Mining Product: Harry’s Hard Choices: Mine Refuge Chamber Training
March 2009

This paper-and-pencil simulation is an interactive story that presents a scenario in which Harry Hamilton, a section foreman on a longwall setup section, must decide what to do when he learns there is a fire in his mine. As time goes on, Harry must face a series of choices about how best to increase his and his crew's chances for survival. The story is taken in part from real-life incidents.
The completion of this exercise can help new miners, experienced miners, trainers, and others who must deal with issues of self-rescue and escape become more aware of:
- The need to gather as much information as possible as early as possible
- The value of knowing one's escapeways
- The need to use self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs) properly
- The value of a multigas detector in an emergency
- When, and under what circumstances, to enter a refuge alternative
Materials included in the file download (a ZIP archive):
- Instructor Copy - 1 copy needed for the trainer
- Problem Booklet - 1 copy needed for each trainee or group of trainees
Information CircularMarch - 2009
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20035141
Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2009-122, Information Circular 9511, 2009 Mar.
Related Publications and Products
Contact Us:
- Office of Mine Safety and Health (OMSHR)
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