area eet Govt, of India MH Pa MAO TATA Ministry of Labour & Employment e BAC epee HETEE ATCT Directorate-General of Mines Safety No. DGMS (Tech) Circular (MAMIDY/ 6% Dhanbad, dated : 22 / oY (2014 To The Owner, Agent and Manager of all Mines ‘Subject: Accident due to Dump Failure Jn an opencast coal mine, severg| villagers were fatally injured while picking/collecting nant coal from the toe of an external overburden dump. 1e enquiry into the acadent revealed the following: Fencing of substantial construction wes not erected around the dump to prevent inadvertent entry into the dump area; ‘The dumping was made in two lifts. Overall height of the dump was about 64m ‘and the width between the lifts was not sufficient; ‘The ground water pressure in the dump increased due to ineffective drainage system, ‘both inside and outside the overburden dump; ‘Top soil, dumped at the bottom of the overburden dump, had created an unstable base; ‘The carbonaceous shale and coal, dumped with overburden rock, had caught fire with passage of time. The creation of void due to burning of carbonaceous shale and coal had further disturbed the cump and accentuated the slide. In order to prevent the recurrence of such type of accidents) in Future, you are requested to inter aia take the following steps : 1. A.scientific study is to be made, in case the planned height of the dump is beyond 30m. The width of any bench in waste dumps shall not be Jess than its height 2. In case of existence of any road nearby, dumping shail be Bone in such a way that the distance between the toe of ump and the road is hot less than twice the overall dump height. 3. The top soil and sludge shall not be dumped at the floor tb create the base of the me 7* For reducing the ground water pressure in the dump rock above phreatic sytfacg, crainage system shall be provided both inside and outside the overurtch Gump. In this regard, the guidelines provided in DGMS Crcular (Tech) No? of Oey } in designing pit slope shall be f j | i 5 The ump area shal be substantially fenced, in accordance wth Reguigtion 114 of the Coal Mines Regulations, 1957, to Prevent inadvertent entry of any ome dump. 6 Precautions shall be taken to prevent spontaneou: Carbonaceous shale and coal dumped along with over Tam sure, that the ‘accident(s) in future, IS heating and fire in thé rburden rock. Precautions laid down above shall go a long way in preventing such ‘ " ‘Yours faithfully, \ ae (Rant Guna) General of Mines Satety