Ensuring production safety during the rainy season

In order to ensure safe production during the rainy and stormy season, coal industry units have proactively deployed plans to respond to extreme weather conditions since the beginning of 2023. Key areas such as mine waste dumps, flood control works in units, pumping tunnel systems, and power stations have been consolidated, enhanced, and their operating capacity has been increased with the highest level of initiative.

Mao Khe Coal Company - TKV is a unit that exploits underground coal with relatively complex and difficult geology in the western coal region of Quang Ninh. Currently, the unit is implementing a coal mining project to a depth of -400m. To ensure safe production during the rainy and stormy season, Mao Khe Coal Company has established a Steering Committee for natural disaster prevention - search and rescue, and at the same time, developed a plan for natural disaster prevention - search and rescue in 2023.

In this plan, the unit focuses on possible situations and elaborates response measures. Storm and rain prevention works on the ground and inside the furnace are also invested and upgraded early. Not only ensuring the capacity of the embankments to prevent landslides adjacent to residential areas, the unit also actively implements dredging work inside the furnace. This is a very important step, ensuring smooth drainage of water inside the furnace in case of heavy rain and water overflowing into the furnace.

Currently, the unit has completed the dredging of the central pumping pit and expanded the dredging of ditches, especially in the main tunnel area. In addition, the water barrier system, water storage tank, and backup power system have also been promptly reinforced by the unit to ensure response during this year's rainy and stormy season.

Mao Khe Coal Company checks the operation of the pump pit in the mine.

According to Mr. Tran Quang Minh, Deputy Director of Mao Khe Coal Company, the plans and works outside the ground have been well consolidated, but when heavy rain and storms occur, the risk of water overflowing into the mine is still very high. If the capacity of the pumping pits and power stations is not guaranteed, the risk of mine flooding is entirely possible. Therefore, the electromechanical aspect must always be ensured by the unit. Since the beginning of the year, the unit has inspected, repaired, overhauled, and replaced pump systems, valves, and accessories for the pumping pit to ensure drainage capacity in case of heavy rain. The capacity of the system and equipment of the main and backup pumping stations has also been upgraded.

To enhance proactive storm prevention in the entire unit, Mao Khe Coal has proactively rehearsed plans and scenarios with essential hypothetical situations that may occur during the storm season for staff and workers.

Not only Mao Khe Coal, the first priority of underground coal mining units during the rainy season is to focus on consolidating pumping systems and power stations. In case of prolonged heavy rain, pumping stations must ensure pumping and drainage capacity, dry the mine as quickly as possible, and protect the production area to the maximum.

As for open-pit mines, TKV and the mines have reviewed and inspected to ensure the safety of waste dump areas inside and outside the mines. Open-pit coal mining units, based on weather conditions, determine suitable locations to move equipment to ensure safety, preventing unsafe situations for people and machinery when the mining pit is flooded. The construction and adherence to hypothetical situations in the natural disaster prevention and search and rescue plan are also strictly implemented by the mines.

In this year's disaster prevention plans, Ha Tu Coal Joint Stock Company - Vinacomin pays special attention to the surface drainage plan in the mine. Accordingly, since the end of 2022, the unit has developed a plan and implemented the construction of 24 storm prevention drainage works in 2023, assigned the units to implement and completed before Coc Vu day (April 20, 2023).

For the drainage system in the Bac Bang Danh quarry - the main quarry of the mine today, Than Ha Tu built a drainage system in two main areas, including the Southeast and Northeast areas of the quarry. The drainage systems at the floors have been constructed, ensuring the task of effectively leading water to the settling pits.

In addition, the unit also actively inspected the lightning protection system, mine drainage pump and power supply; ensuring that these systems operate smoothly and stably during this year's rainy season. "The company has completed the calibration test of electrical equipment installed at the 35/6kV transformer station, 6/0.4kV power station, 7.2kV outdoor electrical cabinets supplying electric excavators, drills, and water pumps. At the same time, the unit also completed the calibration of safety equipment and grounding and lightning protection measuring tools periodically in 2023, to ensure that possible damage is limited during the rainy and stormy season" - Mr. Lam Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Company, said.

Ha Tu Coal Joint Stock Company ensures bottom drainage capacity during the 2023 storm season.

Weather experts say that in 2023, heat waves will appear later than in previous years, and it is necessary to be on guard against strong and complex storms. In the last 6 months of 2023, rainfall will tend to increase nationwide, especially more rain than average in the North and North Central regions.

Mr. Do Thien Bang, Deputy Head of TKV's Environment Department, said that heavy rains and storms that tend to be stronger than last year are a real risk, which TKV and coal industry units have proactively assessed to take preventive measures. Ensuring storm prevention and maintaining production pace will help TKV ensure the target of exploiting 13.2 million tons of coal in the second quarter as well as completing the production and business tasks for the whole year of 2023.

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