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By K D. Tuckwell

The Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan, has nominated ‘maximising our advantages’ from ‘Mining Boom Mark II’ as the focus of the 2011/2012 Australian Budget. Australia therefore requires a bolder and better integrated economic reform agenda if it is to convert current strong demand for mineral commodities into lasting prosperity that benefits all Australians. Lasting prosperity, well past 2012, will only be achieved if Australia can effectively reverse a decade-long deterioration in the minerals industry productivity performance due largely to capacity constraints that inhibit growth. This requires improving the efficiency of energy networks, transport infrastructure, water markets, health and education services, access to skilled people and by streamlining costly, inefficient project approvals’ processes. The common thread that holds this economic fabric together is the importance of having the right people using the most appropriate technology within the correct policy framework.In December 2010, employment in the minerals sector stood at 187 200; 21 per cent higher than one year earlier, 15 per cent higher than the industry employment peak prior to the global financial crisis in 2008 and 14 per cent greater than anticipated by industry modelling published in 2008. Managers and professionals make up approximately 15 per cent of the total workforce, yet minerals-related higher education programs (mining engineering, metallurgy and geoscience) continue to be chronically underfunded, requiring direct industry subsidies of more than $25 M over the last decade. Also, the publicly-funded Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector continues to fail the industry in the delivery of quality training programs. Importantly, the industry is a key driver of economic activity in regional and remote Australia and is the largest source of private sector employment for Indigenous Australians who comprise up to a quarter of employees in certain locations.This presentation looks at what our industry and country need to achieve to ensure we have the right people for the challenges ahead. **This is an abstract only. No paper was provided for this abstract.**

Nov 22, 2011

By S H. Hyun, J W. Cho

Jun 19, 2024

By B Beale

Bow-tie analysis is a commonly used tool in the Major Hazard Facility sector to identify, display and control risks that have the potential to pose serious harm to personnel. It is a simple but powerful risk management tool that displays traditional risk assessment outputs as easily interpreted ‘bow-tie diagrams’. These are an effective and versatile communication format that can be applied to any type of risk (eg safety, environmental, assets etc) and as such show great benefit in managing operational hazards in mining.

May 5, 2022

By C Sylvestre

Leaders have invested heavily in traditional safety management to improve safety performance over the years. This primarily involved: • fixing the environment (eliminating the hazard) • improving the system (more/less rules, procedures etc) • making safety more conscious (more/better interactions about the importance of safety). These approaches have helped improve safety performance significantly during the last 50 years and will continue to play a role in the future. Although these approaches may be part of an overall solution, they are not enough to prevent many incidents. Today, these three approaches are used more than before, and are used better than ever before. Yet, workplace fatalities in Australia have stagnated from 2013 to 2019, as have the number of incidents, even serious ones. In the USA, workplace fatalities have increased by 15 per cent in the same period.

May 5, 2022

By I Mason, M van de Werken, B Zhou, J Hargreaves, W Stasinowsky

A critical step in open cut coal mining is clean removal of the overburden. This is usually achieved by drilling, blasting and digging. A key part of this process being successful is to stop drilling at the correct blast ‘stand-off distance’. The stand-off distance is the distance between the base of the drilled blasthole and the top of the coal horizon to be mined. Having this correct provides a protective cap of rock above the coal horizon so that the blast will fracture all the overburden without damaging the coal horizon or mixing it with the overburden. Drilling beyond the correct stand-off distance causes the blast to continue into the coal horizon, damaging it and mixing it with the overburden, leading to significant losses of coal product. Conversely, drilling short of the correct stand-off distance results in additional work to remove the intact overburden.

