Mining in focus
Mine surveyors at an opencast mine.
The importance
of mine surveying
Mine surveyors
form a critical link
in the day-to-day
functions of any
mining operation,
writes Dr Nicolaas
C. Steenkamp.
[24] MINING MIRROR APRIL 2018
A
s the old saying goes: “If you
cannot measure it, you cannot
manage it.” This is especially
true on mines where daily, weekly, and
monthly measurements of mined tons
and advance meters are critical. This
function is performed by mine surveyors
who form a link between the different
departments at any mine. Mine survey
information is used by geologists,
rock engineers, mining engineers,
the environmental department, and
management, to name a few. Mine
surveyors also assist with infrastructure
and are even used in some of the social
responsibility projects undertaken by a
mining company. Surveying is done for
both surface and underground mining.
The main task is to gather quality
measurements, which are then used
to generate maps or feed into other
databases for use.
Various requirements are set
throughout the world to work as a
mine surveyor, but generally it requires
a tertiary qualification followed
by vocational training, profession
certification and registration, and
continued education to s tay abreast
of the rapidly changing technological
advances in the surveying field. In
South Africa, all qualified professional
surveyors, technologist surveyors,
technician surveyors, and GISc
Practitioners have to be registered with
the South African Geomatics Council
(SAGC), previously known as PLATO.
In the country, mine surveyors are
appointed in terms of the Mine Health
and Safety Act to oversee surveying,
mapping, and mine plans at the mine.
Quality of maps
A mine surveyor should ensure that he/
she uses instruments and equipment
of a precision equal to current best-in-
industry standards and technology. The
person doing the survey should ensure
that all work is done in accordance with
good engineering practices. Finally,
the survey generally needs to have
an accuracy of not less than 1:5000,
depending on the final application.
The datum station established as
the origin of the survey needs to be
stated on the map. This datum is