HSA BULLETIN February 1997 CONTENTS O Beam me down, Scottie! O A different point of view O Idaho production might break records O Environmental group seeks warnings for abandoned mine sites in Arizona O Four climbers rescued from New Jersey mine shaft O MSHA suggests traffic controls, communication standards for haul roads O FATAL ALERT O Don’t become the next victim O HAZARD ALERT O Blocking truck before working on it could have saved mechanic’s life O Five rescued after material collapse; miner injured in roof fall O Safety is everyone’s responsibility; and satutorily, engineers O Taconite producers predict 1997 will be best year in last 16 O Wearing worn-out athletic footwear can cause pain in the feet, legs, & back
Transcript
HSA BULLETIN February 1997
CONTENTSO Beam me down, Scottie!
O A different point of view
O Idaho production might break records
O Environmental group seeks warnings for abandoned mine sites in Arizona
O Four climbers rescued from New Jersey mine shaft
O MSHA suggests traffic controls, communication standards for haul roads
O FATAL ALERT
O Don’t become the next victim
O HAZARD ALERT
O Blocking truck before working on it could have saved mechanic’s life
O Five rescued after material collapse; miner injured in roof fall
O Safety is everyone’s responsibility; and satutorily, engineers
O Taconite producers predict 1997 will be best year in last 16
O Wearing worn-out athletic footwear can cause pain in the feet, legs, & back
HSA Bulletin February 1997
1
Beam me down, Scottie!
By Mark J. Crawford
Star Trek’s famous Captain Kirk isnot the only one to “boldly go whereno man has gone before.”
Here on earth, miners do it everyday, some tunneling deep into anunknown world as dark andmysterious as outer space. They alsouse some of the same tools in theirquest: lasers, complex computers,remote sensing devices, and sophisti-cated communication tools otherwiseknown as satellite telephones.
But while the popular televisioncharacters had no trouble locating
new worlds in each episode, minershave a much tougher time unearthingwhat they need.
Ore bodies are getting harder andharder to find. The more that are putinto production, the fewer there areleft to discover. And in the process,mines are becoming harder andmore expensive to permit.
So mining companies are eager tofind those “world-class” deposits thatare big enough and rich enough topay for themselves, even duringeconomic or political downturns—both in the United States and in thehost of other countries now opening
their doors to foreign investment.The problem is there just aren’t
that many world-class deposits to goaround. Most of the “easy” ones havebeen found, and there is a hugeinventory of mineral resources—especially industrial and preciousmetals—discovered by miningcompanies that are too deep, toolow-grade, metallurgically complex,or environmentally sensitive to tackle.
But thanks to new technologicaladvances that are mindful of environ-mental trends, many of these resourceswill become working mines. Forinstance, biological and hydrometallur-
HSA Bulletin February 1997
2
gical processes are being applied tocopper, gold and other metals,reducing the need for smelters. Thesenew techniques are environmentallyfriendly and can even make small, orremotely located, mineral depositseconomically feasible.
Problems such as mine waste, olddumps and acid mine drainage alsocan be remediated more easily and atlower cost because of advances intechnology. In situ mining will allowthe removal of metals without diggingup the surface. And computermodeling and global positioningsystems (GPS) are making minessafer, more efficient and moreprofitable.
In the ProcessMany of today’s mines could neverhave been opened if it weren’t for
advances in processing technologies,enabling the safe and economicallyfeasible extraction of low-grade ore.Three of the major developments inthis area are bioleaching, hydrometal-lurgy and in situ mining.
BioleachingBiological processes have widespreaduses that are revolutionizing oreprocessing and remediation. “Biologi-cal processes are the future.” saysNetty Buras, president ofBioremediation, Inc. “They arepresent in different media, and needto be discovered or rediscovered,because they do so many things sowell.”
So what are these biologicalwonders? Billions and billions ofbacteria—different species fordifferent ores, pressures, tempera-
tures and climates. The bacteria eatsulfur, a common element in mostores. The copper and gold are“loosened” from mineral structure,and are then leached by solutions.The bacteria can neutralize acid minedrainage and remove the toxicmetals. Mineral buildup from minepipes can be broken down bybacteria. Environmental engineers usebacteria to clean up waste oil andcoal gasification waste. When addedto old cyanide heap leach pads,bacteria even decompose cyanide.
Leslie Thompson, of PintailSystems, Inc., has been exploringbiological treatment of mine wastesince the mid-1980s. Early resultsfrom an EPA Innovative Site Technol-ogy Grant at the Summitville GoldMine in Colorado show that bacteriaactually induce a reattachment ofmetal onto the spent ore piles—reducing the metal content of therunoff.
Test work by Bioremediation, Inc.at Magma Copper’s Supper Mine inArizona has shown that treating acidmine drainage with bacteria neutral-ized the acid, removed heavy metals,and met federal water regulations.
Six commercial bioleaching plantsfor gold are presently in operation,and a few copper projects arealready underway. The process willsoon be applied to other metals likezinc, bismuth, tin and indium.Newmont Mining Company will be thefirst to use bacteria on a heap leachscale to break down gold ore priorto leaching.
Biological processes in wetlandscan detoxify mine or industrial wasteand concentrate metals. “Constructedwetlands that remediate acid minedrainage have become accepted inrecent years,” reports Corale Brierleyof the VistaTech I Partnership. “Inaddition to microbes, plants play amajor role in accumulating andimmobilizing metals.” (Althougheffective in cleaning up acid minedischarge, toxic levels of metals inwetland plants may be consumed by
3wildlife. The metal-rich sediments inthe wetland will also need to beremoved when the wetland isdecommissioned.)
Bacterial methods have greatadvantages over conventionalprocesses: lower coal, faster metalrelease, higher metal recoveries, theability to detoxify cyanide and theending of long-term environmentalliability. As an alternative to roastingor smelting, bioleaching does notproduce toxic emissions, has ashorter construction time, and isbetter for the environment. It is asimple, safe and low cost processthat can make a variety of deposits(especially small ones) economicwinners.
HydrometallurgyThere is a definite trend away fromthe roasting and smelting of ores(pyrometallurgy) and towardhydrometallurgy—using water withacids or bases to process metal.Smelters are expensive to constructand maintain, particularly in order tomeet current environmental stan-dards. And it is expensive to ship oreconcentrates to a smelter.
One of the simplest processes isheap leaching, where broken piecesof copper or gold ore are piled onvinyl liners and sprinkled with asolution that leaches the metal. This“pregnant” solution is then collectedand stripped of its metal content.
