History of Mine Rescue
The need for a mine rescue function has always existed since the beginning of mining activities.
Especially since the second half of the 1900s, in line with the increasing needs of mankind and the development of industry, mines all over the world have gone deeper, worked faster and harder, sometimes to the limits of existing technology.
In those years, mine rescue techniques, training and equipment were limited and their effectiveness was extremely low.
The first Mine Rescue teams were made up of volunteers who worked as managers in coal mines and friends of those who lost their lives in explosions, cave-ins and similar mining accidents.
These teams entered the mine after the accident and searched for survivors, rescued the injured, barricaded and extinguished the underground fire and risked their lives to make the mine operational again.
If we look at the history of breathing apparatus, one of the most basic equipment used by mine rescue teams, the name Henry Fleuss stands out in the design of the first breathing set.
Henry Fleuss, who lived between (1851-1933), was a diving engineer working for Siebe, Gorman & Co. of London.
In addition to many inventions such as the Fleuss vacuum pump and the steam car, Henry Fleuss is the inventor of the first SCUBA equipment using pressurized oxygen.
Designed in 1876 and patented in 1878, this diving equipment freed divers from dependence on systems that supplied fresh air from above the water.
This equipment consisted of a mask, a breathing bag, a copper tank to store oxygen and a cleaning unit.
This first Closed Circuit Breathing System had a design that allowed carbon dioxide to be removed and oxygen to be reused using a rope soaked in a caustic/potassium hydrate solution.
This design made it the first closed-circuit breathing apparatus to be used for mine rescue.
In addition, thanks to its bubble-free design, this groundbreaking device was also used in many military operations during World War II.
The PROTO set was developed over many years and in the late 1950s the latest “MKV” model was introduced. This new apparatus was widely used by fire brigades, although separate training was required for its use. Another advantage of this set was that it allowed many firefighters to work together as a team.
First Mine Rescue Station
In 1899, W.E.Garftorth, the manager of Altofts Colliery in England, suggested using an underground gallery to train mine rescuers and test rescue equipment (Breathing Apparatus) and built the first training gallery in his own mine at a cost of £13,000.Garforth also suggested that Rescue Stations should be in communication and the first Mine Rescue Station was opened in 1902 by the West Yorkshire Coal Mining Association in Tankersley, England.
In 1909, following a series of gas explosions at the Carbonado Coal mine in Canada, the British Columbia Mining Act was rewritten and the new law required every coal mine to have a Closed Circuit Oxygen Breathing Apparatus, as well as training for Mine Rescue teams with the help of a central station to be established by the government.
First Mine Rescue Competition
Competitions have always been a part of Mine Rescue.
The testing of skills and the chance to demonstrate them in practice is part of the competition, but the most important thing is that the competing teams get to know and learn from each other.
The first recorded Mine Rescue competition was held on October 30-31, 1911 at Forbes Field in the United States.
Teams competed on the scenario of entering the mine, testing the atmosphere, searching for and finding 3 injured people in the mine and bringing them out.
In addition, there are records that many first aid competitions were held in Canada in 1915.
Again in Canada, the first Mine Rescue competition was held in the Crow’s Nest region in 1916.
Turkey
The first Rescue Station in our country was established by the German DRAEGER company in 1938 in the Turkish Stone Coal Enterprise.
Over the years, many coal and metal mines have also established Rescue and Mine Rescue teams, but until 2019, there has not been a Mine Rescue Competition in Turkey.
Five rescue teams from different mines competed in realistic scenarios at Tüprag Efemçukuru Gold Mine in Izmir between September 10-13, 2019 under the supervision of international referees.
1.
Mine Rescue Competition; Çayeli Bakır, Esan Eczacıbaşı, Koza Altın, TKİ and Tüprag participated as competitors, while TÜMAD, İmbat Madencilik and Polyak took part as observers.
The 2nd Mine Rescue Competition took place between September 20-23, 2022 at Koza Gold Enterprises, Ovacık Gold Mine (Bergama/İZMİR).
2.
Anagol Madencilik, Çayeli Bakır, Demir Export, ESAN, Koza Altın, Lidya Madencilik, Polyak Eynez, Tümad, Tüprag, TKİ participated as competitors, while Acacia Maden, Dimin Madencilik, Eti Bakır, Eti Krom, Gübretaş Maden, Gümüştaş Madencilik, Limak Cement, Dedeman Madencilik and Öksüt Madencilik took part as observers.