Mining Services

ESG has a proven reputation for quality technical services and advice in the field of mining and tunnelling. Drawing on a long track record of delivering specialist environmental monitoring for personal health and safety, mining and instrumentation installation and hire.  

Our breadth and depth of experience is derived from professions as wide a field as chemistry, geotechnics, mining engineering and health and safety to deliver the highest levels of technical excellence.

Our core services provide a wide scope of specialist monitoring, analysis and consultancy and include the following:  

Gas Analysis and Spontaneous Combustion

ESG offer a complete mine atmosphere analysis and interpretation service that is designed to support any underground site monitoring program. Our ability to recognise and quantify the wide variety of gases that occur in the mine atmosphere is well-established and includes:

Methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen cyanide, sulphur dioxide, ammonia, arsine and oxides of nitrogen, alkanes and alkenes.

Expert interpretation and advice coupled with a 24 hour emergency laboratory service enables us to recognise the early warning signs and react quickly to issues such as spontaneous combustion and mine fires.

To identify these we use investigation techniques ranging from thermal imaging for strata heating detection to tracer gas surveys through to micro-biological and chemical testing.

Personal Safety

In addition we can provide filter self-rescuer apparatus coupled with personal safety training and testing to support the specialist requirements for working underground.

Radon and Radiation

The breadth of resources and experience spearheaded by our technical team enables us to provide a wide range of radon measurement instrumentation, monitoring services, analysis and advice in a number of key areas, including:

• The determination of radon gas using grab sample techniques
• On-site, direct measurement of radon daughter concentration using a portable meter
• On-site measurement of radon daughter exposure over an 8 hour working shift
• Radiation monitoring and leakage testing for sealed radioactive sources
• Advice on radiological protection and interpretation of legislation
• Radiation contamination surveys
• Advice on and measurement of low specific activity scale.

Instrumentation Services

From our purpose built workshop in Burton upon Trent we provide instrument calibration in our ISO 9001:2000 certified facility and maintenance of fixed-point and hand-held gas monitoring instruments to ensure they are always ready to use and hire at the point of need.

Mine Environments

We put similar effort into our mine air investigations and the advice we provide to resolve radon and oil ingress water problems. These investigations include:

• The analysis of noxious odours and fumes
• Tube bundle monitoring system installation.

Noise and Dust Monitoring

Underlying all aspects of ESG's operations is an on-going commitment to quality encompassing ISO and UKAS standards. Realised in this is an extensive range of measurement instrumentation and supporting know-how ready to use for noise and dust monitoring. Our in depth expertise has been deployed on many mining and tunnelling projects for:

• Measurement and analysis of respirable dusts, quartz and asbestos
• Measurement of personal noise exposure and noise zones
• Assessment of hearing protection.

Fire Detectors

Further more, our advice on the selection, installation and use of fire detectors improves personal safety particularly when it is backed up by our superb support services which include on-site maintenance and tailored training packages.