FUNDAMENTALS OF
MINE SAFETY

Mining is one of the most vital industries to modern life on our star, and one of the most dangerous. The ships that cleave the skies, the carts that travel the roads, our tools, our ornaments, and our homes were made of things wrested from the depths of the earth--at great risk to the ones doing the wresting.

Mines are, in fact, no safe place for anyone but a professional miner. The casual adventurer, though equal to many a danger in the wide world, faces unique threats. As such, read ahead to be made aware of those threats, and above all, Stay Alive and Stay Safe!

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

1) GENERAL HAZARDS
2) UNDERGROUND HAZARDS
3) STANDARD SAFETY GEAR
4) GLOSSARY OF TERMS
5) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This section offers an overview of hazards that one may encounter at any point at a mine, whether on the surface or deep beneath the earth.

1: GENERAL HAZARDS

Explosives

It is not uncommon for equipment and inventory to be accidentally left behind when a mine is abandoned or closed down for the day; and explosives are no exception to this. Blasting caps, firesand, and other dangerous items can prove a deadly threat, especially as they can become increasingly volatile over time, to the point where moving or even touching them can cause them to detonate, even without the coaxing of fire. Unless one is an expert in the handling of explosives, it is best to leave well enough alone.

Crates of explosives. Note the warning: "Conflagratory"

Sinkholes and cave-ins

Cave-ins are one of the most serious threats at a mine site, be it operational or abandoned, because they are so difficult to detect. Be it near a mine entrance or open pit, or simply by crossing above an ill-secured subterranean shaft, the ground can give way, dropping the passerby quite a distance and potentially burying him. Rescue must be swift, lest the victim be trapped until thirst or suffocation or his wounds carry him away--and careful, lest the victim be slain by the efforts themselves.

Machinery and Equipment

The bread of the miner is not earned by pick and sledge and thew alone, but with all manner of machines and supplies. Winches, carts, drills, and more comprise part of the needful inner workings of mines, both above and below ground.

Ofttimes, equipment and machines are left behind when a mine is abandoned, and even when shut down for the day, they are usually left secured. This does not mean that they cannot be yet dangerous; a dilapidated machine can simply fall apart, or start without warning. Stay well clear unless you know how to operate them.

A crate left suspended on a crane after the workday has ended. This is often done to prevent theft of the suspended object. Tampering with such a rig could, obviously, result in a tragedy.

Water

Water that gathers in a mine is not counted safe for drinking or bathing. Pools of water are prone to accumulate toxic runoff from mining and smelting operations, as well as any impurities or poisons that lie in the rocks around. The water might be suffused with arsenic, quicksilver, lead, or other deadly metals and minerals; it might be so caustic as to dissolve the very flesh from your bones...and then your very bones.

And even where the water is not itself poison, it can be deceptively deep, and cold enough to shock anyone who falls into it--not to mention the living things that may lurk therein. The course of wisdom is neither to drink nor to swim, but to stay well clear.

2: UNDERGROUND HAZARDS

Dangers multiply once an explorer or visitor steps out of the light of day into a mine shaft. The hazards described below are of particular importance to keep in mind.

Rotten Wood

Under the earth, wood rots faster than it does in the open air; this is true even of wood that has no contact with water. The rot festers from within, so that even timbers that look stable and reliable may give way at a mere touch. Ladders, plank walkways and platforms, and even the bracings of walls are subject to this. These are oft replaced regularly in active mines, but in sites abandoned or idled, the threat is quite present.

Winzes in particular may cause problems. These are shafts sunk into the floors of tunnels, to allow further exploration for minerals. Those winzes that prove unproductive are boarded over; and thus, they can prove a pitfall trap for the unwitting.

Cave-ins and Collapses

Walls supported by timbers are obvious sources of danger--else why would they need support?--but in older mines and shafts, even unsupported walls and ceilings may give way, thanks to our ever-changing star.

Bad Air

One of the most pressing threats to life underground is bad air. Pockets of deadly gas, such as brimstone, can plume out when breached by mining; the goodness of the air can be depleted by too much breathing and not enough air circulation; even substances that, by themselves, are harmless can combine and create terrible new dangers to the lungs. And more than that, bad air might be of the sort that can explode at the least spark.

Gas plumes can be stoppered with clear earth crystals. A candleflame judiciously shielded, and deployed with great caution, can alert one to danger should it expire or flare. (Living beasts are sometimes sent ahead to see if they smother to death, but some miners have a tendency to adopt those beasts as pets, causing unnecessary trauma. Less risk of flame, but more risk of hard feelings.)

Fire

Even good air can betray the unwary miner. Many things that lie under the ground can take fire, and once exposed to air and the least spark, will burn utterly away. The smoke this releases will choke the life from anyone who survives the initial burst of flame. And campfires and torches themselves can burn up all the breathable air.

