STRONGMAN INQUIRY Manager Criticises Shot Preparation'

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31343, 13 April 1967, Page 3

STRONGMAN INQUIRY Manager Criticises Shot Preparation'

(From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, April 12. The working face where the explosion occurred that killed 19 miners in the Strongman colliery was the worst-prepared shot-firing face he had ever seen, the mine manager, Donald Forrester Brown, told the Commission of Inquiry at Greymouth this morning.

Later Mr Brown admitted under crossexamination that the mine was too big for one manager to comply with all the regulations for inspection. He was the third witness so far called in the inquiry which will enter its fourth day tomorrow. The commission comprises Mr J. K. Patterson, SJf, (chairman), and Messrs S. R. Eyeington, W. Elliott, T. MeGhie and A V. Prendiville. Mr R. C. Savage appears for the Mines Deportment, Mr D. J. Tucker for the New Zealand State Coal Mines, Mr R. A. Young for the Grey Valley Deputies’ and Underviewers* Union, and Mr W. D. Taylor for the United Mineworkers of New Zealand. Continuing his evidence this morning of the inspections after the explosion Archibald Auld, New Zealand superintendent of mines rescue stations, said that a powder tin containing a melted stick of Ajax was found some distance from O’Donnell’s work-place, having obviously been blown there in the explosion. 13 Holes Of the 13 holes which had been drilled in the face of O’Donnell’s work-place the wires in the No. 1 hole were disconnected but twisted as If they had been attached to the firing mechanism. The wires hanging from the tamped shot were unused. The area in the waste was covered in thick dust and without an analysis it would be difficult to say whether stoneflusting had been carried out Mr Auld said the safety lamp believed to be Kinsey’s had been banging up near the colled cable at the start of O’Donnell’s heading. The shotfiring exploder had never been found. There was a eonsidereble Inrush of air in the opposite direction after the stoppings were removed on February 10 indicating that the return airway was operating tn reverse, Mr Auld told Mr Young. Fourth Charge Even if there had been a technical breach of the regulations the fourth charge had played no part in the firing. There was no evidence of attempts to fire two shots at once. The deposit of coke dust and soot on the ribs was the only damage in the goaf (worked-out area). Stone-dust at Bruns winch had probably prevented the blast spreading further. He told Mr Taylor that he found it common that damage was more extensive further away from the point of the explosion. Mr Auld told Mr Eyelngton that the most violence was at the bottom of the two-box jig where boxes were wrecked and bodies thrown about On Leave Mr Brown, manager of the Strongman mine rince midJune last year, said that on the *day of the explosion he was on annual leave in Nelson

and returned at once, arriving at about 6.30 p.m. He confirmed earlier evidence concerning recovery efforts. He was a member of the final inspection team in the section on February 14 and agreed with the joint report that the explosion started in the goaf adjoining O’Donnell’s work-place. The goaf had an excellent roof supported on props. He described changes in the ventilation made after November last year. His last visit to O’Donnell’s workplace was in December. The model produced was not of a properly prepared face. He could not recollect a similar face and considered it the worst he had ever seen in the mine. A square face was not advisable. Last Inspection On the final inspection a search was made for the shotfiring battery but was unsuccessful because of the obvious violence; it had apparently been thrown some distance. On making inquiries he had found that some deputies did carry second keys. The deputy Kinsey had been issued with 40 detonators; four were accounted for in O’Donneil’s section; there were 35 remaining in his bag and one was missing. Mr Brown said it took him four days every week to cover the whole mine on inspection. Normally there were three pairs of miners in Kinsey's section and three in Green’s No. 2 section. On the day of the explosion he understood four pairs were in Green’s because of repairs being carried out in Kinsey’s section. In Green’s section daily reports showed that with one exception it had been clear of gas. Dust Samples The last dust samples had been taken in O’Donnell’s section in November, 1956. The underviewers recorded barometric pressures on each production shift, and the deputy on the dog-watch shift There was definitely nothing wrong with the method of circulating the air into O’Donnell’s work-place. The section was adequately ventilated. On inspections he tested the air in all places—goafs particularly. He had never received any reports of dissatisfaction with the ventilation in Green’s sectton. Questioned about the methods of extracting pillars he said this had started in the east of the section and was under way when he was appointed manager of the mine. He had continued with both development and pillar extraction almost in stop with each other. In the preparation for shots the holes were inspected, tamped and fired by the deputies. ‘Too Much’ To Mr Young, Mr Brown said that there was 13 miles of walking involved in inspecting all the regular workplaces to comply with tile regulations. He agreed irith Mr Young that it required too much from one man and at times had to delegate some of his authority Mr Brown was asked by Mr Patterson about the official reports on the January, 1956, explosion, winch was of greater