AuGMENT Technologies hasrecently patented a new technologycalled CU/AUT that leaches bothcopper and gold using cyanide, andrecovers about 90 percent of thecyanide for reuse. This process has awide range of applications, especiallyfor low-grade ore, gold mill tailingsthat still contain metal andgold-bearing copper plant cleanertails.
Cyanisorb, a new process fromCoeur d’Alene Mining Companyrecycles cyanide from gold opera-tions. It obviously has importantenvironmental benefits: wildlife
mortality from cyanide is greatlyreduced, as is the risk of cyanideleakage. In fact, because of theCyanisorb process, a vinyl liner underthe leach pads at the Golden CrossMine in New Zealand was notrequired.
Newmont Mining Company hasalso patented a process that usesammonium thiosulfate to heap leachgold ore—this will be used for thefirst time on a heap leach projectaround 1998. Research is also beingconducted into the leaching qualitiesof nitric acid and bromine.
SX-EW (otherwise known as solventextraction electro-winning) has beenaround for a number of years, and isthe mainstay of the porphyry copperindustry. Low-grade copper oxide oresare heaped on a pad and leached, andthe copper-rich solution then plates itscopper to a charged electrode. In thepast six years there have been many
advances in developing different organicextractants for the leach solutions. This“customizes” SX-EW for a greatervariety of ore types and climaticconditions.
All hydrometallurgical processes willbenefit from the use of high pressureroll grinding. Common for years in thecement industry, the technique is justnow being added to mineral processingflowsheets. Broken pieces of ore arefed through the rolls and are com-pressed and microfractured. Thisspeeds up leach kinetics on the dumps,frees more metal, and improvesrecoveries.
High pressure roll grinding couldturn lower grade copper and golddeposits into productive mines,especially when combined withbioleaching.
In situ miningPrior to the demise of the U.S.
Technologyaids everyphase of theminingprocess. Here,a helicopterassists inconstructing acoal conveyorsystem.
HSA Bulletin February 1997
4 Bureau of Mines earlier this year, itspersonnel were working with AsarcoMining Company to do extensiveresearch on in situ mining as acopper recovery technique. “In situleach mining will take us away frombulk handling of ore,” said WilliamLarson, former manager of theBureau’s Advanced Mining Division.“There’ll be no need for pits, shaftsand tailings, so there will he nosubsidence or land damage.”
Leach solutions that selectivelydissolve metals would be pumpedinto the ore body through casedinjection wells. Under pressure, thesolutions move through the cracks inthe ore-bearing rock, leaching metal.The metal-rich solution is then drawnto the surface and processed. CyprusAmax, Asarco and Magma CopperMining Companies are the leaders inapplying this technology to copper.
“Our work with Asarco on theirSanta Cruz deposit in Arizona is agreat example of cooperativegovernment-industry work that willhave a tremendous impact,” saidLarson. “It is a very exciting timenow—the industry is just starting tofield-test this research on their owndeposits.”
A similar strategy will be used inthe many miles of deep undergroundworkings at Copper Range’s WhitePine Mine in northern Michigan. Over50,000 remaining pillars containingover one billion pounds of recover-able copper will be blasted intorubble. Injected solutions will leachcopper from the rubble and later berecovered at an SX-EW plant on thesurface.
In situ leaching is especiallysuited for ores that are too deep orlow grade to mine economicallytoday. Deposits that lie underneathsensitive environmental areas couldbe mined from outside those areasusing in situ methods and directionaldrilling technology. Future in situresearch will test the leachability ofgold, manganese and copper sulfidedeposits. And there is the very real
possibility of combining biologicaland in situ methods in the nearfuture—strains of bacteria are knownto survive in the higher pressures andtemperatures that are found under-ground.
Quick and painlessMajor advances in mining technologyare toward autonomous operations,safer mine conditions, and lessdowntime. Much of this is driven byGPS—global positioning systems—and other visual/navigationalcomputer systems. GPS is a precisemeasuring device that ties into anarray of 24 satellites. GPS can beused to control grades on benches,slopes, shovel positions, and truckand rail dispatching.
And the precision is getting evenbetter—with the advent of DifferentialGPS, movements to within a fewcentimeters can be programmed.(The laser gyro, a spinning wheelwith a coiled fiber optic cable, isused in underground mines whereGPS can’t “see” the sky.)
Manufacturers of heavy equipmentare putting computer systems onboard trucks and shovels. “The heavyequipment market is without a doubtone of the most exciting new avenuesfor GPS integration,” says Jim Sorden,executive vice president for surveyingand mapping at Trimble Corporation,a GPS designer. The computers assistin the operation of the equipmentand can detect failure situationsbefore they happen, which keepsrepair costs (and downtime) to aminimum.
Fred Loeber, director of engineer-ing for P&H Mining Equipment, talksabout the company’s new GUI(Graphic User Interface) System:“These portable computers havetouchscreen—you just point to acommand with a finger. There arecolored schematics and diagnosticprompts, and a machine log; so ifthere is a failure, you can go backand reconstruct it—it helps trackdown elusive gremlins.”
Caterpillar has a similar setupcalled VIMS (Vital InformationManagement System). Caterpillar isalso working on fully autonomousmining trucks that will be able to goat speeds up to 30 mph with theirpositions controllable to within half acentimeter—all thanks to GPS.
Safety firstThe safety of the mine worker isalways a top concern in any miningenvironment. GPS additions make theequipment safer and easier to run,with less operator fatigue.GPS-inspired automatic miningequipment allows miners to stay asafer distance from the face.
The Department of EnergyPittsburgh Research Center inPennsylvania constantly researchesmine safety. Studies, conductedpreviously with the Bureau of Mines’Lake Lynne Underground Laboratory,focused on occupational health,ground control, subsidence control,fire extinguishers, suppressiontechniques for coal dust explosions,conveyor belt fires and mine safetysystems. Advanced computerprograms model support require-ments, pillar design and roof controlRadar is used to measure thethickness of coal seams and detectroof hazards. Prior to its closing, theBureau developed an instrument thatgives a readout of the rock/coal dustratio in coal mines in a matter ofseconds. This ratio is critical forpreventing deadly coal dust explo-sions. In the past mines often had towait for days for laboratory analysesto come in that might identifydangerous conditions—now thoseconditions can be remedied immedi-ately.
Mine Safety Appliances, Inc. hasrecently developed a smaller oxygenself-rescuer that can be worn at alltimes. It is lighter in weight, can bedonned with one arm, and has voicecommunication abilities. Thiscompany also has designed a minemonitoring system with sensors that
HSA Bulletin February 1997
5measure carbon monoxide andoxygen levels in coal mines. “It canbe hooked into any existing system,without need for electrical devices orcomputers” says John Hierbaum,product manager. “It will especiallyimprove safety in small mines wherethey can’t afford sophisticatedcomputer systems.”
