Environmental conditions at South Kirkby Colliery 1981/82

This report presents the respirable and total dust concentrations at South Kirkby Colliery, Barnsley Area, from April 1981 to March 1982. Information regarding the seams and faces worked, output, method of working, machine details, supports and dust suppression together with the associated respirable dust concentrations at particular sites on the faces, is given in a series of face summary charts and tables. The respirable dust concentrations for other parts of the colliery are also tabulated. The relationship between the face control point and face mean concentrations is considered and the variability of the observations within occupational groups is examined.The composition of the dust will be reported later but monthly direct quartz levels at the face control points averaged 0.41 mg/m3. The levels of nitrous fume observed are listed and found to be low 0.05 ppm; NO, 0.14 ppm).At South Kirkby Colliery in 1981/82, the mean coal face respirable dust concentration was 4.8 mg/m3 with the total dust mean coalface concentration about six times higher.