Sep 1, 2024

By I Onederra

A better understanding of the detonation performance of an explosive charge can be gained by directly measuring pressure, temperature and velocity of detonation (VOD). This is particularly important with explosives used in the mining industry because their performance is directly influenced by the degree of confinement given by the borehole diameter and the surrounding rock mass. A project funded by the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) was initiated in early 2009 with the view to design and build cost-effective prototype instrumentation to measure the relative differences in detonation pressures and temperatures of commercial mining explosives. The project’s primary focus was on low-density explosives. Low-density (also referred to as low shock) explosives have been available in various forms for nearly 20 years. There have been significant advances in the availability, reliability and flexibility of these explosives, which now offer a range of densities and degrees of water resistance. Their detonation performance is not well understood and cannot be accurately predicted with current ideal and non-ideal detonation codes. It was therefore viewed as important to be able to directly measure pressure and temperature during the detonation process of these complex mixtures in production blastholes. Identifying the pressure release patterns of both conventional and low-density explosives under different geotechnical conditions should provide the necessary information to both validate detonation codes and better define input parameters for breakage and fragmentation models. This paper gives a general description of the prototype instrumentation developed and reports on the results obtained to date in full-scale conditions.

Nov 8, 2011

By C Young

In the vast expanse of Western Australia’s mining sector, a critical issue has come to light: many mining operations overlook the power of a Broad-Brush Risk Assessment (BBRA) to uncover their critical risks. This oversight has led to a cascade of challenges, where some mining endeavours find themselves grappling with: - Unidentified and unmanaged fatal risks, casting a shadow of uncertainty and heightened compliance risks. - A bewildering landscape where the concept of critical risks remains enigmatic, with some mistaking the risk register for the BBRA. - A fog of confusion surrounding the guardianship of these critical risks, leaving safety responsibilities blurred and undefined. Yet, the solution lies within our grasp. An effective BBRA empowers organisations to: - Pinpoint with unwavering certainty every ‘true’ critical risk. - Clarify ownership for each critical risk, ensuring accountability and swift action. - Create a prioritised roster of critical risks, illuminating the path to safer operations. - Lay the foundation for essential follow-up actions like bow-tie analysis, the identification of critical controls, and the fortification of the safety and health management system. Join us in this presentation, where we delve into the heart of an industry-leading BBRA process. Discover practical insights that will enable your organisation to craft and implement BBRA strategies, bridging the gaps in your journey toward preventing fatalities and fortifying safety protocols.

Apr 16, 2024

By D J. Black

The process of excavating and mining coal causes fractures in the overlying and underlying strata. The fractures provide pathways for gas released from coal seams and other gas-bearing strata to flow into the mine workings. Coal seam gas typically contains high concentrations of methane with lesser concentrations of carbon dioxide. Low concentrations of other gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and ethane may also be present in some coal seams. In certain geological settings, particularly in close proximity to geological structures, such as faults and dykes, the concentration of gases contained in a coal seam can vary significantly between methane-rich to carbon dioxide-rich.In mine design and planning it is vital that mining engineers gather sufficient information to accurately determine the content and composition of the gas present in the coal seam and develop an understanding of changes in these parameters within the planned mining area.The longwall method of mining coal causes fracturing of the overlying and underlying strata behind the retreating longwall face. Where coal seams and other gas-bearing strata are present within the caving zone, gas will be released from the strata leading to contamination of the mine workings. If the rate of gas emission exceeds the diluting capacity of the mine ventilation, the concentration of gas in the mine may exceed the statutory limit, resulting in production delays and potentially unsafe conditions.CITATION:Black, D J, 2016. Planning effective management of gas emissions in an underground coalmine, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2016 Conference, pp 44–47 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jun 28, 2016

By T Takayama, R Muroi, M Matsumura

The steel industry occupies 14 per cent of CO2 emissions in Japan, and the sintering process is one of the major emitters. Since most of CO2 released from the sintering process comes from coke fine combustion, replacement of coke fines with biomass char as bonding agent is a potential countermeasure. In order to explore the effective use of biomass char, we chose char made from Palm Kernel Shell (PKS) as a sample. First, the char’s combustion behaviour was examined with varying the char’s particle size by means of admixing the char in alumina ball packed bed placed in an electric furnace. As a result, the finer the PKS char the faster the burning rate and reaching a higher temperature compared to coke fine. In addition, it is also concluded that the optimum size of PKS char was larger than coke fines. Next, the effect of different heat profiles on sinter structure was examined by sintering tablet made of chemical reagents. In this experiment, the chemical composition is designed based on sinter composition. By this sintering test, even at high temperature, rapid cooling is effective to make fine sinter matrix and fine pores, which has possibility for high sinter reducibility. Based on these two experiments, using PKS char as a sinter fine source has the possibility to improve sinter reducibility.

