The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Electronic device for miners’ safety

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Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Electronic device for miners’ safety

D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

Canary birds are carried by coal workers into mines. When they fall dead, it indicates presence of toxic gases and the workers
run for safety

– Photo: G.N. Rao

Saviours: Canary birds in an underground mine of Singareni Collieries Company Limited.

KOTHAGUDEM: The canary birds that sing and make noise all day and have for long been used by coal miners of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to save themselves from the toxic gases, will no more have to sacrifice their lives.

The coal workers never venture into the deep mines without a caged canary bird which has proved to be their saviour many a time.

An alert to miners

The birds demonstrate signs of distress in the presence of small quantities of noxious gases that can pose grave threat to the lives of coal workers. When they stop singing and fall dead in their cages, it is an indication of the presence of carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases and the coal workers run to safety.

The birds will, however, disappear from the mines soon.

The SCCL is opting for modern technology in the place of the bright yellow canary birds to help the miners save themselves from harmful gases in the mines.

Hand-held electronic device that gives a correct reading of the safety levels in the underground mines prone to leakage of gases will replacing the birds.

The carbon monoxide detectors costing Rs 2.5 lakh each have been provided in the mines. The device meant for detection of methane releases has also been made available to the miners.

The company has still some 70 canary birds readily available for the underground duty. A majority of them are seen at its vocational training centres.

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