A refuge alternative is a protected space in an underground coal mine that supplies breathable air, food and water so miners can survive a fire, explosion or gas release when escape is impossible.
A refuge alternative is a protected, secure space in an underground coal mine where miners can shelter with breathable air when they cannot escape after a fire, explosion or toxic gas release.
Refuge alternatives exist because escape is not always possible. Smoke, collapsed entries, toxic or asphyxiant gases and injuries can block the way out. Miners carry a self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) to escape, but its oxygen supply is limited. A refuge alternative gives trapped miners a place to wait for rescue with air, water, food and a way to communicate.
Refuge alternatives became mandatory in underground coal mines after the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act). They matter to mine operators, section foremen, emergency planners and every miner who works underground. The guiding principle is simple: escape is always the first choice, and a refuge alternative is the last resort.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued its final rule on refuge alternatives on December 31, 2008, following the MINER Act. The key sections are:
Refuge alternatives must be located within 1,000 feet of the nearest working face and of locations where mechanized mining equipment is being installed or removed. In outby areas, they must be spaced within one hour travel distance, unless the ERP approves a different arrangement. They must not be placed within direct line of sight of the working face, which helps protect them from the forces of a blast at the face.
The coal refuge alternative rule does not apply to underground metal and nonmetal mines. Instead, 30 CFR 57.11050 requires escapeways and refuges to protect miners who cannot reach the surface in an emergency.
An underground coal mine held an emergency drill in which a section crew was told that smoke blocked both escapeways and they had to use the refuge alternative. The drill exposed several problems. The portable unit had been left more than 1,000 feet behind the advancing face, two miners did not know how to start the air supply, and the number of people on the section that shift exceeded the unit's rated capacity because contractors were working nearby.
The mine made the section foreman responsible for checking refuge distance at every move and recording it on the shift report. It added hands-on deployment training for every miner and contractor, bought a second unit for sections with larger crews and updated the ERP to show the new locations. Monthly inspections now verify air supply, food and water dates and communications.
MSHA requires a refuge alternative to sustain persons for 96 hours. The duration can be 48 hours if the mine makes advance arrangements to supply additional air, food and water from the surface.
Refuge alternatives must be within 1,000 feet of the nearest working face and of places where mechanized mining equipment is being installed or removed. They also must not be within direct line of sight of the working face.
Only when escape is not possible. Escape is always the first choice, and a refuge alternative is the last resort when smoke, fire, gas, a roof fall or injuries block every route out.
The refuge alternative requirements in 30 CFR 75.1506 apply to underground coal mines. Underground metal and nonmetal mines must provide escapeways and refuges under 30 CFR 57.11050.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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