HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS IN HARD ROCK MINING

By: Scott Bahr

It’s no secret that the mining industry is synonymous in many minds as being a risky business, posing various health risks that range on the scale from pesky to hazardous. As such, it is of the utmost importance for miners to be educated and empowered to protect themselves as they work.

The good news is that mining does not have to be a dangerous endeavour. When following the correct protocols—and armed with the proper equipment—you can have the confidence and peace of mind you need when hard at work.

Today’s article focuses specifically on hard rock and metals mining and its various health and safety risk factors that you should be aware of and how you can mitigate those risks and keep yourself—and your company employees—safe.

Like other forms of underground mining, hard rock and metals mining involves numerous concerns that we all need to be aware of and constantly on the alert for. These concerns largely center around elevated ambient temperature, working depth, and the need to stay safe around mining equipment. While we are on the subject of safety, adopting added safety measures around explosives for blasting should also be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Let’s discuss each of these more in-depth.

Although the underlying mining methods in the traditionally deeper hard rock mines carry similar safety concerns with shallower soft rock and industrial mineral mining, some key areas require further care. One such key area is the added depth factor.

The added depth of the mines creates the need for additional planning, as the added time for egress due to increased depth, additional cage trips, and lower cage capacity must be accounted for. The increased ambient temperature due to depth is also a major concern and consideration, as it increases the need for greater ventilation. It also ups the ante when it comes to the amount of care and precautions taken regarding operator personal care and adequate hydration.

As mentioned above, added safety measures around explosives for blasting must be prioritized in hard rock mining. This is a concern specific to this type of mining, as the traditional drill and blast mining method is not typically present in much of softer rock mining who employ mechanical excavation.

With this drill and blasting method, the need for highly controlled personnel shift cycles centered around the blast cycles is necessary to ensure the safety of all mine personnel. This is the main concern for the Engineer.

In short, the Engineer tasked with planning the blasting pattern needs to keep close control over fracture patterns to maintain roof stability during advance. In a comparable mechanical excavation, the additional fracture concerns can be minimized due to the nature of the reduction in imposed fractures in the surrounding rock, other than those resulting from the relieved stresses as the supporting rock is removed

These are just a few of the factors that need to be addressed to ensure that your mining operations are not only well-oiled machines but that your personnel operating them are safe while doing so. We wanted to share a few more resources covering proper conveyor roller belt safety, vehicle safety, and proper conveyor chain maintenance information, which may also be helpful as you move toward creating the optimum performing mine while protecting your people.

For any other questions or to learn how Bit Service can help you further your mining operations and take you to the next level, contact us today.