A mine is a terrible thing

[HysteryDiagnosis]

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/14/132910360/safety-system-dysfunctional-before-mine-blast

"What typically happens with these ignitions is that water sprays on the miners can put these ignitions out," says Ellen Smith, owner and editor of Mine Safety and Health News. "All the backup systems worked when something went wrong.

Smith has collected and reviewed federal reports of methane ignitions in underground coal mines.

"We know that there have been about 600 ignitions since 2000," Smith reports. "And they have not resulted in mines blowing up."

Consequences Of Weak Ventilation System

Smith points out that a mine's ventilation system also works to control coal dust and methane underground. The system manages airflow so that methane gas dissipates or is swept away. Good ventilation also helps control coal dust. Inadequate ventilation has been a persistent problem at Upper Big Branch.

"The water and everything, that would have helped," says Stanley "Goose" Stewart, a veteran coal miner at Upper Big Branch who once operated the longwall shearer. "But ventilation is the biggest factor in my mind."