Practical issues of safety in coal mines

A number of modern scientific and practical problems in design of multifunctional safety systems for coal mines and requirements to such systems are discussed. The reasons and the dynamics of accidents in mines are analyzed; examples of approaches to preventing such accidents are given. Available and promising directions of the development of engineering tools and systems for ensuring miners' safety are considered. The efficiency of using the scanning gas monitoring technology is demonstrated. Combining this technology with the automatic system of fire quenching allows the fire to be suppressed at the initial stage of ignition of the methane-air mixture.