Computer ageThere is no question that mining is acomputerized field, and becomingmore so every day. Computers areinvolved in every aspect of the miningindustry, from mineral exploration tomachine design and grade control.Engineers, geologists, and operatorsare becoming more computer-literateand cross-trained. Portable computersare routinely tossed into field trucksor taken underground.
Computer programming is havinga huge impact on coal mining inparticular. It is used to study geology,ventilation systems, particle size onconveyor belts, accident analysis,ground subsidence, data collection,spontaneous combustion andcontrolling myriad electrical systems.Subsidence modeling has led to moreaccurate predictions about surfaceeffects, which has reduced liability.The use of computers has tripledproduction of underground longwallmining in the past ten years.
Computerized automatic miningmethods have improved safety byreducing the number of miners onthe face. The addition of GUI systemson machinery has reduced break-downs—this results in feweraccidents and injuries, which oftenresult from rushing to fix brokenequipment during a production cycle.According to Lee Saperstein, deanand professor of mining engineeringat the University of Missouri-Rolla,“We soon will have a computer-controlled [coal] mine that delivers auniform product at minimum costand at maximum productivity.”
One of the keys to this predictionis the use of real-time” mineral
analysis, where the measuring deviceis deployed on the cutting head ofthe longwall miner.
Some of this technology isavailable today. Metorex, Inc. hasdeveloped hand-held X-ray fluores-cence analyzers that can measure thelevels of most elements in about 30seconds. New computer advanceshave done a better job of controllingthe tube parameters, which giveslower detection limits. With thesereal-time results ore contacts can belocated on the face, and the measure-ments are reliable enough for gradecontrol and reserve calculations.Contamination levels in concentrates,slags and the surrounding environ-ment can also be determined.
Computer/laser technologies havedeveloped surveying equipment that
can measure objects up to 40.000feet away. Criterion’s Autoscan systemdoesn’t need reflectors or multi-mancrews, for instance. Volume determi-nations are precise enough that mineface measurements before and after ashift can determine how much orewas removed. The volume of ore instockpiles can also be calculated.
Modern mineral exploration isdependent on computer-definedtechnologies such as satellite imagery,conductive, magnetic, and radiometricgeophysical surveys, data processingradar and geochemical surveys.Thematic mapping works well in andterrains that have little vegetation.Deeper-penetrating geophysicaltechniques will be critical to thediscovery of buried ore deposits.
An abundance of geoscience and
New graphicuser interfacesystems enableequipmentoperators todetect failuresituationsbefore theyoccur.
HSA Bulletin February 1997
6
ALERT reminder: ● Always maintain adequate mine ventilation and make frequent checks for methane and proper airflow. ● Know your mine’s ventilation plan and escapeways. Properly maintain methane detection devices. Communicate changing mine conditions to one another during each shift and to the oncoming shift. ● Control coal dust with frequent applications of rock dust. ● Make frequent visual and sound checks of mine roof during each shift. NEVER travel under unsupported roof.
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
W I N T E R
engineering software is available togeologists, engineers and metallur-gists. The use of mine planning andoptimization software can lead tomajor operational savings due tobetter design and control. A newclassification of software called “datavisualization” takes special data andrepresents it in three dimensions withcolor and rendering. According toBetty Gibbs of Biggs Associates, “thiskind of representation has beenavailable in the past through large,expensive [$50,000] integratedprograms. Now for about $1,000, youcan get these results on your PC.”
Geographical Information Systems(GIS) like GRASSLAND by L.A.S. Inc.help plan, manage, and trackland-oriented operations. In mineralexploration such a system allows theuser to establish a map or satelliteimage base on which geologic orsatellite thematic layers can besuperimposed.
Topcon manufactures apocket-sized, real-time graphicmapping GPS/GIS system. The userpreloads a base map that shows thetarget area, and it will continuallydisplay and update the users locationin real time—with a “you-are-here”simplicity.
The Internet is becoming more ofa force in the mining industry aswell. Computer communicationsbetween industry, academia, andgovernment—even across nationalborders—has helped the exchange ofnew ideas and insights. A new unity
is emerging where major leaders inmining are establishing sites on theInternet, such as the Mine Safety andHealth Administration, the NationalMining Association, Northwest MiningAssociation, United Mine Workers ofAmerica and various internationalmining research groups.
Staying in touchInstant communication is critical inthe business world these days, andsomething we have come to expect.Communication links are importantfor changing itineraries, businessdeals, safety of field crews and fixingdowned equipment.
But the mining business faces aunique set of communicationobstacles. Like other executives,mining personnel travel frequently,but they tend to travel to locations farmore remote. Although about half ofthe United States can be accessed viathe cellular phone network, miningand exploration always seem to be inthe other half! Fortunately, phonecalls, faxes, and the transfer of digitaldata are becoming more affordablethrough satellite transmissions.
Mobile phone service is becomingmore widespread. In the UnitedStates, the American Mobile SatelliteCorporation (Skycell) offers coverageover most of North America, Hawaii,and Central America for close tocellular phone rates. It is alsogrowing in other countries wheremining is prevalent. In Australia, forinstance mobile phone service is
available across the entire nation andup to 200 kilometers out to sea via adomestic satellite. Upgrades will soonallow communications from movingvehicles.
Eye on the futureSociety will make increasing environ-mental demands on the miningindustry. Population will continue toincrease and spread into what wereonce rural areas, where explorationand mining could function withminimal socioeconomic impact.Mineral deposits will continue to bedepleted—yet demand will rise, andalso environmental and aestheticexpectations.
As the “easy” deposits are minedaway (and fewer are discovered),companies will refocus on those“other” resources that have feasibilityproblems. Many of these, having beenidle for so many years, are alreadycloser to people, homes and growingcommunities. Geologists, engineers,metallurgists and computer specialistsare committed to helping developadvanced technologies that will meetthe new challenges that face explora-tion and mining today, and in thefuture.
Reprinted from the July/August 1996edition of MiningVoice.
Mark J. Crawford is a consultingexploration geologist and author withmore than 20 years in the miningindustry. He is based in Rhinelander,Wis.
HSA Bulletin February 1997
10 Real case of safety at work in the mines
A different point of view
By Jim Ball, Bradford Stuart Industries
Mining is a tough business filled withgreat expectations and heartaches. It’s abusiness that has no equal when itcomes to pride and satisfaction or noequal when it comes to danger. In thetwenty or more years that I have beenin this business, I have seen manychanges. There was a time when it wassaid that solid state electronics wouldnever be in the mining industry. Todayyou will find that the average superin-tendent keeps track of production,maintenance and his payroll with acomputer. This is a far cry from thedays not so long ago when we used tohaul coal out with the old mule.
