SYSTEM FOR PREDICTION OF CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN LEVELS AS AN INDICATOR FOR ON-TIME INSTALLATION OF SELF-CONTAINED SELF-RESCUERS IN CASE OF FIRE IN UNDERGROUND MINES

Accidents associated with fires and exposure to toxic gases are one of the main causes of injury and death in underground mines. This kind of accidents requires implementation of systems and approaches to tighten and promote underground mine safety. This paper introduces a system for real-time monitoring of carbon monoxide (CO) for prediction of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in human blood for an early-warning platform and indicator for on-time installation of self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) device in case of fire in underground mines. The proposed system seamlessly integrates monitoring and analyzing approaches using Arduino, sensor board and smartphone with a specially developed app with Coburn, Forster, Kane (CFK) model for the prediction of COHb (%). This system is designed to predict the COHb (%) formation and also alert and identify the safety limit for on-time installation of SCSR in which the user is still not affected by the clinical symptoms of CO inhalation. The idea for this paper derived from the Sago mine explosion report from which confusion and insufficient training are identified about when to install the SCSR. The main contribution of this paper is the development of a prototype system with an open source and cost-effective platform for solving the problems associated with on-time installation of SCSR, on which the process for effective evacuation in case of fire scenario in underground mines depends. Keywords: Underground mines, safety, system, SCSR, COHb DOI 10.35180/gse-2019-0021