>Actually, in one of the last projects funded before the Bureau of
>Mines went to that last great Beaurocracy in the sky, we did some
>work for them (Sundae, Laxman S., Summers, David A., Wright,
>Douglas, and Cantrell, Bruce K., "The Reduction of Airborne Dust
>Generated by Roof Bolt Drill Bits Through the Use of Water," Report
>of Investigations 9594, United States Department of the Interior,
>Bureau of Mines. ) in which we showed that with very little water
>indeed you could improve drilling and remove the dust problem
>without generating the water problem of too much water. Alas I
>si\uspect that that work, along with a lot of other good
>information, has quietly disappeared into the great mine cavity in
>the floor. 'Twas always thus
Dave
>I don't entend to get into the controversy over definitions, but have
>two observations:
>1. Driving a school class on a visit to a gravel pit a week ago, I
>noted
> that they were actually quarrying. I saw my first cone crusher, and
>
> was most impressed (I had only seen jaw crushers, ball mills etc.
> previously). The V.I.P. guiding the tour definitely considered their
>
> quarry as part of "mining", and he was working closely with the
> mines association, because everyone is now having the same
> problem getting permits, etc.
>2. In my own short experience with construction mining, I was
> shocked to find that we were required to ride on a skip with
> explosives, because in the mines it was forbidden to carry men
> and materials on the same skip. When I commented on this,
> the superintendent notified me smugly that this project did not
> come under the mines act. Of course, I already knew that
> companies are not in the business of providing safe working
> conditions, and will consider safety only when they are forced
> to do so by law or economic sanctions.
> I am not getting on any band wagon when I say this,
>I am just stating the reality of the situation. It is only natural
>that companies will attempt to get legislation that will be
>favourable to their enterprise and any definitions in the
>legislation will reflect this.
> When, by the way, I commented in the gravel quarry
>that the driller was drilling dry, I was told that this was a
>matter for the driller, that water was available, but was
>generally only used for callaring. Since this was a limestone
>quarry, silicosis wasn't a problem. Perhaps some of you here
>can tell me whether or not limestone has respiratory hazards.
--
David A. Summers
Curators' Professor of Mining Engineering
Adjunct Professor of Nuclear Engineering
Director
Rock Mechanics and Explosives Research Center
University of Missouri-Rolla,
Rolla, MO 65409-0810
"fools talk, wise men listen." (a variant of Prov 12:23)
phone: (573) 341 4314
FAX: (573) 341 4368
related web pages
A growing selection of Dr. Summers' papers are being put on the Web
and can be accessed through the Bibliography
http://www.umr.edu/~rockmech/faculty/biography.html
Rock Mechanics http://www.umr.edu/~rockmech/
Waterjet Lab: http://www.umr.edu/~waterjet/
UMR Stonehenge: http://www.umr.edu/~stonehen/
Personal: http://www.umr.edu/~rockmech/data/Summers.html
Mining Eng. http://www.umr.edu/~mining/
Waterjet Assoc http://www.wjta.org/
International Waterjet Society: http://www.iw.uni-hannover.de/iswjt/
Millennium project (sculpture): http://www.umr.edu/~milenium/
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