Mine Safety and Health Administration
Hazards of Coal Stockpiling Operations
DVD501 - 1994
This video shows what happens when miners or equipment operators are working on a surge pile and the material unexpectedly collapses, breaks loose, or starts to flow underneath them. The disastrous result of being engulfed in loose material -- suffocation -- is demonstrated by a working model of a surge pile. The model shows how stockpiles with drawholes and feeders work, what takes place within the piles, the properties of flowing materials, and how hazardous conditions can develop at surge piles. Included are action scenes of heavy mobile equipment being used around stockpiles. The video emphasizes recognizing stockpile hazards and preventing stockpile accidents.