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The bureau of mines
Klenovsk~ Vepor Hill (Slovenskt Rudohorie Mour~tains) with remains of a lava flow (table mountain) lying on the crystalline. (Photo P. Plesnik.)
The Bureau of Mines A professional look at the mining enterprise, i.e., the prospecting, exploitation and dressing of mineral deposits, reveals that this field has a long tradition in Czechoslovakia. As early as the thirteenth century the first written mining law originated. This was the so-called Jihlava Mining Law (]:us regale montanorum), edited in connection with the intensive mining of silver along the former Czech-Moravian border.It represented the first formulation of precepts and rules of mining which included arrangements protecting life and health as well as providing a certain degree of social insurance for the mines. These rules were also important in that they were used as an example for a series of mining laws which appeared later in other areas of the world, for instance South America. During the development of mining, various official sanctions originated to protect the Royal Regal, i.e., the privilege of monarchs to derive profit from mining and the preparation and dressing of valuable minerals.Among these was also the duty "to crawl weekly mines entrusted to their care" or to control if all proscriptions and rules were followed for "an operation with mountains". This article, however, is intended to deal with the Bureau of Mines, which had its beginnings in the year 1850 when the so-called temporary mining captainships were established, namely, in five mining towns which controlled six mining stations. Since that time, the state mining control organization effected a series of changes which followed from reforms of public management on the one hand, and, on the other hand, from changing national and political-economic conditions. The present: state of organization according to the mining law No.41/1957 Sb. can be briefly described as follows: The State l~.[ining Control, i.e., Central Bureau of Mines (located in Prague with fourteen District Bureaus of Mines in the main centres of mining activity), discharges the main control of performance of duties which follow from the mining law for economic organizations in prospecting, mining and dressing of mineral resources. This management refers mainly to the s a f e t y of o p e r a t i o n s , r a t i o n a l u s e of t h e m i n e r a l d e p o s i t s a n d p r o t e c t i o n of t h e public i n t e r e s t in t h e m i n i n g of a l l k i n d s of c o a l a n d t h e m a j o r i t y of o r e s . F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e B u r e a u of M i n e s i s a l s o c o n c e r n e d with t h e e x p l o i t a t i o n of oil a s w e l l a s g e o l o g i c a l p r o s p e c t i n g of m i n e r a l d e p o s i t s of a l l k i n d s . In t h e s e o p e r a t i o n s , t h e S t a t e B u r e a u of M i n e s , in c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e R e v o l u t i o n a r y T r a d e Union, d i s c h a r g e s a l s o a s p e c i a l t e c h n i c a l o v e r s i g h t c o n c e r n i n g s a f e w o r k i n g c o n d i t i o n s . T o e n s u r e t h e s e a i m s , t h e C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s i s e n t i t l e d t o p u b l i s h n e c e s s a r y r u l e s , c h i e f l y s a f e t y r e g u l a t i o n s w h i c h , t o g e t h e r with t h e m i n i n g law, f o r m t h e s o - c a l l e d M i n ing R u l e s . B e s i d e s t h e a b o v e - m e n t i o n e d a c t i v i t i e s , t h e C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s i s e n t i t l e d by a s p e c i a l law t o p u b l i s h g e n e r a l r u l e s on e x p l o s i v e s a n d t h e i r u s e , t o c o o r d i n a t e t h e d e t a i l e d s a f e t y - t e c h -
A 51
