Welcome to the March edition of CORESafety TV — the online video program from the National Mining Association.

Since October 2020, four massive pillar collapses have occurred in limestone mines in the U.S.

Each collapse was accompanied by a powerful air blast and the formation of a large surface sinkhole. The good news – those particular blasts did not result in any injuries, but the dangers were very real.

The collapses all occurred where floor mining or “benching” had substantially increased the height of the pillars. Three of them took place in legacy areas where mining had been completed many years ago.

This latest series of collapses has spurred the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to launch a new Pillar Collapse Initiative to raise awareness about these types of events.

In this month’s CORESafety TV episode, we see some incredible new footage of one of the air blasts caused by a pillar collapse. We also learn some important insights from Dr. Christopher Mark, the Principal Roof Control Specialist at MSHA.

Also in this episode, we check out CORESafety’s Module #3 – Management Systems Coordination.

CORESafety RESOURCES

• CORESafety TV (March 2022 episode) – click here.
• CORESafety TV (February 2022 episode) – go here.
• MSHA Pillar Collapse Initiative – go here.
• S-Pillar Software for Stone Mine Pillar Design – download here.
• CORESafety Module #3 – Highlights – click here.
• CORESafety Module #3 – Gap Analysis Check List – located here.
• To visit our CORESafety website, go here.