Nov 8, 2021

By H Stedman

Integrating exploration and operational blastholes into one database significantly enhances geological modelling. Benefits include: improved coal predictions, stronger interpretation of structurally complex areas, detailed mapping of heat affected coal aureoles and additional roof accuracy for blast designs that deliver better coal protection.CITATION:Stedman, H, 2014. Integrating blastholes into exploration data to improve coal recovery and modelling, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 237–242 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 18, 2014

By S Pontual

The use of spectral data has traditionally been for obtaining mineral information and for mapping out alteration systems. The output from these data is typically in the form of mineral assemblages and data on relative proportions of minerals. However there is much more than just mineral information in the spectral data. Most importantly, the data allow the user to obtain vital information on mineral chemistry for some key alteration minerals. The mineral chemistry data allow the users to evaluate multiple phases of alteration of the same key mineral species, and to assess which phase is related to mineralisation. Mineral indices can be extracted from the spectral data and plotted to represent variations in the chemistry and relative proportions of key mineral phases as downhole, section and three-dimensional (3D) plots. These data can also be compared with the spatial distribution of the mineralisation by integration with geochemical and logging data. Through spatial and statistical evaluation the mineral information obtained using spectral analysis can provide vital information to assist in building alteration models and therefore improve targeting for further drilling and exploration.

Aug 22, 2011

By A M. Ebbels

"Underground mine scheduling decision-making has been based on production requirements, equipment productivities and the mine planner’s instincts on the best scheduling strategy for the mine to optimise the net present value (NPV) of a project.In the last few years, innovative software has been developed to optimise underground schedules based on NPV. The schedule optimisation tool (SOT) allows the user to set up scenarios based on grade, metal content, capital and operating costs.This paper discusses the results of two case studies undertaken using the SOT software to optimise the NPV of the projects.In each case study, the SOT software has been applied in two ways:using the original mine planner’s scenario and determining whether the NPV could be improved by changing resource capacitieschanging the scheduling goals to determine whether a different mining strategy would have a better NPV outcome.The outcomes of the case studies demonstrate that the mine layout and design were contributing factors to the overall improvement of the NPV and that SOT has a more noticeable impact on the NPV of projects where less sequence constraints are required, such as geotechnical sequencing and access development.CITATION:Ebbels, A M, 2016. Optimising underground mining strategies, in Proceedings Project Evaluation 2016, pp 60–65 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Mar 8, 2016

By G J. Zhang

The shape and particle size distribution of caved ore mass in sublevel caving were investigated in this study. The paper first reviews the main factors affecting the shape and characteristic of caved ore mass in sublevel caving and then through the experimental blast testing with cement-sand concrete models, the shape and particle size distribution of caved ore mass were found out. The experimental results indicated that the shape and particle size distribution of caved ore mass was similar to that of the drawn loose body. This finding presented a new perspective for the future study on the ore drawing theory and on the optimisation of structural parameters of sublevel caving. The structural parameters must meet the principle that the shape of the drawn body is in consistency to the shape of caved ore mass.

Jul 11, 2011

The fire started in the development section from methane released into the mine through a roof-bolt hole. The date was 8 May 1998. The flames spread quickly as the coal was ignited. After eight hours the Safety Department decided to seal the vertical ventilation shafts and the slopes. The quality of coal in the Esmeralda Mine is very high quality, and Minerales Monclova (MIMOSA) decided to recover the facilities, however, the Esmeralda Mine coals have a very high gas content of 12 m3/t. Immediately after the mine was sealed, MIMOSA staff implemented a plan to monitor the gas levels underground and contacted specialists for assistance in bringing the mine back on-line. During the next 2.5 months, MIMOSA staff and the specialists observed and analysed the gas behaviour supported by a chromatograph. With the results of the observations and analyses, MIMOSA in consultation with the specialists developed a recovery plan based on flooding the area in which fire might have propagated and in which rekindling was highly probable. Those results were analysed by the command centre (Mexican engineers responsible for mine recovery). At the same time MIMOSA trained rescue teams which included miners who had no previous experience in mine recovery operations. By 20 August 1998, the mine command centre had re-opened the slopes seal. Using a æStep-by-StepÆ system, the rescue team began the recovery process by employing cross-cuts and using an auxiliary fan to establish the ventilation circuit. The MIMOSA team advanced into the mine as far as allowed by the water level and was able to recover the main fan. The official mine recovery date was 30 November 1998.

