A semi-quantitative coal burst risk classification system

Abstract Safety is the highest priority in the mining industry as underground mining in particular poses high safety risks to its workers. In underground coal mines, coal bursts are one of the most catastrophic hazards, which involves sudden and violent dynamic coal mass failure with rapid ejection of the broken material into the mine workings. Despite decades of research, the contributing mechanisms of coal bursts are still not completely understood. Hence, it remains challenging to forecast coal bursts and quantify their likelihood of occurrence. However, a range of geological and geotechnical factors are associated with coal bursts and can increase the coal burst proneness. This paper introduces a semi-quantitative coal burst risk classification system, namely, BurstRisk. Based on back-analysis of case histories from Australia, China and the United States, BurstRisk classifies the coal burst risk into three categories: low, medium and high risk. In addition, it allows mining engineers to modify the weighting of the selected factors based on specific conditions. The risk classification charts introduced are for both longwall retreat and development sections of longwall mining operations. This paper also provides a set of risk management strategies and control measures for effective coal burst mitigation.