Mine safety in coal mines, which in turn can initiate more extensive coal dust explosions. For this reason, rock dusts such as limestone dust are spread throughout coal mines to diminish the chances of coal dust explosions as well as to limit the extent of potential explosions, in a process known as rock dusting. Coal dust explosions can also begin independently of methane gas explosions. Frictional heat and sparks generated by mining equipment can ignite both methane gas and coal dust. For this reason, water is often used to cool rock-cutting sites. Miners utilize equipment strong enough to break through extremely hard
William Galloway (mining engineer) Galloway had to attend as mining inspector. By 1923 he followed his family tradition by becoming an owner/director of collieries. He became the chairman and a director of the East Kent Colliery Company and director of the Snowdown Colliery. In 1870, Galloway began investigations into the cause of explosions in dry mines, and became convinced that the cause was coal dust as well as fire damp. He was called on, as a mining inspector, to investigate the causes of between 60 and 80 explosions in Scottish mines and it became his life's work to find ways to reduce the risk