Jan 1, 2005

By C Young

The identification of Critical Risks, their associated Critical Controls, and the implementation of processes to ensure their ongoing management can be difficult and resource intensive. Answering the following Critical Risk Management related questions can be challenging: • What is a Critical Risk? • What is a Bow-tie Analysis and when should it be used? • What is Critical Control? • How is the effectiveness of a Critical Control assured, and how is this measured? • Who is responsible for managing Critical Controls? • What are the implications if a Critical Control is not effective? It appears that in the mining industry’s efforts to implement the Critical Control Management Process outlined by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), instead of embedding an integrated, well understood, value adding process, we have instead created a resource hungry monster that is poorly understood by numerous layers of the organisation.

May 5, 2022

By D Head

IonicRE acknowledges within our mining industry, there is a common belief that workplace health and safety, often referred to as safety, is just a matter of ‘common sense’ – something obvious and easy. However, at IonicRE, we hold a different perspective. We understand that safety is far from easy. We recognise the need to emphasise the importance of understanding and conveying the inherent difficulties of working safely. We are committed to implementing processes that support individuals in achieving our safety objective of eliminating fatalities and permanently disabling injuries. To build resilience and sustainability into safety performance, we draw parallels with the principles underpinning sustainable and exceptional production performance. Achieving sustainable safety performance demands effective leadership, meticulous planning, adept management, genuine care and unwavering commitment. We’ve leveraged various tools and techniques, such as DISC theory, Maslow’s hierarchy, process control, Kaizen, Six Sigma and Kirkpatrick’s 4 levels, among others, to facilitate this improvement. There methods play a pivotal role in developing a Safety Blueprint for enhanced safety performance. This paper provides an overview of IonicRE’s Safety Blueprint, a strategic framework for developing our safety capability. Our capability is underpinned by three key pillars. Firstly, a comprehensive risk management approach is imperative, encompassing the understanding of hazards, the identification of threats to our people and the associated risks. Secondly, it entails providing and enforcing accountability to sustain our safety capability. Lastly, it involves constructing an effective defence system against threats and harm. Implementing these pillars requires a meticulously devised change process. Anticipating resistance and potential setbacks, we underscore the importance of having the right people and a wellcommunicated vision for safety at IonicRE. A Safety Blueprint serves as a detailed plan outlining the path toward a future goal. At IonicRE, we contend that safety in the mining industry has generally lacked a coherent and effective Safety Blueprint – a comprehensive plan to navigate the journey toward a destination. Drawing parallels with NASA’s detailed plan for landing a man on the moon safely, we question why, as an industry, we cannot similarly eliminate fatalities. While progress has been made in the last century, we must not wait another 50 years to eradicate fatalities from our industry. Examining Safe Work Australia data from 2008 reveals that 47 per cent of mining fatalities result from vehicle activity and 40 per cent stem from individuals being struck by an object. As of December 7, 2023, seven lives have been lost in the mining industry in Australia this year, indicating a stubborn trend mirroring 2022, with limited improvement over the past 25 years. These incidents are not isolated or unexpected. We understand the hazards and controls, yet fatalities persist. IonicRE considers that the mining industry stands at a critical juncture – do we accept a plateau in mining safety performance, or do we rethink our approach? At IonicRE, we are thoroughly reassessing the hazards that threaten our people, systematically redefining effective risk control measures and establishing a robust framework to hold individuals accountable for the effective implementation of the control measure.

