Emergency refuge forms an integral part of an underground mine’s wider Emergency Response Plan (ERP). Fires, explosions, rock-falls, ffooding and the release of smoke and other forms of toxic gas are the types of incidents that occur all too frequently, despite the high levels of planning and the safety precautions in place. In these types of emergencies, when evacuation is no-longer safe or practical, emergency refuge is designed to provide a safe and secure ‘go-to’ area for personnel to gather and await extraction. With the current mining environment, there is a growing industry need for large scale permanent refuge chambers and their requirement has been born out of multiple successful real life uses during underground emergencies such as ffres and falls of ground (FOG).
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