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Thread ID: 114194	2010-11-22 03:18:00	Pike River Coal Mine	Digby (677)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1155443	2010-11-22 22:16:00	There's a lot of questions to be answered alright including how it happened in the first place given it is 2010 and warning systems are readily available. Where the hell did I leave my budgie?:D	mikebartnz (21)
1155444	2010-11-22 22:20:00	For clarity, here is a summary of my questions: 1. Why wasn't the present drilling started earlier? Because of the weather on the mountain at the time, remember a front was coming in low cloud and fog and only acess to area by helicopter. 2. In what way is the rescue team "experienced"? Well trained experianced Miners in search and rescue techniques 3. Why wasn't the robot considered to be used earlier? Who says it was not? Logistics, risk and making the thing safe to not risk for endangering any survival chances 4. Is the breathing apparatus used by the rescue team the best available? Short of a Nasa Spacesuit not designed to walk on the earth with yes! You clearly have never worn a BA set in your life 5. How much time does the breathing apparatus allow the rescuers, and would this be enough time for them to find the miners and return? Try to understand the limits of the human body! Breathing Aperatus is goiverned by the physical work load. Under a hevy work load the breathing may reach 100 litres per minute. On average the breathing would be around 40 litres per minute. If you need a BA set for the entire duration then no not enough air from a cyclinder and if that is the situation then survival of the victims is nil. 6. Why didn't the methane detectors warn the miners? Good question one that will be answered in an inquiry. Dont forget a supervisor from the previous shift signed off the mine as safe and then sent his son into that mine. Really consider would he have done that if methane levels of a high level were detected? Gas detectors are not infalible either btw. 7. Is it not possible to walk in the mine without creating a spark? No! Static electricty build up for one even if eliminated the BA equipment and torches needed to see where they are going would be a source of risk. BA equipment is equiped with a DSU (Distress unit for the wearer) for safety. Any introduction of oxygen could cause an explosion. Far to technical to explain to those not versed in science or understanding. ... These questions may have been answered via the news media, but I am not aware of this. I would think that there are reasonable answers, and I am not inferring blame or incompetence of the rescue team. They are my answers to those questions based on experiance and what none media sources I have read. More trusted sources than what media hype goes for. Its easy for you and me as bystanders some distance from the event to say we would go in but when your up close and know everything that is happening around you and understand what is involved maybe you wont be so cock sure and gung ho in your approach. Several mates of mine have been caught in a gas explosions over the years. in full BA structural fire fighting gear. In a confined area of a tunnel you really think the risk outweighs the benefits? I myself have been caught by a flashover and it is not very nice no matter how good the gear maybe.	coldfront (15814)
1155445	2010-11-22 22:23:00	IPersonally, I believe the best chance they had of success was immediately after the explosion. There was hardly likely to be much gas or oxygen around and although there would still have been dangers they would have been less than they are now. Also, if there were any survivors, then surely rescue after 5 hours would be infinitely better than 5 days. That makes perfect sense to me too.	mikebartnz (21)
1155446	2010-11-22 22:25:00	And the robot that was sent in failed to work. If it had been sent in earlier could we just conclude it would have died earlier?	Snorkbox (15764)
1155447	2010-11-22 22:32:00	And the robot that was sent in failed to work. If it had been sent in earlier could we just conclude it would have died earlier? Yes, but we would then have realised that there is only one robot in New Zealand and would have asked Australia and the USA to send some over. I am waiting now for our Hercules to breakdown. Its becoming very Dad's Armyish.	Digby (677)
1155448	2010-11-22 22:32:00	There might be two sides to every story but we have to have the facts and we simply do not have them at this time. When something goes wrong it is natural to cast blame and I might add that it is very often lack of accurate information that kills people. Or alternatively having accurate information and ignoring same. For me, I'd rather the people charged with the operation take the best advice they can get and we can help best by letting them get on with it. The media will take a sensational slant on a story and sieze on certain words. much like these threads do. We are so fed with the disater movie scenrios that compress things into 90 minutes that we fail to take not of what the reality is like. Reality is often harder to accept than what we want to believe is possible.	coldfront (15814)
1155449	2010-11-22 22:32:00	Where the hell did I leave my budgie?:D No, no, no, Mike, you needed a Canary, not a Budgie. :D Anyway they’ve been banned because they might make an electrical spark when they fall off their perch. ;)	B.M. (505)
1155450	2010-11-22 22:34:00	@Coldfront Thanks for those answers. Why did you not tell us that you had some experience in this area before ?	Digby (677)
1155451	2010-11-22 22:41:00	@Coldfront Thanks for those answers. Why did you not tell us that you had some experience in this area before ? He did, he said he was a volunteer fireman. :D	B.M. (505)
1155452	2010-11-22 22:42:00	He did, he said he was a volunteer fireman. :D I must have missed that, sorry coldfront.	wratterus (105)
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