The question that we may ask ofourselves… “is this industry advancingor in a point of stagnation?” If we lookat all the records compared to the past,we will find out that today’s minerproduces more coal, metal, or non-metal products than at any other timein history. This is done with fewaccidents and with a more educatedand adequately trained miner than everbefore.
What does all this technology andtraining mean to the average person? Ithink that if we would take a fewmoments to peer back into our pastsand remember, we will all know ofsomeone that has been lost to thisindustry. This loss is felt far greater bythe immediate loved ones left behind,but it also has a lasting effect on all ofour lives. This industry is dangerous,but certainly not as dangerous as it wasin days past. In the past 16 years, Ihave been involved in companies thatmanufacture electronic equipment forthe mining industry. I would have tosay that the majority of these electronicgadgets, gismos, or real products havehad safety as the guiding light for theirdevelopment. Certainly more than a few
have been guided by MSHA throughtheir years of experience and study ofthis industry.
One thing that bothers me is thatwe have a tendency to complain aboutlaws or products that assure ourfamilies that when we leave for thatshift, we will be returning safely. I thinkthat we should start thinking more interms of how safety has helped, insteadof lost-time accidents or fatality reports.I am not saying that we should forgetabout accidents, but think of safety interms of our every day lives and howtechnology and some rules have helpedus. I would like you individual miners,companies, or inspectors to have adifferent view of our industry. I thinkthat we could start focusing on howpeople have been saved by laws as wellas technology.
Why not see reports wheresomeone was saved or not injured,because of technology. I would like tostart the ball rolling with a story thathas stuck in my mind for many years. Iwill not mention the actual name of thecompany or individuals involved. Iwould like this story to be viewed inthe “someone saved” aspect ofthinking.
I was working on a project with acompany installing a new groundmonitor. The purpose of the groundmonitor is to assure that the groundconductor stays intact at all times whileelectrical equipment is operating. If thisground wire is broken, the electricalcircuit must be deenergized. We hadinstalled this device and had met withthe usual resistance about technology,laws, and other things. We were eventold by one fellow that this new devicewas not safe. The system had been inoperation for a while, and one day theyneeded to do some maintenance on the
junction boxes. Two electricians hadthe circuit de-energized and proceededto work on different boxes. Oneelectrician was around a hill from theother electrician and could not beseen. The first electrician completed histask and called to say that he wasfinished. Someone at the substationthought that this was an okay to putpower back on. He energized thecircuit and it tripped as soon as heenergized it. The electrician that hadfinished realized what happened andtold them not to energize the power.He ran to where his buddy wasworking. His buddy had been in thebox with a crescent wrench on a phaseconductor when the power wasenergized.
There is a happy ending to thisstory. Before the electrician had startedworking on the box, he disconnectedthe ground wire and used it to bleedthe capacitance from the system. Hethen left the ground wire disconnectedand started working on the box. Whenthe circuit was energized the groundmonitor immediately tripped the circuitout. The only thing that happened tothis individual was a couple of redspots on his knees, where he wastouching the box. He was sent to thehospital and released in short order.
In this case, if we had not had aground wire monitor or groundmonitoring laws, we would haveanother family without a husband orfather. The next time you wonder aboutthose new high tech gadgets or gismosor all these laws, try to think of thisstory for the answer.
Reprinted from the March 1996 issue ofCOAL PEOPLE MAGAZINE, Vol. 20,No. 7, copyright 1996 by Al Skinner,Editor/Publisher.
HSA Bulletin February 1997
13Idaho production might breakrecordsUniversity of Idaho Geological Surveyofficials say a boom in Idaho’s goldproduction might break records forthe second year in a row.
More than 300,000 ounces ofgold was mined from Idaho in 1995,University of Idaho College of MinesDean Robert Bartlett said Jan. 21.
Bartlett was meeting with thelegislative budget committee. “Goldproduction is twice what it was
during the Depression. Mining is notwhat it was in 1870, but it’s better inabsolute dollars than it has everbeen,” Bartlett said in response to arequest from Rep. Jack Barraclough,R-Idaho Falls, for a “state of thestate” review of mining in Idaho.
The state’s gold productiontopped $1.1 billion in 1995 and the1996 predictions are more optimistic,Earl H. Bennett said, who is the state
geologist and associate director ofthe Idaho Geological Survey. Goldproduction is predicted to reachnearly 320,000 ounces for 1996 as aresult of a major exploration push inthe Western United States in 1989and 1990.
Increased profitability for coalminesJoseph P. Marsalka, President ofStartec, Inc., in Dublin, Ohio,announced in early August that a newlow-cost coal pelletizing systemdeveloped and manufactured by theirsubsidiary, Startec Environmental,Inc., was installed at the MillerMining Company in Sugar Creek,Ohio. This System utilizes coal “fines”(dust or small bits of coal that werepreviously landfilled or sold atminimal prices), which can dramati-cally increase the use of coal wasteand increases profitability for coalmines.
The Startec poetizing system addsa binder to the fines and compressesthe mixture into briquette-like lumps,which can be used in any stoker-firedfurnace or boiler. The system willenable Miller to reclaim 15-20percent of its daily coal productionby converting the waste coal fines toa higher value product. Coal fines arecreated in the mining process whencoal is washed to remove the dirtprior to shipment to customers.
Startec’s pelletizer is capable ofprocessing 60 tons per hour,compared to two to 10 tons per day
for previous briquetting equipment.The system is designed to operate 24hours a day, permitting recovery ofmore than 1,000 tons of fines perday. This means that, even whenMiller is operating at its peakproduction rate of 10,000 tons perday, the company can recover mostof its 1,500 to 2,000 tons of fines,which had previously brought little orno income. The pelletized fines canbe sold for $18 to $26 per ton.
Startec’s future plans are to buildAlternative Fuel Stations which willutilize the Startec Pelletizing Systemand Liquefaction Plant to manufactureNo. 2 diesel fuel and a binder(glue-like substance) with a BTUvalue of 16,000 BTU. The diesel fuelwill be sold at prices equal toprocessed diesel fuel and the bindermaterial will be blended with the coalfines or other material to increasethe BTU value and reduce the sulfurcontent of the pellet. This pellet willcompete with the best grades of coal.
The Liquefaction Plant utilizesmaterials such as paper, wood, greenwaste (lettuce, grass, vegetables) tomanufacture the oil and binders.
