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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
1155483	2010-11-23 04:09:00	May I just try and tidy this debate up a bit. 1: I don’t think anyone disagrees that Coal Mining is inherently more dangerous than Precious Metal Mining because of the prevalence of explosive gases. (Now I didn’t say that Precious Metal Mines don’t contain explosive gases, because they can.) 2: Ok, now we have to remember that Millions of Tons of coal have been mined without incidence. In fact, some would argue you’re safer in a coal mine than flying on an Airbus. After all, it’s been 43 years since the Strongman tragedy. 3: The thrust of this debate is that we have had an accident, and some of us disagree with the rescue efforts. (The reasons for the accident can be argued any time in the future) 4: All of the above is only an attachment to the real problem: And that is there are 29 Miners lost and the rescue efforts in my humble opinion resemble a Monty Python Spoof. Years ago other Miners would have grabbed their gear and gone straight back in and I’m sure there are plenty that would have still done so, had it not been for the Shiny Asses forbidding them. We’ll never know whether anyone could have been saved, but I suppose the Shiny Asses will get a medal for their efforts. :rolleyes:	B.M. (505)
1155484	2010-11-23 04:40:00	Well it worked in the real world in 1967 at the.... And a couple of years ago someone in Auckland survived an 11 story fall out of a building, Does that mean we ignore all the lessons of the past and start leaping out of buildings rather then taking the stairs? Do people need to be die right in front of your eyes before you believe it was a bad idea?	Metla (12)
1155485	2010-11-23 04:50:00	It looks like we will end up blaming some OSH manual for not allowing the rescue teams in. And I keep hearing of fireman on the radio saying that modern breathing gear can last a long time and that they have rubber suits so that they can go into dangerous buildings. And as for Monty Python, I agree, why did they not start drilling several pilot holes on the first day. And now they are telling us the explosion took place 2 kilometres into the mine which is near where the men would have been working. So they have been holding back information.	Digby (677)
1155486	2010-11-23 05:18:00	And a couple of years ago someone in Auckland survived an 11 story fall out of a building, Does that mean we ignore all the lessons of the past and start leaping out of buildings rather then taking the stairs? Do people need to be die right in front of your eyes before you believe it was a bad idea? LMAO,	plod (107)
1155487	2010-11-23 07:05:00	It looks like we will end up blaming some OSH manual for not allowing the rescue teams in. And I keep hearing of fireman on the radio saying that modern breathing gear can last a long time and that they have rubber suits so that they can go into dangerous buildings. And as for Monty Python, I agree, why did they not start drilling several pilot holes on the first day. And now they are telling us the explosion took place 2 kilometres into the mine which is near where the men would have been working. So they have been holding back information. Digby, this hole they are drilling has me confused because a couple of days ago I heard the CEO state on television that he didn’t believe that the “Structural Integrity of the Mine had been Compromised by the blast”. That doesn’t sound unreasonable, so why not walk in through the front door? Oh yes, gas, maybe they are hoping to draw in more oxygen through a “chimney effect” just to make things worse. :rolleyes: And then there’s the Army’s Robot. All I can say is the guy that wrote our “National Anthem” “God Defend New Zealand” was a true visionary. :groan:	B.M. (505)
1155488	2010-11-23 08:00:00	The six inch diameter hole they are drilling is to assess the air, and to have a look with a camera. It's not for evacuating folk or for rescuers to get through. As for the video of the gas venting during the explosion - I was quite unimpressed. So it was enough to flutter a rag, and to move bits of coal no bigger than a tennis ball. Sheesh - Wellington has more draft! Sure, 2km down it may have had more punch to it, and unfortunately a lot more heat, but I think the barrell of a gun analogy looked pretty lame against this footage. Given all the channels down at the face that allow room for the air to move and expand, softening the blow at all but the site of the blast - I can't see why some groups shouldn't have been able to survive and evac themselves. I just hope for their sake they aren't playing it by the book, huddled around waiting for rescue while the gases and dehydration finish them off. I only see two options - they're huddled around air, waiting patiently, afraid to bang out a signal for fear of creating a spark, or the heat and gases have finished those that survived the blast. The blast itself should not have finished off all three seperate groups.	Paul.Cov (425)
1155489	2010-11-23 11:22:00	Its no longer a rescue mission and the word shouldnt be used again. In the old days the miners used to go racing back into the mine after the explosion regardless of the risk. The new way is safety first, as long as people have floro safety jackets on its all kosher.	prefect (6291)
1155490	2010-11-23 18:06:00	Well Coldfront and Metla mightn't agree with me but someone does. :lol: www.radiolive.co.nz	B.M. (505)
1155491	2010-11-23 18:07:00	It's all called recovery by conjecture.	Cicero (40)
1155492	2010-11-23 18:12:00	Didn't the USA and Australia offer us help on the Saturday ? We should have asked them to send their robots then. I think they should send the head of OSH into the mine Did they have any gas sampling equipment on the robot ? Did it send any info back ? Is it still in there ? And that video of the blast did not impress em either. Of course there is gong to be lots of air and gas and wind coming from a large explosion in a small space. Who are they trying to impress ? or distract ?	Digby (677)
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