Cool photos from a Sulfer mine

[XXX Snow]

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/12/kawah_ijen_by_night.html

Here r some daytime photos

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/sulfur_mining_in_kawah_ijen.html

[Dino]

Yeah! Those are some cool pictures. Although, I'm not quite sure what the blue light is. I bet that place really stinks though.

[KDT1970]

It says it burns that color of blue.

[Kiel]

I love how the fires could be avoided by not using open cheap torches.

[acidman1968]

Working at the Kennecott (Rio Tinto) Smelter near Salt Lake City, I can tell you that sulfur dioxide is very unpleasant to breathe at small concentrations - so I can't imagine the nastiness of the air the miners are breathing...

We had some issues in the past where we were literally sitting at our work stations for 12 hours a shift wearing respirators - at only about 15 ppm. I'm sure they're being exposed to far higher concentrations than that.

From the NIOSH pocket guide:

Respirator Recommendations
NIOSH

Up to 20 ppm:
(APF = 10) Any chemical cartridge respirator with cartridge(s) providing protection against the compound of concern*
(APF = 10) Any supplied-air respirator*

Up to 50 ppm:
(APF = 25) Any supplied-air respirator operated in a continuous-flow mode*
(APF = 25) Any powered, air-purifying respirator with cartridge(s) providing protection against the compound of concern*

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0575.html

[lobster68w]

wow, those are some pretty amazing pictures.

[Therrin]

I love how the fires could be avoided by not using open cheap torches.

For guys working in those conditions, who it says make only $13 / day, and can't afford even *respirators*, it's sad yes, but not really a wonder they can't afford headlamps of some sort. After all it's not the price of the lamp itself, but the batteries to keep them running all day long, day after day.
Torches are likely very cheap (as you pointed out), and with acceptable losses by the quantities which are burned off, they've adapted to the situation using methods they can afford.
Considering that the sulfur is being condensed from gas, through pipes, into molten state which eventually hardens, it seems the losses caused by burning sulfur would almost be negligible in comparison. Can you imagine who had to put all those pipes in place??

A friend had told me that when sulfur burns like that it's almost impossible to see except at night, when it's blue. I don't know the actual validity of that, or whether that's why they're working at night; or if they're just "night shift". (or...if it's just always dark in there???)

And otherwise we wouldn't have these super awesome photos. Those shots are fantastic.

[miner49r]

Wow - truly incredible photos. "Other-worldly" is a great description.
Thanks for sharing
-Mark