Startec Liquefaction Plants can utilizefrom 30 to 300 tons of waste pertwenty-four hour shift. Plants such asthis greatly reduce material going intolandfills.
Startec and Waste TechnologyTransfer, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona,who perfected the liquefactionprocess, have formed a joint venturecompany known as Coalite, Inc.Coalite has licensed Startec to buildthe biomass Liquefaction Plants withits Pelletizing Systems.
Recently, Startec received a boostfrom the U.S. Senate announcing thepassing of legislation to extend thedeadline for Section 29 federal taxcredit for coal upgrade and biomassenergy projects.
A five-year-old company, Startecnot only recovers coal fines, but alsofuel from household waste as well asyard, garden and agricultural wastes.They can be reached at614-792-9988.
Reprinted from the September 1996 issueof Acquire’s COAL TODAY.
HSA Bulletin February 1997
14 Environmental group seeks warnings forabandoned mine sites in ArizonaThe Sierra Club is pushing forlegislation that would help mineinspectors identify abandoned minesand shafts that have caused deaths inthe past.
More than 100,000 abandonedmine sites around Arizona need to besafeguarded, according to the SierraClub. The group is working with statemine inspectors to push for legislationthat would tack another $10 on top ofthe $100 filing fee that individuals andmining companies pay each year tokeep a mining claim active.
That money would be used to findmore abandoned mines and to put upwarning signs on property.
With about 30,000 active claims,the plan could generate $300,000 ayear for the state Mine Inspector’sOffice.
Chuck Shipley, a spokesman for theArizona Mining Assn. said his group isstill deciding whether to support thebill, which would be introduced in theupcoming legislative session. However,“it may be wise to set up some type ofprogram to at least inventory and locatewhere these so-called abandoned minesare.”
Identifying old mines has becomedifficult in recent years because cities inArizona keep spreading out, assistantstate mine inspector Bill Hawes said.
At the same tirne, more people areusing off-terrain vehicles to exploreremote mining sites that were oncethought inaccessible.
To fix the problem, legislation waspassed in 1987 giving the mineinspector’s office jurisdiction over oldmines. But Hawes said the office has
never had enough money to identifywhere they are or do much aboutthem.
The Bureau of Land Managementprovided the state with a small grant tomap abandoned mines on BLM land.Last session, the state forked over aminuscule amount of general funds forfences and signs.
“Unfortunately our mandate is toinspect active mines,” Hamm said.“We’re at a catch-22. We couldn’t getfunding until we knew how many therewere and we don’t know how manythere are without funding.”
So far, the agency has surveyedabout 6,000 old mines.
Four climbers rescued from N.J. mine shaftFour inexperienced spelunkers havegiven up on underground climbing afteran outing left them stuck in a 100-footmine shaft for more than 12 hoursbefore being rescued.
“I’ve been spelunking for one weekand that’s one week too long,” said RayZeglin, 30, of Randolph, N.J. “Go withthe professional. It is not a sport toventure out on your own.”
Zeglin, Frank Wainen, 21, of Dover,and Keith Sargent, 23, and JamesComeskey, 23, both of Randolph, werefound by rescuers shortly after 2 a.m.Dec. 30, more than 12 hours after theyrappelled into the abandoned mineshaft in Rockaway Township, N.J. Allbut Comeskey had rock climbingexperience. Zeglin had begun under-ground exploring only a week earlier.
They tried to climb out, but ice,water and moss made the trip back uptoo slick and strenuous. Several friendsand relatives knew their generallocation and they just waited for help to
come. “Everybody kept a cool head,”Zeglin said. “We made a bed out ofdebris and tried to keep each otherwarm. It was like being in a refrigera-tor. It was just a matter of time. Wefigured they’d start looking in themorning.”
With no food, water or othersurvival gear and clad only insweatshirts and jackets, they passedtime by trying to sleep, ignoring thesounds of bats and rushing waterelsewhere underground and yelling forhelp whenever they thought they heardnoises from above.
Police were called late Sunday nightby family members, and authoritiesfound the shaft about 2:10 a.m.Monday. All were pulled to the topusing the harnesses they wore to rappelinto the shaft, and the rescue wascompleted by 5 a.m. With abrasions totheir hands and faces, all were treatedat a hospital and released.
“They were very fortunate that the
weather was not worse,” said Lt. WalterKimble of the Rockaway TownshipPolice Dept. “It was a relatively mildevening, in the 40s most of the night,and the shaft where they were was alittle warmer than the outside air.”
Zeglin said he learned of the sitethrough others who had climbed intothe former ore mine. All declined tosay whether they knew they weretrespassing. “If they wanted to keeppeople out, they could have done amuch better job,” said Zeglin.
Police said it depended on propertyowners, whom they did not identify,whether trespassing charges would befiled. None of the four would commenton whether signs were posted or if theyhad seen any.
MSHA suggests traffic controls,communication standards for haulroadsBecause haulage accidents are theleading cause of death for miners,MSHA is suggesting traffic controland communication measures that alloperators should take to preventthese accidents.
According to Program Informa-tion Bulletin P96-26, a review ofsurface haulage truck accidents thatoccurred between January 1990 andJuly 1996 discloses that lack ofcommunication between drivers ofthe vehicles or with a dispatcher andinadequate traffic controls contrib-uted to many of these accidents.
Fatal accidents have alsooccurred when maintenance or utilitytrucks or pedestrians were run over
by haulage trucks. Many of the fatalaccidents involving collisions mayhave been avoided had the drivers ofthe vehicles been aware of trafficactivities at the mine through somemeans of communication betweenthem.
In order to minimize surfacehaulage accidents MSHA is suggestingthat:■ Mine operators should establishadequate and appropriate rules andwarning signs indicating any unusualor potentially dangerous roadconditions.■ Signs should be uniform inappearance and location and must beclearly posted, that is, placed at
locations where they can be ob-served.■ Mine operators should providetraining to truck drivers to becomefamiliar with traffic patterns and anychanges in these patterns.■ Equipment operators should bealert to and anticipate changes inroad conditions, especially withchanges in weather conditions.■ Equipment operators should obeytraffic rules and take the necessaryprecautions to respond to warningsigns.
North Carolina suffered its secondfatal mining accident of 1996 inOctober.
On a rainy morning at adimension stone mine, a block ofgranite weighing 14 tons fell whilebeing stacked. The victim, witheighteen years experience, was caughtbetween the falling block andadjacent blocks, causing massiveinjury to the lower chest and hiparea.
