Executive summary

This project was designed to have the following outputs: • Recommendations for best practices to deal with coal mine emergencies, with emphasis on inrushes, fires and explosions. • Provide a document from which training staff can formulate and check training manuals and practices. • A checklist to assist management to review their policies, standards and practices. • A review of the Department of Minerals and Energy guidelines relevant to emergencies in collieries. The project reviews and discusses the various topics that could constitute an emergency situation in a colliery. The actions that should be undertaken to prevent such emergencies occurring and if the emergency does occur, how to deal with it, are also covered. The authors drew on research that is particularly relevant to South African coal mining conditions, upon personal experience and on the opinions of a wide variety of persons with technical and professional expertise in the coal mining industry. International best practice was also reviewed, and included in the work as appropriate