ABSTRACT
Coal mining is one of the major economic activities in most of the developed and developing countries. The mining operation involves both safety and health implications for the workers. Two of the important hazards recognized in underground mining are methane and coal dust explosions as safety hazard and dust as a health hazard. The seriousness of the methane ignition and the resulting explosions are witnessed by the series of explosions in the coal mines worldwide (China, South Africa, Ukraine, USA).