force. He said he had learned of this from officials there at the time rather than, from the

• report. Mr Young referred to a re- . port stating that 10 cubic feet , of gas had been found in Green’s section at Rooney’s incline on November 29 last Mr Brown said this had been reported .to him and later the underviewer Leech informed him that it bad cleared. This was the last r» port of gas in that section. Higher Workings The safety lamp used by Kinsey was in his custody and had not been inspected since being recovered. He did not know if the lamps were fitted with a deflector ring so that a check could be made on the air in the higher workings. Mr Brown said booklets concerning shotflring regulations had not been distributed to shot-firers since he had become manager. He was familiar with the booklets but had none to distribute; but all shot-firers were required to know the regulations before they passed the examination for their tickets. Mr Brown told Mr Young that Ajax was a harder bitting explosive than Monobel. Since the explosion, he had been instructed to remove Ajax from coal-producing. Same Result Two men were now permanently engaged in stonedusting. The same result was being achieved but the work was being done during normal hours rather then at weekends. Questioned by Mr Taylor, Mr Brown said O’DonneU’s face was within five yards of the goaf at the time of the explosion. If he had been the deputy he would have known that there was a danger of breaking through. He would have stone-dusted in the goof and would have sent a six-foot drill ahead from the face. There wag an instruction that immediately after a shot was fired it had to be entered in the deputy’s book, and signed by the miner concerned. There was a remote possibility of miners charging a hole with explosive, but would have to weit for the deputy with the detonators. The deputy would not have to stonedust before every shot Specified Hours In all cases, a pro-shift examination was not carried out in the specified hours—between 5.30 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. on the day concerned—but an hour earlier. The deputies at Strongman ' on the dog-watch left the mine normally at 6 are. The first two shots fired in O’Donnell’s place were at a depth of about 18 inches to form a cut; and he hazarded a guess that the third shot would be not more than four feet deep, said Mr Brown. Under the Mines Act this was a breach, but the coal ' council had granted an exemp- , tion in 1941 to the Strongman ’ mine concerning this. Mr Brown said that the first . shot fired could have caused breaks in the second and third . holes.

Charge Reduced If they had been tamped together an inspection of the second and third holes would not have been possible. When Ajax was introduced last November he had called all deputies together and advised them to reduce the amount of explosive being used by one third. Mr Brown told Mr Taylor he had found Kinsey a competent deputy, but if he had inspected the face after firing the first two shots, he should not have fired the third one because it would not be free enough. From inquiries he had made, Kinsey had not fired any other shots that morning. Although one detonator was not accounted for, he did not think another shot had been fired. Two Goafs Questioned further he arid he would have still developed O’Donnell’s place but he could not call to mind a similar development between two goafs. Of the two goafs he would have expected more coal dust in that behind O’Donnell’s place because it had not fallen. He told Mr Taylor he would have inspected the goaf behind the place after each shot —not because it was a regulation but because it was a safe and sensible practice.

Access to LmmL-— Construe* tion of access roads to a projected earth dam at Taurewa on the Tongariro power development scheme will lead to the -eventual opening up of about 32,000 acres of land for farming.—(PA.)