Bezpieczeństwo Pracy i Ochrona Środowiska w Górnictwie Number 07/2022

In the majority of underground mining plants, rescue teams use wired audio communication systems during rescue operations. However, the developments in radio technology have made it possible to design and implement access networks in mining pits based on wireless backbone networks. Backbone nodes require standalone power supply and flexible installation to suit the needs of the rescue squad. These requirements are taken into account by the SWAR-2EX explosion-proof rescue support system. The system consists of a ResBase base station with batteries sufficient for 16 h of autonomous operation, BatNode wireless nodes and mPhone radiotelephones. The BatNodes, with battery power sufficient for 120 h of autonomous operation, are access points for mPhone radiotelephones. These radiotelephones operate in the 868 MHz band and allow conversations both among rescuers and between rescuers and the underground rescue action coordinator. They are also provided with motion sensors, automatically alerting of possible rescuer fainting. They can also be used to search for a rescuer, using radio signal level measurements or remote acoustic signal calling from the phone of the person being searched. The auxiliary devices of the SWAR-2EX system include an external battery bank and a directional antenna. The antenna can be used to locate buried miners provided with personal identification tags. The SWAR-2EX system ensures:

• voice communications between the rescue action coordinator down the pit and the rescue squad leader and among the rescue squad radiotelephones, and between the base station and the rescue action coordinator,
• monitoring of the status of BatNode radiotelephones and nodes on the base station display screen and on the computer display screen on the surface,
• transmission of audio signals from the base station to the surface for recording and to be listened to by the rescue action coordinator.

The publication describes the genesis, characteristics and objectives of the “360° coal mines of the Jastrzębska Coal mine Company” application which has been designed to present mining work to the audience in a high-tech and innovative way. Video and photographic materials, as well as the presentations and texts have been designed, developed and produced by JSW Capital Group staff. Thanks to the application, available on the JSW website, you can view representative objects and places of the Company, creating a realistic coal mine image. The multimedia walk allows you to follow the miner’s daily “route” from the mine gate, down the pit to the longwall. It also enables a closer look at what happens to coal and associated methane below and on the surface of the mine. With “360 VR video” technology, you can also look around. The use of a 360° camera, as opposed to “regular film”, creates an illusion of being at the center of events. The app is best used with VR goggles for an unforgettable experience and close contact with daily mine life. The heart of the project is a peculiar mosaic of several dozen films, enriched with a variety of illustrative materials, photographs and videos, curiosities and information about hazards at JSW S.A.’s mining plants.