Western Canada Mine Rescue Manual Chapter 3: Environmental Conditions

Mine rescue teams should not be concerned with environmental conditions.

Avalanche emergency response plan is not necessary for mines operating in avalanche-prone areas.

Avalanches can only occur when certain specific conditions are present.

Mine rescue personnel are not at risk of exposure to avalanche hazards during emergency response activities.

Avalanches do not have distinct starting zones from where the unstable snow first breaks away.

Avalanche safety officer is not required to conduct an avalanche risk assessment before planning emergency operations.

Mines operating in avalanche-prone areas do not need to consult a qualified avalanche safety officer.

A basic understanding of avalanche terms, concepts, and equipment is not important for mine rescue teams.

An active avalanche situation does not require a qualified avalanche safety officer to lead the safe emergency response.

It is not necessary for mine rescue personnel to establish active avalanche safety measures before planning emergency operations.

Hypothermia is primarily caused by excessive exposure to hot environments.

Alcohol or drugs in the body can contribute to the development of hypothermia.

Symptoms of hypothermia include a cold sensation, goose bumps, and inability to perform complex tasks with hands.

Shivering is a symptom of severe hypothermia.

The head and neck are not critical heat-loss areas in the body.

The H.E.L.P. (Heat Escape Lessening Position) can increase predicted survival time by up to 50% in cold water.

Inadequate clothing is not a factor contributing to the development of hypothermia.

Indefinite survival time is expected for individuals experiencing exhaustion or unconsciousness in water with a temperature of 25-30°C.

The sides of the chest are not major routes for heat loss from the warm chest cavity.

The Huddle Position can increase predicted survival time by up to 50% if survivors huddle together in cold water.

Loose Snow Avalanches are most common in spring and summer, particularly on south-facing slopes.

Avalanches rarely start on slopes steeper than 45° as snow sloughs off continuously rather than accumulating.

Slab Avalanches occur when a slab of loosely bonded snow breaks off along a fracture line.

The successful rescue of a person buried in an avalanche very often depends upon actions taken by unburied survivors.

Ice roads speed limit is 25 km/h for a loaded vehicle and 35 km/h for an empty vehicle, unless otherwise posted.

Clear blue river-ice, with moving water beneath it, is stronger than lake-ice.

The resonance wave created by a vehicle traveling on ice can affect the strength of the ice, potentially resulting in a blowout or ice failure.

Gold’s Formula for determining the maximum allowable mass of a vehicle on ice is M = 2 × h^2.

Thermal stress refers to only physical reactions to adverse temperature conditions.

Clear or natural ice (black or blue hue) is considered the weakest form of ice.

Loose Snow Avalanches are usually confined to surface layers and therefore relatively small.

Avalanche transceiver (beacon), shovel, and probe are not required equipment for every avalanche rescuer.