The highly specialised equipment of mining emergency preparedness and response organisation Mines Rescue Services South Africa played a key role in the success of the significant and multifaceted Stilfontein rescue and recovery operation in mid-January, during which 246 illegal miners were rescued from an abandoned mine shaft.

The Stilfontein rescue and recovery operation also saw the recovery of 78 bodies of miners who succumbed to the volatile conditions underground, making it one of the biggest illegal mine rescue and recovery operations to take place globally, says Mines Rescue Services.

The emergency operation at the disused mine shaft at the formerly Buffelsfontein gold mine, in the North West, saw rescuers and equipment being deployed down the vertical shaft to a depth of 1 280 m using the Mines Rescue Services’ deep-level-capable Metalliferous Mobile Rescue Winder (MMRW).

The success of the operation was also attributed to the extensive training Mines Rescue Services personnel and volunteer rescuers undergo, Mines Rescue Services CEO Mannas Fourie tells Mining Weekly.

The MMRW is a South African-designed, -developed and -manufactured mines rescue item of equipment, which was used at the Stilfontein operation in conjunction with Mines Rescue Services’ full spectrum of safety equipment – including specially modified cameras, breathing apparatus, communications systems, personal protective equipment, backup power sources and various fall-arrest implements – on the rough terrain where the illegal mineworkers were thought to be as deep as 2 km underground.

The MMRW is designed to be deployed at various mines in South Africa, which is home to the deepest shafts in the world, some as deep as 4 km.

“All of these implements were needed to ensure the safety of the operators and the illegal miners being extricated from the shaft,” he adds.

The MMRW, conceptualised by Mines Rescue Services and manufactured-to-order by winch and winder manufacturer Tech Edge Group, is “perfectly suited” to operations at South Africa’s deep-level mines as it is capable of being operated in vertical shafts of up to 3 km deep.

While the rescue cage employed by the MMRW, which descends unguided at a maximum speed of about 1.5 m/s, can typically accommodate six occupants, the Stilfontein mineworkers were severely emaciated, enabling rescue crews to accommodate as many as 13 miners a trip to the surface, thereby facilitating their speedy rescue.

A novel sheave wheel deployment system was used on the winder, which has been patented by Tech Edge.

The sheave wheel is self-contained; therefore, no additional headgear or on-site rigging was required, saving valuable rescue hours.

The MMRW’s winder is fitted with 19 mm non-spin rope that is fed underlay through a drum, which can accommodate 12 layers of rope on top of each other. The winder and cage are mounted on a 4 X 8 heavy-duty, multi-axle truck that weighs almost 45 t and is 9.9 m long, giving the platform rugged terrain capability, explains Fourie.

Further, the MMRW can use either a one- or six-person cage, depending on the task at hand, consequently allowing for immediate access to underground shafts. It can also be used to haul supplies and emergency equipment.

Although the MMRW can tap into a mine’s electricity supply, it is fitted with a 250 kVa generator, which mitigates any unforeseen power supply issues that might arise during a rescue operation, he notes.

Used in the Stilfontein operation, Cyclops cameras equipped with voice capabilities were sent down the shaft prior to the start of the rescue, and were also positioned on the top, inside and bottom of the MMRW cage. These were also designed and manufactured by Mines Rescue Services.

The cameras also played a pivotal role in the speed and overall success of the operation, providing rescue teams with live feeds of operational activities.

“The Cyclops camera is specifically geared to weather the harsh environments in underground mining and is equipped with cabling and winches that can withstand the weight of the camera,” says Fourie, who highlights the need for such requirements based on gravitational pull, which increases the weight of an object the further down it goes.

Grounding for Success

In preparation for the Stilfontein operation, the MMRW, stationed at Mines Rescue Services’ Carletonville base of operations, in Gauteng, was manoeuvred to site subsequent to the ground being compacted and laid with bedrock over a two-day period.

“Owing to recent rainy conditions, the ground leading to the shaft was not optimal to move the 45 t MMRW, but the contractor worked day and night to make sure we could correctly and safely position it at the entrance to the shaft.”

The initial plan was to bring to surface 34 miners on the first day of the rescue mission; however, the Mines Rescue Services crew committed to leaving only once they had rescued at least 100 miners.

“Ultimately, the crew exceeded expectations by saving 160 people on the first day,” Fourie adds.

While equipment is vital, he says the success of Mines Rescue Services relies on the team’s commitment to the company vision, while the collective support from staff and the public was crucial in executing the Stilfontein mission.

Following any deployment, Mines Rescue Services conducts a debrief and thorough review of the operation to identify challenges and develop improvements for future operations.

“Following the Stilfontein operation, we have developed a solid plan and have already collaborated with eager original-equipment manufacturers to further enhance the efficacies of our processes.”

The successful use of such unique rescue equipment has piqued the interest of international stakeholders in the mining sector to the extent that they want to use similar safety solutions, says Fourie, concluding that “. . . it is crucial to share our capabilities, as there is a clear need for enhanced safety measures in the mining industry”.