nical r e g u l a t i o n s involved in the u s e of e x p l o s i v e s w h i c h a r e p u b l i s h e d by individual c e n t r a l o r g a n s of s t a t e c o n t r o l , and to a g r e e to e x p l o s i v e s and a i d s to b l a s t i n g w o r k . All t h i s is done within the f r a m e w o r k of the whole national e c o n o m y . F r o m the point of view of t e c h n i c a l and e n t e r p r i s e s a f e t y , the State Mining C o n t r o l e x a m i n e s and a p p r o v e s p l a n s f o r opening, p r e p a r i n g and exploiting d e p o s i t s ( e n t e r p r i s e p l a n s ) a s well a s p l a n s f o r the i n s u r a n c e or liquidation of c l o s e d m i n e s and q u a r r i e s . F u r t h e r m o r e , it a p p r o v e s a n d p e r m i t s t h e u s e of t y p e s of m i n e l a m p s and i n d i c a t o r s , m i n e r e s p i r a t i o n e q u i p m e n t , v a r i o u s t y p e s of r e s c u e e q u i p m e n t and a i d s , etc. T h e t e c h n i c a l condition and s e c u r i t y of the m i n i n g p l a n t s a r e c o n t r o l l e d by the B u r e a u of M i n e s ( m a i n l y r e g i o n a l ) on the b a s i s of the plan s y s t e m of i n s p e c t i o n and c o n t r o l . B r a n c h e s of the State Mining C o n t r o l a l s o a s c e r t a i n the r e a s o n s and e f f e c t s of i m p o r t a n t e v e n t s of an e x t r a o r d i n a r y n a t u r e , e.g., m o r t a l , p e r m a n e n t and m a s s i n j u r i e s , a c c i d e n t s with s e v e r e c o n s e q u e n c e s , etc. T h e y a l s o c o n t r o l the r u n of s a l v a g e operations. T h e s t a t e of the B u r e a u of M i n e s , i n j u r i e s and a c c i d e n t s , etc., including n e c e s s a r y a r r a n g e m e n t s , a r e d i s c u s s e d in the A d v i s o r y B o a r d of the c h a i r m a n of the C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s , in w o r k i n g s e s s i o n with m i n i s t e r s and h e a d s of c e n t r a l e c o n o m i c o r g a n s and in the G o v e r n m e n tal C o m m i s s i o n of W o r k Safety in Mining, the c h a i r m a n of w h i c h is c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s l y c h a i r m a n of the C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s . Difficult t e c h n i c a l p r o b l e m s w h i c h the State Mine C o n t r o l e n c o u n t e r s have b e e n s o l v e d in the T e c h n i c a l Scientific A d v i s o r y B o a r d s and t h e i r s e c t i o n s within the C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s and R e g i o n a l B u r e a u of M i n e s . In all a c t i v i t i e s the B u r e a u of M i n e s c o l l a b o r a t e s v e r y c l o s e l y with o t h e r b r a n c h e s of s t a t e c o n t r o l , e c o n o m i c o r g a n i z a t i o n s , b r a n c h e s of the hygienic s e r v i c e , f i r e p r o t e c t i o n , C o m m i t t e e of National Safety, p r o s e c u t i o n s , j u d g e m e n t s and, l a s t but not l e a s t , s c i e n t i f i c and r e s e a r c h ins t i t u t i o n s , u n i v e r s i t i e s , etc. A s an objective o r g a n of the g o v e r n m e n t , the State Mining C o n t r o l is s u b o r d i n a t e d d i r e c t l y to the Cabinet of C z e c h o s l o v a k i a . J. T E P E R
CLAYIN ENGINEERINGGEOLOGY J.E. GILLOT, Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ont., Canada. Clays are defined and classified differently by workers in different subjects and in this book some of the relevant systems are briefly discussed. The origin of clays in the geological environment is reviewed and mineralogical composition and spatial arrangement of the components in clays of different genesis is described. Clays are composed of very small particles which have colloidal properties and a short account is given of their physical chemistry. The significance of these principles is illustrated in discussing moisture interaction, the deformation and strength characteristics of clays and in describing methods of improvement of the engineering properties of clay soils. Some of the uses of clays as engineering raw materials are then described. The final three chapters give an account of methods of mineralog-. ical, physical and engineering analysis. 6 ~ x 9~", 272 pp. + index, 118 fig., 18 tables, 1968, Dfl. 60.00.
