Acta Montanistica Slovaca Ročník 17 (2012), číslo 2, 85-92 85 The Analysis of the Risks of the Firedamp Leakage at the Ostrava-Karvina Mine District Eva Beňová 1 , Jaroslava Koudelková 2 , Pavel Prokop 2 and Pavel Danihelka 3 The article deals with the method of the safety risks analysis related to the methane leakage from the underground. The method uses the simplicity of the index method and the demands and the accuracy of the French MOSAR method as well. The MOSAR method is a system and systematic complex direction to work out the risk analysis. The analysis of the possible risks falls into fundamental ideas of the method namely the systematic sequence. The method sense is calculated the possible transfers of some danger. The index methods take advantage of the objective evaluation of the real danger related to the methane leakage from the underground. The main objective of the method is a reduction of the probability of the contingency beginning related to the methane leakage from underground and of the reduction of the impact of the contingency; it means the risk management. Key words: methane, risk analysis, MOSAR, index method, Ostrava-Karvina mining district Introduction The coalification creates the methane and this can be released with the consequent mining. This gas is ventilated properly and its concentration is monitored carefully. The mining loss was started at the Ostrava-Karvina mine district after 1990 [16]. The mining workings at the Ostrava-Karvina mine district has always been marked like mine workings with the massive coal gas capacity [7, 8] and these were classified as the mine workings with the dangerous methane occurrence. The atmosphere in the non-affected underground surrounding is oxygen free, explosive-proof and fire-resistant. This atmosphere becomes dangerous first of all if it is mixed with the air. The spaces, where this potentially dangerous atmosphere occurs, are connected with a surface of mine workings [16]. Each of these mine workings connected with gassy spaces might be dangerous for a population and its property in a way [14]. System under consideration The word system is adopted from Greece and means an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole [16]. It is characterized as a set of components with specific attributes and functions in the MOSAR method. The system is described with the contexture, the internal and external structures [2,3,5]. Systems are natural, anthropogenic or mixed. Components of the systems can be material, immaterial or combined. Basic information about the risk analysis Each of the human activities has various kinds and quantities of the risk and only the knowledge of these risks provides their possible management, reduction or elimination. Index methods A common attribute of this rapid ranking method group is using indexes for the evaluation of dangerous characteristics of the given system under consideration [4,10]. The safety is classified according to indexes into dangerousness categories. The method principle is the point evaluation of partial operations of the system under consideration on the basis of fixed calculations. One or more analysts should do these studies, the time demands are depending on the size and the complexity of the operation or the system under consideration [3]. 1 Ing. Eva Beňová, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Energy Research Center, Innovation for Effiency and Environment, 17. Listopadu Street, no.15/2172, Ostrava Poruba, 708 33 Czech Republic, eva.mikulova@vsb.cz 2 Ing. Jaroslava Koudelková, Ph.D., prof. Ing. Pavel Prokop, CSc., VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Faculty of Mining and Geology, Institute of Mining Engineering and Safety, 17. Listopadu Street, no.15/2172, Ostrava Poruba, 708 33 Czech Republic 3 prof. RNDr. Pavel Danihelka, CSc., VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Energy Research Center, Innovation for Effiency and Environment, 17. Listopadu Street, no.15/2172, Ostrava Poruba, 708 33 Czech Republic, Europe