. The review of investigation evidence, including details and development of gas and dust explosions, after-effect and inferences on causes of accidents, shows that additional accounting and classification of the unhandy factors in combinations with the other causes will allow more detailed assessment of explosion place, environment and structure of interaction between the unhandy factors, their development and nature, and will enable revealing the maximum number of disturbances. Finally, it is concluded that enhancement of aerological safety of a mine is only possible with differential approach to the role of each groups of factors, including unhandy factors, capable to exert influence on initiation and development of an accident. Having stated insufficient efficiency of gas explosion hazard control methods and means, the authors designate the objective of finding methods to determine, predict and record unhandy factors and features of their interaction with adjustable (controllable) factors.

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