The victim assisted in rigging thewire rope slings around the block forunloading and directed the overheadcrane operator to “double stack” theblock on a smaller block of granite.The top block was positioned offcenter, and no cross timbers wereused for support. Both the top and
bottom blocks had rounded anduneven surfaces.
The victim signaled for the craneoperator to set the block and givehim slack. The larger block sat forone or two minutes while the victimunhooked one side of the sling fromthe crane. He walked along thelength of the stacked blocks tounhook the other sling when the topblock of granite fell off the smallerblock.
Cause of the accident1. The top block was not properlycentered. 2. The top block (3’-6" x5’-9" x 10’-4") was stacked on asmaller block (4' x 4' x 7'). 3. Thestacking surface of the two blockswas rounded and uneven. 4. The two
blocks were not provided withtimbers for support between them. 5.The victim crossed along side of thestacked blocks without leavinghimself clearance or a means ofescape when the block fell.
Corrective action toprevent similaraccidents1. The bottom block must be largeror of equal size of the top blockwhen stacked. 2. All blocks that arestacked must have level surfaces. 3.Timbers are to be used betweenblocks to help insure the top block isstable. 4. Timbers are to be used tohelp prevent damage to the wire ropeslings. 5. Procedures for unhookingwire rope slings must place minersclear of suspended or unstable loads.
Danger in and around mines
FATAL ALERT
HSA Bulletin February 1997
16 SAFETY REMINDER: Failure to lock out
Don’t become the next victimIf some immediate, obvious hazardwas threatening us or our co-workers—a fire, for example, or astack of boxes about to toppleover—we would act quickly anddecisively to ensure our safety andthe safety of others.
In the natural resource industries,relatively few injuries and deaths arecaused by fires or falling boxes. Butmany, many workers are hurt,maimed and even killed by equip-ment or machinery that has not beenproperly locked out. Examples arepresented regularly in this magazine.
The underlying causes forlockout-related accidents vary. Maybethe workers weren’t provided withthe means or the know-how to lockout properly. Maybe they were tryingto keep production rolling smoothly,to avoid shutting down the line.Maybe they were thinking ofsomething else.
What does not vary, it seems, isthe constant threat that failure tolock out poses in our industries.Every day, the accident tally climbs
higher and higher.These accidents are all the more
tragic because they could beprevented if every workplace took thefollowing steps:■ Identify all tasks and equipmentthat require lockout.■ Develop a lockout policy anddetailed procedures that are practicalto follow day-in and day-out.■ Educate and train all personnel inthe procedures that apply to theirspecific tasks.■ Enforce the written policy andprocedures.
When an immediate threat likefire looms, it’s generally clear whatsteps must be taken to stay safe, andthere’s plenty of incentive to takethem. When it comes to lockout, thehazard is one that may develop as aresult of an action or decision wedon’t take, rather than something wedo. The danger is more remote.Perhaps that’s why lockout continuesto be one of the most devastatingthreats in our industries. But itshouldn’t take a tragedy like the ones
presented in this magazine to bringhome the importance of lockout. Theappropriate procedures must be put
in place, and they must be followedto the letter, every time. Where thereare exceptions, it’s only a matter oftime until tragedy follows.
Reprinted from the January/February1997 edition of Ontario [Canada’s]Natural Resources Safety Association’sHealth & Safety RESOURCE.
Providing therightequipment andprocedures forlockout is onlyhalf the battle.Workers mustbe educated touse them, andmust followthroughwithoutexception.
HAZARD ALERT…Warning issued on working frombucketsMSHA has just released a “hazardalert” noting the recent deaths ofminers who were working fromloader buckets.
In the past five years, four metal/nonmetal miners have died fromaccidents related to standing on, orin, front-end loader buckets. Themost recent accident happened onJune 29, 1996, killing Jonnie Brown,a laborer with Bailey’s LimestoneQuarry in Wewoka, Okla. (3 MSHNSY7).
In all the fatalities, the loaderbuckets were inadvertently tilted orlowered. MSHA noted that § 56./57.14211 prohibits raising, loweringor moving people in loader buckets.The regulation specifically prohibitswork from a raised, unblockedcomponent of mobile equipment.
MSHA said that operators should:• Provide work platforms or
equipment designed for elevatedwork.
• Develop safe procedures for
maintenance work and for handlingequipment and supplies.
17Blocking truck before working on itcould have saved mechanic’s lifeFailure to block a vehicle againsthazardous motion before performingmaintenance was the direct cause ofa powered haulage accident thatkilled mechanic Harold L. ThomasJuly 8, 1996 at the Central StoneCo.’s Colchester Plant No. 51 inColchester, III.
Thomas, 52, had continued workfrom the previous day on the Wabcotruck fuel injectors. After installingthe fuel injectors, Thomas attemptedto start the truck, but the batterieswere low. Superintendent LarryWolfmeyer told him to hook up thebattery charger, then he left to checkon workers in the pit. Thomas, whohad five years’ experience as amechanic, attached the charger to thebattery cables at the starter behindthe left front wheel. It is surmisedthat he climbed into the truck caband started the engine.
Crushing plant operator BobbyFawcett was working on the plant andheard the truck start, then rev upand down a few times, beforereturning to idle. A short time later,he heard the truck engine acceleratewide open. Looking up, he saw thetruck crash through the shop door.He ran to the plant switch house andshut off electric power beforerunning to the shop. Fawcett andWolfmeyer arrived at the shop at thesame time.
The truck had stopped against thewest wall with a large amount ofdebris between it and the wall.Wolfmeyer entered the truck cabthrough the right cab door andattempted to shut the truck off butwas unsuccessful due to his unfamil-iarity with the truck’s shut-downprocedure and a faulty emergency airshut-off cable. He then crawled underthe truck to the fuel shut-off valvebehind the left front wheel and shutoff the valve. At the same time, truckdriver Michael Dean arrived at thescene and manually tripped theengine air shut-off, which stopped theengine.
After the truck was shut down,Wolfmeyer observed Thomas’ feet onthe truck access ladder. The truckwas pulled back about four feet fromthe wall to remove him.
Based on information obtained atthe scene, testing of the truck, andinterviews, it was determined that thefollowing occurred: Thomas waspositioned on the forward-mountedaccess ladder when the engine revvedand the truck pulled through thepark brake and smashed through theshop. The throttle return spring hadeither been left unattached or hadunattached itself. From the time thespring was disconnected, the enginewould have gone from low idle towide open in 22 to 30 seconds.
MSHA concluded that failure toblock the truck against hazardousmotion before maintenance workbegan was the direct cause of theaccident. The truck transmission andthrottle linkage defects, and the truckbeing able to drive though thefunctional park brake system when itrewed up also contributed to theaccident.
