The maintenance of a mining ventilation system is integral for the health and security of the operation’s personnel. Regulation of airflow is something which needs to be taken very seriously – in some cases, just a few seconds of breathing in a contaminant such as carbon monoxide can have devastating consequences.
Mining ventilation is thus a process which needs to be carried out responsibly and efficiently.
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A major trend in contemporary ventilation design is ventilation on demand (VOD) technology, which allows clean air to flow only in required areas, instead of throughout an entire mining site. Sensors detect where people and machinery are working and direct air flow only to these areas, shutting it off to areas where the mine is not being worked.
One VOD-type system available through Carroll Technologies Group, a leading supplier of mining safety appliances throughout North America, is PBE’s Responsible Ventilation (RV) software.
RV simultaneously tracks personnel and monitors the mine’s environment, giving operators a comprehensive overview of where staff are stationed alongside the composition of the air they’re breathing, and controls the ventilation system accordingly. RV additionally allows for ventilation schedules to be implemented, with a user-friendly manual override always in available in the event of emergency.
An additional benefit of RV is that it allows for significant cost savings on power usage, drastically reducing energy consumption by only allowing ventilation systems to run when and where it is necessary.
Curtains can also be beneficial to mining ventilation systems
Mine operators can also use manual techniques to manage their site’s ventilation needs.
Carroll Technologies Group offers a range of ventilation curtains from Bluefield Manufacturing, which can be used throughout mines to channel air to different areas and trap any potential contaminants.
Bluefield’s mining ventilation curtains are all made with varying degrees of transparency to allow for high visibility, and are made to be tear resistant and withstand a wide range of temperatures.They are also designed to be lightweight, made from either a woven or double laminate polyethylene material depending on the individual needs of a site.
Any customer of Carroll Technologies Group who may find themselves struggling with their purchases is welcomed to call the 24/7 MinerCare support line. Highly-skilled staff are on hand to provide all needed technical support, and can provide same day delivery for products and parts required from a network of 13 distribution centres across the continent.