~ A 52
Elsevier Publishing Company
AMSTERDAM
LONDON NEW YORK
The Bureau of Mines A professional look at the mining enterprise, i.e., the prospecting, exploitation and dressing of mineral deposits, reveals that this field has a long tradition in Czechoslovakia. As early as the thirteenth century the first written mining law originated. This was the so-called Jihlava Mining Law (]:us regale montanorum), edited in connection with the intensive mining of silver along the former Czech-Moravian border.It represented the first formulation of precepts and rules of mining which included arrangements protecting life and health as well as providing a certain degree of social insurance for the mines. These rules were also important in that they were used as an example for a series of mining laws which appeared later in other areas of the world, for instance South America. During the development of mining, various official sanctions originated to protect the Royal Regal, i.e., the privilege of monarchs to derive profit from mining and the preparation and dressing of valuable minerals.Among these was also the duty "to crawl weekly mines entrusted to their care" or to control if all proscriptions and rules were followed for "an operation with mountains". This article, however, is intended to deal with the Bureau of Mines, which had its beginnings in the year 1850 when the so-called temporary mining captainships were established, namely, in five mining towns which controlled six mining stations. Since that time, the state mining control organization effected a series of changes which followed from reforms of public management on the one hand, and, on the other hand, from changing national and political-economic conditions. The present: state of organization according to the mining law No.41/1957 Sb. can be briefly described as follows: The State l~.[ining Control, i.e., Central Bureau of Mines (located in Prague with fourteen District Bureaus of Mines in the main centres of mining activity), discharges the main control of performance of duties which follow from the mining law for economic organizations in prospecting, mining and dressing of mineral resources. This management refers mainly to the s a f e t y of o p e r a t i o n s , r a t i o n a l u s e of t h e m i n e r a l d e p o s i t s a n d p r o t e c t i o n of t h e public i n t e r e s t in t h e m i n i n g of a l l k i n d s of c o a l a n d t h e m a j o r i t y of o r e s . F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e B u r e a u of M i n e s i s a l s o c o n c e r n e d with t h e e x p l o i t a t i o n of oil a s w e l l a s g e o l o g i c a l p r o s p e c t i n g of m i n e r a l d e p o s i t s of a l l k i n d s . In t h e s e o p e r a t i o n s , t h e S t a t e B u r e a u of M i n e s , in c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e R e v o l u t i o n a r y T r a d e Union, d i s c h a r g e s a l s o a s p e c i a l t e c h n i c a l o v e r s i g h t c o n c e r n i n g s a f e w o r k i n g c o n d i t i o n s . T o e n s u r e t h e s e a i m s , t h e C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s i s e n t i t l e d t o p u b l i s h n e c e s s a r y r u l e s , c h i e f l y s a f e t y r e g u l a t i o n s w h i c h , t o g e t h e r with t h e m i n i n g law, f o r m t h e s o - c a l l e d M i n ing R u l e s . B e s i d e s t h e a b o v e - m e n t i o n e d a c t i v i t i e s , t h e C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s i s e n t i t l e d by a s p e c i a l law t o p u b l i s h g e n e r a l r u l e s on e x p l o s i v e s a n d t h e i r u s e , t o c o o r d i n a t e t h e d e t a i l e d s a f e t y - t e c h -
A 51
