Methodology for Optimal Fire Evacuations in Underground Mines Based on Simulated Scenarios

The purpose of this chapter is to develop a methodology that will contribute in locating optimal evacuation routes in case of fire that are based on minimal carbon monoxide (CO) exposure during the evacuation procedures. The proposed methodology is tested using simulated fire scenarios from which CO concentration over time curve is extracted from all available evacuation routes and presented in a weighted form based on the accumulating effect of CO inhalation in the form of fractional effective dose (FED). The safety limits of the FED model on which the optimization process is based are determined using a model for the prediction of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in human blood. The COHb model is associated with predicted clinical symptoms that are the basis for determining the level of incapacitation at which the mineworkers are incapable of completing their evacuation. Also in the process of improving the fire risk analysis, the proposed methodology enables the development of evacuation plans that are based on the results of modeled fire scenarios combined together with the results of the anticipated hazards generated by CO inhalation. The results presented in this chapter indicate a more precise approach in the process of planning the evacuation system inside the underground mines.