Got the Winter Travel Blues...
It looks like I'm making a tradition of posting while winter weather delays my travel plans. Today I was supposed to travel home for a week in Saskatoon after spending my two weeks in the bush, but the storm raging through much of the province (and adjacent ones) has resulted in a change of plans.
It has been an interesting two weeks up here, though. After a bit of dithering on the part of another exploration company, we got permission to work out of their otherwise unoccupied camp, and drilling finally started six days after I left Saskatoon. In addition to the normal activities that are part of a drill program (spotting holes, setting up the drill/shutting down the drill and logging core), I participated in a three and a half day mine rescue course.
Work decided that I and another geologist should take the course, along with two experience miners, one of whom has worked in mine rescue before. It was pretty interesting stuff (for me, anyway). In addition to the theory component of the course, we got to do a number of exercises, which were pretty fun.
The course took place on-site at what will, hopefully, become my company's first mine. We should be starting underground exploration there sometime this winter, although the exact timeline is in flux.
We went down the decline (shown above) while wearing SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) to rescue two "trapped miners" and to put out a "fire" on a scoop truck. This also illustrated the point that facial hair can be hazardous to your health; it prevents the SCBA from forming a proper seal around your nose and mouth, so much of the air that should be getting to you escapes. So, you end up running out of oxygen much faster than someone with a proper seal, although you are still protected from toxic gases as the oxygen leaking out would prevent anything hazardous from leaking in.
I got quite a bit of razzing from the instructors about my beard, but in my defense I found out I was taking this course two days before I took it, and nobody mentioned anything about facial hair being a problem.
Let's have a moment of silence for my beard, it may not be long for this world.
In mine rescue, standard practice is to operate in teams of five:
Captain, Vice-Captain and three mine rescue techs, who are each responsible for one of the following jobs: checking for ventilation, checking for gas readings, and first aid. The SCBA units are good for up to 4 hours of oxygen, but missions are of much shorter duration, generally two hours at most. Standard policy is to use no more than one-third of your oxygen on the way in, leaving two-thirds to get out safely and have a generous margin for any difficulties encountered on the way.
In addition to the underground exercise above, we practiced working as a team while carrying a stretcher loaded down with gear (or people). There was also a neat simulation where we went into a "smoke-filled" shop (we used safety glasses with a piece of tissue paper inserted between the glasses and our eyes...cut visibility by a lot!) to rescue a worker overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from a ventilation fan that had started on "fire". We managed to get the casualty onto our stretcher, but then our captain became disoriented and had difficulty leading us out.
We all completed the course successfully, and once we take and complete the provincial exam we will be certified as mine rescue techs. I'm not sure how thrilled I am about this, or even about working underground in general, as mines can be fairly risky places to work. Some component of underground work is likely to be part of my job for the next while, and I don't want to judge something before I've tried it, but overall I have the feeling that I will try to minimize my time at the mine. I like my fresh air and open spaces too much to trade it for a cramped, dark cave where the roof could collapse on me (or the floor out from under me).
Hopefully later today (or at the latest, tomorrow) I will get to return home for a few days in Saskatoon. I'll need to spend at least one day at the office, but I will try to take a day or two off to relax and to try to find some time to work on my master's project, which has been neglected during the drill program. When you are routinely working twelve hours or more per day, it can be hard to find the energy or motivation to do much of anything else.
If all goes well, Christine will be coming to visit me this weekend, when we will celebrate Valentine's Day a little bit early (as I'll be in the bush on February 14), so I'm looking forward to that.
Oh, one other thing I should share with a few of my friends. I found out something that is a little bit funny and a bit unfortunate. I was in communication with Jessica, who is also getting married this year, and found out we had set our weddings on the same day, and about a four hour drive apart! I would have liked to made it to see her get married, and this may make for a difficult decision for some mutual friends, but there's little to be done about it. At least I shouldn't have problems remembering her anniversary...
It has been an interesting two weeks up here, though. After a bit of dithering on the part of another exploration company, we got permission to work out of their otherwise unoccupied camp, and drilling finally started six days after I left Saskatoon. In addition to the normal activities that are part of a drill program (spotting holes, setting up the drill/shutting down the drill and logging core), I participated in a three and a half day mine rescue course.
Work decided that I and another geologist should take the course, along with two experience miners, one of whom has worked in mine rescue before. It was pretty interesting stuff (for me, anyway). In addition to the theory component of the course, we got to do a number of exercises, which were pretty fun.
The course took place on-site at what will, hopefully, become my company's first mine. We should be starting underground exploration there sometime this winter, although the exact timeline is in flux.
We went down the decline (shown above) while wearing SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) to rescue two "trapped miners" and to put out a "fire" on a scoop truck. This also illustrated the point that facial hair can be hazardous to your health; it prevents the SCBA from forming a proper seal around your nose and mouth, so much of the air that should be getting to you escapes. So, you end up running out of oxygen much faster than someone with a proper seal, although you are still protected from toxic gases as the oxygen leaking out would prevent anything hazardous from leaking in.
I got quite a bit of razzing from the instructors about my beard, but in my defense I found out I was taking this course two days before I took it, and nobody mentioned anything about facial hair being a problem.
Let's have a moment of silence for my beard, it may not be long for this world.
In mine rescue, standard practice is to operate in teams of five:
Captain, Vice-Captain and three mine rescue techs, who are each responsible for one of the following jobs: checking for ventilation, checking for gas readings, and first aid. The SCBA units are good for up to 4 hours of oxygen, but missions are of much shorter duration, generally two hours at most. Standard policy is to use no more than one-third of your oxygen on the way in, leaving two-thirds to get out safely and have a generous margin for any difficulties encountered on the way.
In addition to the underground exercise above, we practiced working as a team while carrying a stretcher loaded down with gear (or people). There was also a neat simulation where we went into a "smoke-filled" shop (we used safety glasses with a piece of tissue paper inserted between the glasses and our eyes...cut visibility by a lot!) to rescue a worker overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from a ventilation fan that had started on "fire". We managed to get the casualty onto our stretcher, but then our captain became disoriented and had difficulty leading us out.
We all completed the course successfully, and once we take and complete the provincial exam we will be certified as mine rescue techs. I'm not sure how thrilled I am about this, or even about working underground in general, as mines can be fairly risky places to work. Some component of underground work is likely to be part of my job for the next while, and I don't want to judge something before I've tried it, but overall I have the feeling that I will try to minimize my time at the mine. I like my fresh air and open spaces too much to trade it for a cramped, dark cave where the roof could collapse on me (or the floor out from under me).
Hopefully later today (or at the latest, tomorrow) I will get to return home for a few days in Saskatoon. I'll need to spend at least one day at the office, but I will try to take a day or two off to relax and to try to find some time to work on my master's project, which has been neglected during the drill program. When you are routinely working twelve hours or more per day, it can be hard to find the energy or motivation to do much of anything else.
If all goes well, Christine will be coming to visit me this weekend, when we will celebrate Valentine's Day a little bit early (as I'll be in the bush on February 14), so I'm looking forward to that.
Oh, one other thing I should share with a few of my friends. I found out something that is a little bit funny and a bit unfortunate. I was in communication with Jessica, who is also getting married this year, and found out we had set our weddings on the same day, and about a four hour drive apart! I would have liked to made it to see her get married, and this may make for a difficult decision for some mutual friends, but there's little to be done about it. At least I shouldn't have problems remembering her anniversary...
posted by Matt at 10:24 a.m.
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