Mosaic Potash Operations Refuge Stations – Esterhazy & Colonsay February, 2006

2 Description of Permanent Stations  A refuge station is an ordinary “tunnel” or drift in the mine that has both ends blocked off.  Sometimes, it is a dead-end drift that only has one end that needs to be sealed with a wall.  At Esterhazy, the enclosed area would usually be 50+ feet wide x 8 feet high x 200 feet long.  At Colonsay, the drifts are taller and narrower (10’ or more high x 30 feet wide) and their refuge stations enclose at least that same length of drift (often more).  We always use two sealing walls – about 10 feet apart  The sealing walls may have a metal door or Velcro “doorflap” that lets people pass through and seal behind themselves.

3 Description of Permanent Stations  Saskatchewan Mine Regulations 398 and 399 (available at defines and requires two different types of refuge stations.  At least one primary refuge station must be provided in a mine – excavated in solid host rock or made of steel, gas tight, clearly marked, etc. and equipped with:  at least 36 hours of breathable air for the number of workers expected,  potable water,  food,  lights,  first aid supplies,  sanitation facilities,  fire fighting equipment,  an effective means of communication to surface and  sufficient seating.

4 Description of Permanent Stations  Employers are also required to provide auxiliary refuge stations within reasonable distance of all locations where workers are expected to take refuge. The auxiliary station must have:  36 hours of air for the number of persons expected to be there  potable water  communication to surface and  sufficient material to maintain the seal around the door of the refuge station.  Although some refuge stations are equipped with compressed oxygen bottles, or compressed breathing air bottles, the “36 hours of breathable air” can be provided by the rough rule of one cubic yard (meter) of air for one person for one hour. 10 people x 36 hours require minimum 360 cubic yards of air space – a typical Esterhazy refuge station has about 3,000 cubic yards of air space.

5 Description of Permanent Stations  Employers are also required to provide auxiliary refuge stations within reasonable distance of all locations where workers are expected to take refuge. The auxiliary station must have:  36 hours of air for the number of persons expected to be there, potable water, communication to surface and sufficient material to maintain the seal around the door of the refuge station.  Although some refuge stations are equipped with compressed oxygen bottles, or compressed breathing air bottles, the “36 hours of breathable air” can be provided by the rough rule of one cubic yard (meter) of air for one person for one hour. 10 people x 36 hours require minimum 360 cubic yards of air space – a typical Esterhazy refuge station has about 3,000 cubic yards of air space.  The Colonsay mine has 8 primary refuge stations, with 2 more planned, plus 4 portable units. There is also material for 6 auxiliary refuge stations near the working faces.  Esterhazy K1 and K2 mines have a total of 21 refuge stations.

Permanent Stations: General View of Refuge Station

Permanent Stations: View of bathroom facilities

Permanent Stations: General View – Opposite end

Permanent Stations: Refuge Station Entrance

Permanent Stations: View of airlock at entrance

11 Descriptions of Portable Refuge Stations - Colonsay  The portable units at Colonsay were developed in response to the 2003 Mine Regulations which required refuge stations to support people for at least 36 hours.  Earlier home-made refuge stations that were used by some Saskatoon area mines became unacceptable.  Kevin Huber and the mine rescue group at Colonsay did a great deal of research and testing to develop and build a structure design that works and meets the criteria of the 2003 Mine Regulations.  Modeling by Dave Cisyk at Esterhazy and testing by the Colonsay team have shown that the limiting factors in refuge stations is not the amount of oxygen available  Humans are always exhaling CO2 gas when they breathe and the CO2 will build to toxic levels long before the space runs out of oxygen.  Colonsay found that they had to stock and deploy soda lime to absorb the CO2 in the portable stations.  Humidity build-up was found to be quickly unbearable in the portable stations until de-humidifiers could be installed with sufficient battery power for 36 hours, and a way of disposing of the condensate from a gas tight chamber.

12 Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations - Colonsay

13 Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations - Colonsay

14 Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations - Colonsay

15 Photographs of Portable Refuge Stations - Colonsay

16 Portable Refuge Stations - Colonsay  A complete 28 page report on the Portable refuge station is available at Colonsay. Contact R. Bruce Fraser or Kevin Huber  Note that we are not promoting this refuge station for other sites. It simply works well for Colonsay.