nical r e g u l a t i o n s involved in the u s e of e x p l o s i v e s w h i c h a r e p u b l i s h e d by individual c e n t r a l o r g a n s of s t a t e c o n t r o l , and to a g r e e to e x p l o s i v e s and a i d s to b l a s t i n g w o r k . All t h i s is done within the f r a m e w o r k of the whole national e c o n o m y . F r o m the point of view of t e c h n i c a l and e n t e r p r i s e s a f e t y , the State Mining C o n t r o l e x a m i n e s and a p p r o v e s p l a n s f o r opening, p r e p a r i n g and exploiting d e p o s i t s ( e n t e r p r i s e p l a n s ) a s well a s p l a n s f o r the i n s u r a n c e or liquidation of c l o s e d m i n e s and q u a r r i e s . F u r t h e r m o r e , it a p p r o v e s a n d p e r m i t s t h e u s e of t y p e s of m i n e l a m p s and i n d i c a t o r s , m i n e r e s p i r a t i o n e q u i p m e n t , v a r i o u s t y p e s of r e s c u e e q u i p m e n t and a i d s , etc. T h e t e c h n i c a l condition and s e c u r i t y of the m i n i n g p l a n t s a r e c o n t r o l l e d by the B u r e a u of M i n e s ( m a i n l y r e g i o n a l ) on the b a s i s of the plan s y s t e m of i n s p e c t i o n and c o n t r o l . B r a n c h e s of the State Mining C o n t r o l a l s o a s c e r t a i n the r e a s o n s and e f f e c t s of i m p o r t a n t e v e n t s of an e x t r a o r d i n a r y n a t u r e , e.g., m o r t a l , p e r m a n e n t and m a s s i n j u r i e s , a c c i d e n t s with s e v e r e c o n s e q u e n c e s , etc. T h e y a l s o c o n t r o l the r u n of s a l v a g e operations. T h e s t a t e of the B u r e a u of M i n e s , i n j u r i e s and a c c i d e n t s , etc., including n e c e s s a r y a r r a n g e m e n t s , a r e d i s c u s s e d in the A d v i s o r y B o a r d of the c h a i r m a n of the C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s , in w o r k i n g s e s s i o n with m i n i s t e r s and h e a d s of c e n t r a l e c o n o m i c o r g a n s and in the G o v e r n m e n tal C o m m i s s i o n of W o r k Safety in Mining, the c h a i r m a n of w h i c h is c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s l y c h a i r m a n of the C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s . Difficult t e c h n i c a l p r o b l e m s w h i c h the State Mine C o n t r o l e n c o u n t e r s have b e e n s o l v e d in the T e c h n i c a l Scientific A d v i s o r y B o a r d s and t h e i r s e c t i o n s within the C e n t r a l B u r e a u of M i n e s and R e g i o n a l B u r e a u of M i n e s . In all a c t i v i t i e s the B u r e a u of M i n e s c o l l a b o r a t e s v e r y c l o s e l y with o t h e r b r a n c h e s of s t a t e c o n t r o l , e c o n o m i c o r g a n i z a t i o n s , b r a n c h e s of the hygienic s e r v i c e , f i r e p r o t e c t i o n , C o m m i t t e e of National Safety, p r o s e c u t i o n s , j u d g e m e n t s and, l a s t but not l e a s t , s c i e n t i f i c and r e s e a r c h ins t i t u t i o n s , u n i v e r s i t i e s , etc. A s an objective o r g a n of the g o v e r n m e n t , the State Mining C o n t r o l is s u b o r d i n a t e d d i r e c t l y to the Cabinet of C z e c h o s l o v a k i a . J. T E P E R
CLAYIN ENGINEERINGGEOLOGY J.E. GILLOT, Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ont., Canada. Clays are defined and classified differently by workers in different subjects and in this book some of the relevant systems are briefly discussed. The origin of clays in the geological environment is reviewed and mineralogical composition and spatial arrangement of the components in clays of different genesis is described. Clays are composed of very small particles which have colloidal properties and a short account is given of their physical chemistry. The significance of these principles is illustrated in discussing moisture interaction, the deformation and strength characteristics of clays and in describing methods of improvement of the engineering properties of clay soils. Some of the uses of clays as engineering raw materials are then described. The final three chapters give an account of methods of mineralog-. ical, physical and engineering analysis. 6 ~ x 9~", 272 pp. + index, 118 fig., 18 tables, 1968, Dfl. 60.00.
~ A 52
Elsevier Publishing Company
AMSTERDAM
LONDON NEW YORK