MSHA issued a citation for analleged violation of § 56.14100(b),which requires that defects onmachinery that affect safety berepaired in a timely manner. Testsafter the accident revealed that thetransmission would remain in gear,even though the gear selector hadbeen returned to neutral. Also, thethrottle linkage return spring was notattached on the linkage end of thespring. The original hook on thelinkage end of the spring had brokenoff, and the spring had been bent toreattach it to the linkage.
MSHA also issued a citation foran alleged violation of § 56.14105,which requires that equipment beblocked against hazardous motionbefore working on the equipment.
Five rescued after materialcollapse; miner injured in roof fallFive miners were rescued on Dec. 30after material in a surge tunnelcollapsed, trapping two of the fiveminers for almost five hours.
The collapse occurred about10:00 a.m. at Angell Brothers Inc.’sgravel operation in Portland, Ore.
The miners were in the process ofunplugging a draw-off chute frominside a surge tunnel, which hadbecome plugged due to heavy rain.The miners were using high pressurewater hoses to try and unplug themud and dirt in the chute when the
material in the chute suddenlycollapsed, trapping the five in thetunnel.
The operation is a multiple benchhillside crushed rock operation. Therock is pushed off the benches ontoa surge pile. The pile varies in height
HSA Bulletin February 1997
18 from 50 to 100 feet high. The surgetunnel under the pile is 200 feet longand lined with a semi-circular tunnelliner approximately 6 feet in radius.The draw-off chute is approximately170 feet inside the tunnel.
The material/mud that collapsedin from the draw chute filled the areaaround the draw off point in varyingdepths from 3 to 5 feet. Two minerswere trapped thigh-high in the mud.A third miner was shoved down theconveyor belt. A fourth miner was ontop of the mid pile about one footfrom the roof and the fifth wastrapped at the end of the tunnelbehind five feet of mud.
The Portland Fire Dept. was thefirst to respond and rescued three ofthe miners by 1:30 p.m. and theother two were rescued by 3:00 p.m.
Miner injured in roof fallMSHA reports that Kimberly Edwards,50, a shuttle car operator with PartsCorp. of American’s Mine No. 4 inDewey, Va., was seriously injured in aroof fall accident on Dec. 12.
Edwards, who has 20 years’mining experience, was operating ashuttle car, which was being loadedby a remote-control continuousmining machine during retreatmining. He was inby permanent roof
support when the roof fall occurred.MSHA has just recently issued a
new poster warning miners of goinginby supported roof. The postershows a hard hat that was crushed ina roof fall where a miner had goneinby. The miner’s crushed hard hathas a sticker on it stating “INBY ISOUT.” For copies of the poster callMSHA’s information office at 703-235-1452.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility;and statutorily, engineers!By Sam Johnson, President Johnson & Moore Consulting Inc.
This artcle represents the views of theguest columnist and not necessarily theviews of this publication. MSHNwelcomes contributions from all of ourreaders. If you are interested in writing acolumn or seeing a specific subjectcovered, please contact Ellen Smith at703-276-9796.
Engineers, to a great extent, havelong been regarded as the designersof our environment.1 Generally stateregistration boards for professionalengineers have been born out ofstatutes whose foundation is thatprofessional engineers are tosafeguard the life, health, property,and welfare of the public.
State and federal laws governingmining and environmental protectionrequire that the accuracy of certaindesigns, plans and maps be certifiedby a professional engineer.
All will agree that today’sprofessional engineers are statutorilyin the business of safety!
There are those in the miningindustry who only use the services ofprofessional engineers when theyneed a permit to do something, orwhen their operations are shut down,
or in litigation. Others have in-housestaffs that may include multipleprofessional engineering discipline,ie., mining, civil, chemical, mechani-cal and/or electrical. A select fewmay employ professional engineerswho have specific duties regardingthe health and safety at the miningoperation. It is time for the miningindustry to realize that there is astatutory requirement that obligatesall professional engineers to makesafety foremost in the execution oftheir duties.
Regulatory enforcement againstprofessional engineers does exist,although it is generally limited toactions by registration boards. Theacts or omission by professionalengineers with ties to those miningoperations where serious injury ordeath has occurred are under closerscrutiny by enforcement agencies.
In out litigious society, profes-sional engineers are more frequentlybeing named in litigation. Workers’compensation laws have lawyersgrasping for deep pockets. Thepurpose of this article is not to
address legal history or legal issues,but to address some instances whereprofessional engineers and minemanagement have the same objective:to safeguard the life, health, propertyand welfare of the miner and of thepublic.
Plans should reflectsafety first, thenaffordabilityNo one designs or plans a miningoperation with the intent of injuringanyone. Design objectives arefunctional and safe first, and thenaffordable.
In response to our increasinglycompetitive mining industry, miningoperations are becoming complex,productive, and cost efficient. Greatattention to detail is required toachieve desired results. Mine safetyprinciples, when incorporated intothe mine planning process byprofessional engineers, ensures thatmining’s single largest operatingcost—labor—is minimized.
The total cost of a miningaccident or fatality far exceeds the
HSA Bulletin February 1997
19cost of allowing engineering partici-pation from concept to closure of amine. Although worn by use, butalways true, the slogan “SAFETYPAYS” is more certain by theparticipation of professional engineersar all levels in the mining industry.
With the on-going consolidationof the mining industry, professionalengineers are taking on more, and insome instances new duties. It is notuncommon to see professionalengineers in the role of sales ormarketing, senior administration oroperations. Those professionalengineers who are foremen, manag-ers and superintendents are at risk!Risk brought on by not having timeor needed resources.
The pressure of production andcost containment does not relieve oneof the duty of safety. It has beenstated that an engineer is someonewho can do what any fool can do,but only needs half the time, peopleand/or money.
Professional engineers withmandatory safety responsibility understate and/or federal mining laws mustuse their ingenuity to meet theirmanagement responsibilities whilefulfilling their professional duty to thepublic.
When you can’t do both, you getout.
Commitment to safetycomes firstProfessional engineers who certify theaccuracy of designs, plans and maps,whether they are employed orretained by the mining company, arecompelled to perform the work or tosupervise the work that is beingcertified.
Permits are always holding upoperations. Requests or needs formine maps are always at the lastmoment. Engineering fees will alwaysbe judged high. Get used to it! Findtime to do your duty!
A gas well or line left off a minemap may cost thousands of dollarsmore than the cost to make sure it ison the map before you certify it.
An improper blast design maycost hundreds of thousands of dollarsin damages and disruption to themining operations.
