Escapeway solutions

Abstract

The requirement for secondary egress from underground workings has long been regulated in Australia.  Escapeway systems have evolved from simple airleg rising ladders and timber ladders to steel galvanized ladders and more recently fully enclosed polyethylene ladders.

The polyethylene ladder -  Safescape Laddertube -  was introduced to the underground mining industry in 2010.  It is a cylindrical, enclosed, modular plastic ladder designed for use in underground escapeways and access ways.  The design of Safescape Laddertube has many advantages, one of those being that it is enclosed therefore minimizing the risk to climbers of exposure to fretting rock.  In ‘standard’ installations there have been on occasion changes in the ground conditions which have resulted in significant fretting or rock burst causing deformation in the Laddertube. In addition there is on occasion a requirement to position an escapeway in ground that has highly stressed or squeezing ground conditions, presenting mines with potential for failure of ground resulting in serious damage to these escapeways.

As a result, Safescape have developed a number of proactive solutions that can be used at the time of installation which will eliminate or minimize the effects of ground that is not ‘competent’.  These solutions address the need for ground support and eliminate the need for the traditional methods of ground support in a rise such as bolt and mesh, which also means we no longer need to put people in unsupported ground to complete this high risk work.

Despite being a recent development in escapeway systems, Laddertube is effectively being used in a variety of applications, meeting the specific needs of underground mines worldwide.