Methane response and SCSR donning — VR training for underground coal operations.
Methane is the procedure where an operator's six seconds of unfamiliar movement is the difference between survival and not. VR is the only training modality that lets operators practise SCSR donning in a low-visibility, time-pressured, simulated underground environment — without the risk of a real CH4 environment.
Across Drona VR's underground-coal deployments, SCSR donning time drops from 22–28 seconds (untrained) to 9–12 seconds (post-VR). The DGMS-recommended target is under 15 seconds. VR is the only modality that gets a population to that target reliably.
The 4 methane scenarios Drona VR covers
The default scenario library covers DGMS-aligned methane response training for underground coal operations:
- Pre-shift gas detection — calibration check, sample-point routine, recording
- Mid-shift CH4 alarm — primary response, evacuation route selection, accountability
- Low-visibility evacuation — power failure, dust loading, refuge-chamber wayfinding
- SCSR-on-victim — assisted donning protocol when colleague is incapacitated
Implementation timeline — methane module
Methane modules are highest-priority for any underground operation. Roll out as the first module unless the mine has an active blast-related compliance gap, in which case Procedure 02 is run first.
What to measure in the first 6 months
Methane and SCSR metrics are time-pressure metrics — the goal is reflexive donning, not deliberate. Track these against the pre-rollout baseline:
- SCSR donning time — population mean and 90th percentile
- Pre-shift gas-detection routine adherence (audit observation score)
- Refuge-chamber wayfinding time in dark conditions
- Drill participation rate across shifts
- DGMS Tech Circular compliance audit findings