Ponds are designed to hold waterand stay built.
How many hours of engineeringtime will be expended to explain whyone mine cut into another mine?Assuredly, it will take more time toexplain how it happened than the
time required to thoroughly locatethe mines correctly in the first place.
The bottom line is failure to doyour job can cause death, injury, andat a minimum, financial loss. Ifanything fails due to poor engineeringor something that the engineermissed — it is your professionallicense on the line.
Unfortunately, there are someprofessional engineers that are nolonger practicing due to industrycutbacks. Let that choice be yours,rather than the result of litigation orde-certification.
1 J. Kemper, The Engineer and HisProfession 1 (2nd Ed. 1975)
Sam Johnson is the President of Johnson& Moore Consulting, Inc. He is theformer Deputy Commissioner of theKentucky Dept. of Mines and Mineralsand a registered professional engineer. Heco-authored “Questions and Answers onRescue and Recovery OperationsFollowing Coal Mine Fires andExplosions,” and has won numerousdistinguished service awards for hisachievements in engineering and safety.He can be reached at (606) 252-1640.
Taconite producers predict 1997will be best year in last 16Iron Range taconite producers arepredicting that 1997 will be the bestproduction year in 16 years, possiblyyielding more than 47 million tons ofthe pellets.
If their predictions hold true, 1997would be the fourth most productiveyear ever. The 1990s have proved to bethe most stable years of all for theplants.
Part of the high production levelscan be attributed to a strong nationaleconomy and part to the taconitecompanies, which have trimmed costs,reinvested wisely and become more
competitive.“I think the story for the taconite
industry is that the 1990s have been avery strong decade,” said WayneBrandt, president of the Iron MiningAssociation of Minnesota. “We’re in aperiod right now where it’s been thestrongest production ever in theindustry.”
As a result, several of the compa-nies have added more employees.
U.S. Steel’s Minntac Mine inMountain Iron added 33 new employ-ees in 1996, bringing its work force to1,760. Northshore Mining Co. added 40
employees over the year for a total of510. About 6,200 people work at thetaconite plants.
The area’s seven taconite plants willfinish 1996 having produced nearly 46million tons of taconite pellets. That’sabout 2.3 million tons less than whatthey had predicted for the year. Manyof the taconite plants lost productionwhen storage bins froze and equipmentwas slowed during last January andFebruary’s harsh winter weather.
23Wearing worn-out athletic footwearcan cause pain in the feet, legs,and back
By Carol Krucoff
I know it’s time to buy new runningshoes when an old ankle injury thatseldom bothers me begins to sendbrief flashes of dull pain. Typically,this occurs every six months, whenI’ve run about 400 miles in theshoes. Even though the outsidesusually still look pretty good, I’velearned that shelling out the bucksfor a new pair makes a criticaldifference in my health and enjoy-ment of the sport. Because with newshoes, the pain disappears.
Yet many people don’t recognizethat discomfort in their legs, feet, andback can come from working out inworn-out shoes. “It’s a [leading]culprit when people start feelingaches and pains,” says orthopedicsurgeon Carol Frey, director of theLos Angeles Orthopedic Hospital’sFoot and Ankle Center. “Fifty percentof a shoe’s shock-absorbing capacityis gone at 300 miles of running orwalking or 300 hours of aerobicsclass Eighty percent is gone at 500miles or 500 hours.”
Since this breakdown occurs in anearly hidden part of the shoe calledthe midsole, people are oftenunaware that their shoes are dead.The midsole is the slice of cushioningmaterial sandwiched between theoutsole and the upper. Made of asynthetic rubber compound, themidsole also may include addedimpact reducers such as Nike’s Air orAsics’ Gel. Its function is to providestability and shock absorption, andevery step you take dulls its effective-ness.
The life of an athletic shoe variesdepending on the sport and thewearer, says J.D. Denton, owner of
Fleet Feet Sports in Davis, Calif., whoanswers shoe questions from runnersaround the world over the Internet.“The average person should be ableto get 400 to 600 healthy miles to apair of running shoes,” he notes. But“heavier people are harder on shoes,as are people with less-efficientbiomechanics.”
Running tends to be tough onshoes since it’s usually done onasphalt, which “chews up shoes,”Denton notes. Also, unlike courtsports that involve varied motions,such as jumping, turning, andsprinting, running is an activity thatputs the same pattern of wear on theshoe over and over.
To extend the life of your shoes,air them out after use by pulling outthe insoles, stuffing them withnewspaper or paper towels andplacing them in a well-ventilated areaaway from heat. Never leave shoes inthe sun or a hot car or toss them inthe washing machine. And don’tmake the common mistake of tryingto resuscitate dead shoes with newinsoles. “Insoles are designed toadjust the support,” Denton says,“not to revive a shoe that’s alreadydead.”
Denying shoe death comes in partbecause they’re so pricey. Theaverage cost of a pair of fitnesswalking shoes is $55, according tothe National Sporting Goods Associa-tion. Running shoes average $60 andbasketball shoes $68.
But the tendency to hang on toathletic shoes too long comes not justbecause we’re being cheap. “Peopleare constantly adapting to their shoesand don’t realize how worn they’ve
become,” says Tom Brunick, directorof the Athlete’s Foot WearTest Centerat North Central College in Naperville,Ill. Since many people won’t keep alog of miles or hours that they’veworn their shoes, he recommendsthis strategy to diagnose shoe death:About a month after you buy newathletic shoes, purchase a secondpair of the same or similar shoes.Then, once a week, wear the newershoes. This will let you compare howa good, cushioned midsole feels, soyou’ll know when the old pair isdead. A month after you switch to thenewer pair, buy brand new shoes andstart the process over.
Another method, from orthopedistFrey: Place the shoes on a counterand examine them from behind. Ifthey roll in or out too much, they’vedeformed and should be replaced.
“Athletic shoes should protect youfrom injury and enhance yourperformance,” she says. “Oncethey’re worn down, they no longeract as athletic shoes, but are merefoot coverings. Save them forgardening.”
Resources:• For expert advice on athletic shoes, e-mail J.D. Denton at [email protected] sign on to the Athlete’s Foot’s web site:WWW.Theathletesfoot.com.• For free pamphlets on athletic shoes,call the American Academy ofOrthopaedic Surgeons at 800 346-AAOS,the Athlete’s Foot at 800-353-FOOT; orsend a SASE to the American Academyof Podiatric Sports Medicine, 1729Glastonberry Rd., Potomac, Md.20854.
Reprinted from the October 15, 1996,edition of the Washington Post Healthsection, p. 24.
