Suggested rules for conducting contest.. Penalties and discounts for contest... Details of conducting a first-aid contest. Rules governing first-aid contest.. RULES FOR MINE-RESCUE AND FIRST-AID FIELD CONTESTS. By JAMES W. PAUL. INTRODUCTION. The Bureau of Mines is endeavoring to promote safety and efficiency in all mining operations. The bureau recognizes, however, that accidents in connection with such operations are bound to occur, and that preparation should be made to lessen as much as possible the suffering entailed. Many mine-rescue and first-aid crews have been organized among the miners of this country and have rendered excellent service. The work of such crews is greatly stimulated by field contests or demonstrations. As the author has acted as a director or official in many demonstrations he has gained considerable experience in conducting them, and in this circular has endeavored to present simply and clearly some of the essential details. ORGANIZATION OF COMMITTEES. To make a field-day meet a success there must be some organizing head that will assume the responsibility for success or failure. There are certain financial obligations in this work that in most cases call for the united effort of a few well-selected representative men to comprise an executive committee or managing board, which will have general charge, and through subcommittees perfect arrangements for every detail. An organization as outlined below has been found adequate to meet most, if not all, emergencies in successfully conducted field contests or demonstrations: Executive committee (board of managers): To finance the project, appoint all subcommittees, and arrange for transportation service. Subcommittees on: Arranging for the ground and putting it in order; program of events and rules governing them; judging the contests; awards and prizes. The relations between the executive committee and the subcommittees can best be harmonized by having the chairman of each subcommittee a member of the executive committee. 3972°-13 • This committee to have charge of the field during the contest. 3 DETAILS OF CONDUCTING A FIELD CONTEST WITH RESCUE APPARATUS. PREPARATION OF THE FIELD. Relative to the preparation of the field, the following suggestions are offered: Arrange outline of entries (gangways) with 1-inch rope supported on stakes 5 feet high above the ground; place crossbars across the tops of stakes. For rooms make the stakes 3 or 4 feet above the ground. At the face of one entry have a fire, which is to be extinguished or temporarily closed off with a brattice or a stopping. At the face of a room have a miner who is to be rescued and resuscitated, and at the end of one entry a rescuer who has been injured by a fall of coal. An air-tight smoke room, 7 feet high, 6 feet wide, and 8 feet long, should be arranged in which the rescue men may test the tightness of their apparatus before entering the mine. One end of this smoke room should be made of wood and the other end and sides of window sash fitted with glass. The wooden end should have a door 2 feet wide by 6 feet high. The top should be made in two sections to facilitate easy handling. The bottom may be made smoke tight by throwing up earth. The sides and ends may be made secure by means of staples and hasps. The committee on arranging for grounds should provide an inclosure 8 by 12 feet, roped off, and designated "emergency supply room,” in which the following supplies should be provided for the use of the rescue crews: 2 barrels of water. 20 bushels of sand. 1 roll of brattice cloth. 2 pieces of hemlock, 2 inches by 4 inches by 10 feet, for each crew. 2 pieces of hemlock, 1 inch by 6 inches by 10 feet, for each crew. 10 pounds of 8-penny nails. 5 pounds of 20-penny nails. 4 hatchets. 2 handsaws. 4 two-gallon buckets. 6 whisk brooms. 1 stretcher. 100 feet of -inch rope. 1 miners' check board with checks numbered 1 to 100. 1 wheelbarrow. 500 bricks. 2 trowels. 2 miners' picks. 2 miners' shovels. 2 canary birds. 2 bird cages. A storeroom keeper should be placed in charge to issue such of the above material as may be required by the crews. RESCUE-CREW DRILL. The crew should march in single file, maintaining 2-yard intervals, the captain marching at the head and at 1 yard to the right of the file before it enters the mine. Prior to the crew putting on the apparatus and turning on the oxygen the captain will command by word of mouth. The apparatus should be assembled at a place convenient of access, and upon command of the captain each member should procure an apparatus preparatory to wearing it. After the apparatus has been put on all movements of the crew should be governed by means of a gong or horn. Each member should be required to have a horn or gong, all horns or all gongs being of the same tone. The captain's horn should be of a different tone or pitch. Following is an outline of commands that may be indicated by blasts of the captain's horn for the control of the crew: Number of blasts. 1...... 1... 2... 4...... 3-3. 2-2... 2-3.... Outline of commands to be indicated by blasts of horn. Command indicated. .Crew at rest start to march, captain in lead; maintain Crew marching, halt. .Turn on oxygen and close apparatus. .About face. Each member examine and read pressure gage, holding gage for inspection by captain, who will record pressure and time of day. .Bring forward stretchers, load injured, and lift stretcher Rescue man in distress; all members go to his relief and Fire discovered; bring fire extinguishers and attack fire. EVENTS FOR CONTEST. Select for the rescue operations such conditions as follow a mine explosion, as noted below: 1. Miner overcome and lying unconscious in a room to be rescued and revived. 2. A mine fire in the main entry to be extinguished or sealed off." 3. A miner imprisoned by a fall of roof-remove fall, rescue and revive miner. 4. Fall of roof injures one of rescue crew- -remove him to fresh air and give treatment. 5. Loose and dangerous roof-place timbers to make it secure. 6. Two men found barricaded in fresh air-remove them through the noxious gases and take to fresh air, give treatment for burns, shock, thirst, and hunger. |