Apr 16, 2024

The need for formalised geotechnical reporting has not been fully explored at many operations. With the continuing need to provide safer and more efficient workplaces, the requirement for good geotechnical reporting systems (as with other reporting systems) has become of greater importance.Historically, the risk from rockfalls has been the largest cause of fatal injuries in the underground mining industry. The response of the ground to mining is generally poorly documented at many mines. At Olympic Dam, it was found that the existing corporate hazard and incident reporting (HIR) procedure did not record enough specifics about geotechnical issues. A separate and more specific geotechnical reporting process was set up to address this problem.This paper examines the role that geotechnical reporting plays at the WMC Resources Olympic Dam Mine; from reporting and rectifying day-to-day geotechnical issues that affect the operation to documenting and analysing longer term trends.

Jan 1, 2004

By N Meadows, M Rodriguez

A 200 000 tpa heap leach demonstration plant was approved by the Murrin Murrin Joint Venture (MMJV) in December 2005 and engineering commenced in January 2006. The demonstration plant will utilise stockpiled ore reject material (æscatsÆ) and extract nickel and cobalt. Limited production from the demonstration plant is expected by the end of 2006. The demonstration plant will enable the company to fully investigate and understand all associated technical issues over the next 12 to 18 months, including the potential to expand the heap leaching operation to a commercial scale. In parallel, the MMJV will continue a research and development program to improve and expand the application of its heap leaching technology.

Jan 1, 2006

By R McIlwraith, B Breul

Two case studies are presented in this paper. The first one discusses a roller compacted concrete water supply dam that was constructed in El Mauro in Chile to provide water for agriculture activities downstream of a copper mine during the dry season. The 23 m high dam used a bituminous geomembrane (BGM) as the low permeability upstream facing element on the dam to control seepage through the dam. This is the first time that a BGM has been used in this application. A deep cut-off trench was used to control seepage beneath the dam and through the abutments. This paper briefly presents the design of the dam, including selection of the concrete mix and maximum aggregate size that the use of the Coletanche BGM allowed, and provides details of the construction, quality control and assurance of the installation of the BGM. An ultrasonic apparatus was used as part of the quality control on the BGM seams.The second case study discusses a tailings dam in Cerro Lindo, Peru (near Chincha), where a watertight BGM was installed on the upstream face. Results are presented of the survey done by a consultant on the behaviour of the dam and in particular of the BGM following an earthquake of magnitude 8.1 in Chincha close to the site. These findings on-site were checked by trials in a laboratory in California. Test results are given and explained.CITATION:Breul, B and McIlwraith, R, 2015. Case histories – roller compacted concrete dam waterproofing with a bituminous geomembrane in Chile and a tailings dam in Peru subject to an earthquake of 8.1 magnitude, in Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste Management for the 21st Century , pp 367–372 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 27, 2015

By R Russell

The relative infrequency of fatalities and other serious events can give them an appearance of being random, of being beyond any reasonable degree of anticipation and prevention. In fact, the vast majority of these events result from exposures that are identifiable, measurable, and manageable. The lessons of prominent incidents, such as the Space Shuttle Columbia, OxyÆs Piper Alpha, Esso Longford, BP Texas City, Massey Mine, as well as lessons from single fatality events, is that alongside the proximate causes of each incident, there also coexisted an underlying fabric of systems, mechanisms, and culture that allowed risk in the workplace to persist and often to become normalised. All of these ingredients of the organisationÆs safety fabric lend themselves to the influence and intervention of senior leaders. The difficulty is that traditional injury prevention paradigms are not sufficient for addressing the precursors that lead up to catastrophic and fatal events. A recent study of such events, led by Dr Thomas Krause concluded that the descriptive aspect of HeinrichÆs safety triangle is useful, but that the predictive aspect is not. The study surfaced reasons why a reduction in less serious injuries does not necessarily correspond to a proportionate reduction in catastrophic and fatal risks. This presentation expands on the findings to include the concept of exposure to the event potential linked to precursor events and the framework for leading an organisation to be both cognisant and effective in eliminating such events.CITATION:Russell, R, 2012. Shifting the cultural paradigm for the prevention of catastrophic and fatal events, in Proceedings International Mine Management 2012, pp 91-96 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 20, 2012