A dedicated mine drift or airway that routes stale, dusty, or gas-laden air out of the mine and toward the surface exhaust fans. It forms the second half of the ventilation circuit, keeping the hazardous atmosphere away from the fresh air intake routes where personnel travel.
Heard on the job
Check the gas monitors in the main return before you authorize any hot work in that district.
Also heard as
- return airway
Related terms
Upcast
A vertical mine shaft designated for exhausting stale air to the surface.
Airway
Any underground gallery, drift, or shaft designated specifically for routing ventilation air through a mine.
Overcast
An enclosed bridge built to allow one ventilation air current to cross over another without mixing.
Stopping
A solid wall or partition built across a mine passage to control ventilation airflow.