Latest Research and Challenges in Mining Safety

Dear Colleagues,

The importance of mining safety is not a new discovery. As early as 40,000 B.C. in Palaeolithic times, when miners faced oxygen deficiency, toxic gases, harmful dust, etc., they were compelled to develop a variety of methods to circulate air through shafts or tunnels to provide fresh air to the underground. Mining safety remains critical for an underground mine. Currently, the study of mine safety is a comprehensive subject covering areas from various disciplines. These include the optimization of the ventilation pattern in underground areas; underground or surface coal fire control; the management of coal gas migration or drainage, rock burst, explosion risk, etc. The disturbance of rock strata engineering poses unique challenges for the mining production and miners’ safety and healthy. 

In this context, this Special Issue aims to assemble research on the latest developments in advanced research into evaluating mining safety engineering or practices. Of interest are experimental, theoretical, computer simulation and case studies that contribute towards progress in the field.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• ventilation and air distribution/purification
• ground or strata failure
• dust inhalation or coal dust
• whole body vibration (WBV)
• hot and humid of mining environments
• fire or explosion
• gas outbursts
• spontaneous combustion
• management of hazards

Dr. Jianwei Cheng
Prof. Dr. Ke Gao
Prof. Dr. Feng Xu
Prof. Dr. Wen Nie
Guest Editors

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