The best practice to avoid setting fire to the air and oneself is to use flameless sources of light in one's journey, to avoid casting fire spells, and do one's best to avert striking sparks with metal weapons and tools.

Creatures

Caves are shelter, and artificial caves even more so. Mines both active and abandoned attract living creatures of all sorts, from vilekin and bats to serpents and great beasts. The elements can manifest themselves, and rocks may take on a rudimentary will of their own. And, as the workers of the Copperbell Mine can attest, delving deep can reveal all manner of unexpected creatures already dwelling therein, those buried and forgotten, and those native and unknown.

The individual handling of such creatures depends upon their kind, and shall be addressed in another writing, but it is vital to remember that you are not the only living thing that has taken an interest in what lies below.

Coblyns, one of many sorts of creatures that dwell in caves and mines

Aether Crystals and Ambient Aether

Aether is a two-edged sword, answering the wishes of the living and yet working upon them in turn. A surfeit of ambient aether can cause what we know as "aether sickness", and if allowed to continue, it can even twist and alter the very body of the victim.

Aether crystals, being concentrated aether, can be at least as dangerous. Not only do they work more rapidly upon those near them, but they also can discharge their excess aether explosively. Special methods of handling and shielding may be necessary to those seeking to take samples.

Magical Wards and Sigils

In places where great civilizations once stood, ruins of all sorts can be found. Deep within some of them linger also the remnants of their magicks--on the isle of Vylbrand, those of Nym in particular. During the Fifth Astral Era, when Mhach moved against them with voidsent servants, the Nymian scholars and phrontists labored with difficulty to slay those fiends could, and seal away those they could not. An example of such beings is Chernobog, a terrible voidsent that haunts the southern slopes of O'Ghomoro and is drawn to death. Older civilizations by far have also had this knowledge, and so it is beyond knowing what evils lurk in the dark, held back only by a prayer or a spell.

As such, while one investigates any ruin or excavation, it is of vital importance that one keep close watch for ancient sigils or glowing scripts or icons that might be carved or emblazoned on walls or ceilings or floors...lest they sever the delicate weave of magic and unleash ancient terror.

Exploding aether crystals in the Dzemael Darkhold.

3: STANDARD SAFETY GEAR

Ages of man's quest for mineral wealth has resulted in ever greater understanding of the threats he faces away from the sun's light, and his tools have become ever more refined to the purpose of shielding himself from death. Between human and kobold advances, mining can be a far less deadly experience, if one uses the proper equipment and follows the right protocols.

The standard gear used by the Miners' Guild of Ul'dah is fine-tuned to the needs of the professional. Made mostly of hippogryph leather and felt, it provides protection against sharp tools and rocks (and sometimes, sharp fangs). The boots are plated with darksteel, the better to shield the toes and feet from piercing or crushing injuries. Gloves padded with felt and made of sturdy leather ward against blisters and cold.

Mining gear used by the Miners' Guild in Ul'dah. Guildmaster Adalberta Sterne and writer Ceredan Brooks model one version with its attendant equipment, and the gentleman to the rear wears a full-length Toadskin Jerkin.

A miner should be aware of the risks of temperature exposure, for under the earth can be cold or hot--and sometimes in rapid succession. Thus, the sleeveless vest paired with a loose outer shirt, that one can don or doff as needed. Alternatively, one might wear a leather jerkin in areas where temperature does not oft change, and where injury by burn, cut, or bite is more probable.

Face protection is essential, for dust flies thick where men use picks. The equipment shown here includes a bandana to draw up over mouth and nose, which can screen out dust, and grant (very) temporary protection against deadly gases and smoke. Goggles as well, to protect the eyes.

At the top, a helmet with a flameless headlamp, the better to see in the dark recesses. Note the projecting brim on the back, to guard the skull and neck from falling debris.

((Mining helmets' headlamps can be turned on with the raise-visor setting.))

4: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Abandoned mine: A mine that has been closed, with no intent to reopen it

Active mine: A mine that is currently operating

Adit: A horizontal passage from the surface into a mine

Bad air: Air that cannot sustain life

Cave-in: Collapse of ground in a mine, resulting in complete or partial blockage of the mine opening or passage. Sometimes results in a hole in the surface or passages above.

Idled mine: A mine that is currently not in operation, but may reopen in the future

Shaft: Vertical access into a mine's interior

Winze: A vertical or inclined shaft between two levels of a mine

5: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ((OOC))

((The technical information contained in this writing comes courtesy of the National Energy Foundation and the United States Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration. If you find your interest in this topic on an RL level has been sparked, I heartily recommend the Minerals Education Coalition as a good starting place, and MSHA Toolbox Talks for deeper dives.

((And as far as in-character information is concerned, all information is derived from Final Fantasy XIV, sources in-game and externally published.))