Selection of Employees for Performing Work Activities in Currently Used Ventilation Systems in Hard Coal Mining

The way in which rescue actions are carried out in a hard coal mine is conditioned by a number of factors, including the type, scale, and location of the hazard; location of employees at the danger and level of their endangerment; and the ventilation system used in the impacted area. In this article, the importance and necessity to take into account a human factor, specifically the propensity for risky behavior, alongside the selection of rescuers for rescue action is pointed out. As an introduction to the key research studies presented in this article, main ventilation systems used in hard coal mines are described and three real cases of natural hazard occurrences in hard coal mines are discussed. An analysis of these events has shown that the degree of difficulty of a rescue action depends, among other aspects, on the ventilation system applied. Next, a study covering a synthetic assessment of 25 mining rescuers taking into account the ‘risky behavior’ parameter is presented. The results were interpreted considering the—described earlier—cases of hazard occurrence in coal mines and ventilation systems applied there. For the research sample, a selection of rescuers to carry out actions in particular types of ventilation systems, taking as a criterion the mark they obtained in the synthetic assessment, is proposed.

Coordinate Transformation Using the Author’s Software in GIS Class System – Case Study

In order to implement the provisions of the INSPIRE Directive, it is necessary for the Member States of the European Union to take appropriate measures to enable combining in a uniform manner spatial data deriving from different sources and sharing use of them by many users and many applications. Spatial data regarding underground hard coal mining in Poland should also be available in the national spatial reference system. Mining enterprises run a cartographic resource in the different rectangular flat coordinate systems. The standard transformation procedure does not provide the required accuracy because these are areas affected by mining activity, and the stability of points is limited, hence, studies were undertaken. The result is the development of software that can be used in Geographic Information Systems to transform spatial data from a system used in mine to the national system. The article described shortly a chosen coordinates systems used in Polish underground mines, elaborated procedure for selection of the degree and the type of a transformation polynomial in the transformation task. It presents its practical application of procedure for the area of one of hard coal mines using the author’s software elaborated in the results of above-mentioned research.

Defining of the required parameters of the main fans on the ventilation shaft for the target model of the hard coal mine Y in connection with its decommissioning

The article presents the results of the analysis and calculations of the ventilation network of the decommissioned hard coal mine Y for the model of its target operation. After the end of hard coal mining and the liquidation of most of the mining excavations, the former Y hard coal mine will become an element of the drainage system and a protection for other, still active mining plants. In order for the Y excavation to be transformed into a mine water pumping station, its ventilation system should be rebuilt, and new parameters of the main fan should be determined for a smaller network of mining excavations. For this purpose, using the AERO-2016D program by POK “Zachód” Spółka z o.o., the parameters of the ventilation network were simulated in the target model of mine Y after the liquidation of the “Southern” shaft and mining excavations at levels 530m and 660m. The results of the simulation made it possible to select the optimal main fans for the target model of the transformed mine Y.

Safety culture among mine employees

The article discusses the results of research on the level of safety culture conducted in the form of a questionnaire survey in five different groups of employees in an underground hard coal mining plant. The survey included nine thematic groups with five questions each. Using the Likiert scale method, the safety climate in the company was assessed.

Identification of Market Gap as a Chance for Enterprise Development—Example of Polish Raw Materials Industry

The raw materials sector plays a key role in the Polish economy. The mineral raw material industry encompasses many different, sometimes highly specialized activities, such as exploration, mining, hauling, mineral processing, metallurgy and metal refining, as well as risk assessment, management (environmental, financial, legal) and marketing. The purpose of the article is to identify the market gap for business for entities or individuals in the mineral resources sector in Poland. Taking into account the European Union regulations which enforce the closure of hard coal mines in Poland by 2050, it is reasonable to identify such a gap in the raw materials area, especially since the current situation may turn out to be a new revival of the raw materials market after the pandemic period. Based on the NACE classification, a key area was identified, which is dedicated to potential entrepreneurs in the mineral resources area. Based on an internal analysis, the sectors directly related to the RM field in Poland were distinguished. Narrowing down the analyzed sections, leading areas were indicated that offer significant employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people who will be made redundant (often in groups) as a result of the phasing out of hard coal mining in Poland. As part of the article, the identification and analysis of key trends that have a significant impact on the functioning of companies, the industry, the region or the country, as well as threats, challenges and opportunities that may arise in the near future, was carried out. What is more, a number of scientific, research or development projects implemented in the area of mineral raw materials in the years 2010–2019 were analyzed. The authors present an innovative approach to defining the gap in the mineral raw materials sector in Poland in what regards conducting business activity, as well as an in-depth analysis of the sector in terms of enterprise development opportunities (creation of new start-up companies) and its directions. It should be mentioned that the presented research is the first attempt to analyze this issue in Poland.

How Miners and Other Professional Groups Perceive the Benefits and Risks of Hard Coal Mining: A Study on the Role of the Affect Heuristic

The problems that are inherent in the green shift of the energy sectors are particularly visible in countries where the hard coal mining industry plays an important role in the economy and society. For any transition to be successful, public support is crucial. This empirical study shows that – as a consequence of the affect heuristic – those who perceive hard coal mining as beneficial tend to minimize both its detrimental environmental impacts and its personal safety hazards. Ignoring the affect heuristic may have retarded transformations and led to a failure of many information campaigns.