Mining in focus
Mining needs
a breath of fresh air
Underground mines should regard ventilation systems
as the lifeblood of its operations, writes Leon Louw.
A
chieving production targets and
ensuring that all workers
return to the surface safely,
are two of the most important goals
for underground mining teams.
The health and safety of employees
are non-negotiable but at the same
time, there is always pressure from
management to improve production β a
catch-22 for underground operational
managers and supervisors. Innovative
methods and simple adjustments to
traditional ways of mining are often
introduced β and not always by top
management. Workers often take it upon
themselves to push that extra metre in
the stope, which means a bigger bonus
at the end of the month. These measures
often do result in improved production
rates, which reflects positively on the
balance sheet, but sadly, it more often
leads to injuries or fatalities, of which the
monetary value can never be estimated.
If an underground operator has
used all its available resources and runs
an efficient, streamlined operation by
cutting costs to the bone but the targets
continue heading north, he or she
needs to ask more questions. How can
productivity be improved? Production
targets, rates, and productivity are all
related to the quantity, type, condition,
and utilisation of mine equipment and
the number of work areas. As more
work areas are opened up, the challenges
become more complex, but production
rates are improved. At the same
time, as the equipment fleet becomes
bigger, demand for fresh air and cool
temperatures increase. Underground
trucks and equipment generate heat,
dust, and fumes, and fresh air is
critical to dilute contaminants to levels
specified by regulatory authorities.
Effective ventilation, temperature
control, and sufficient airflow and its
role in increasing production are often
overlooked.
Health depends on ventilation
Regulatory bodies require that workers
operate in a healthy work environment,
meeting specified minimum standards.
Often, underground operations are
unable to achieve these goals and in
many cases compromise production
to comply with the law. Conversely,
some mines operate in contravention
of safety regulations to achieve
their business targets. In both these
scenarios, inadequate ventilation is
the problem. This is often the result
of either a lack of knowledge or
poor and ineffective planning. It is a
serious issue if underground planners
disregard ventilation as critical to the
planning process and to the success
of the operation, and then leave the
ventilation details to be managed by a
junior ventilation officer, as if it is not
of primary importance. Ventilation is
an integral part of the underground
planning process, especially when the
design changes or the mine expands
into new areas. To ignore the full cost
of ventilation in the budget results
in a substandard ventilation system.
Ventilation is an area in underground
mining where improvements can be
made to enhance safety, efficiency, and
productivity, and it is of the utmost
importance for ventilation systems to
operate optimally.
βIn ultra-deep South African mines,
ventilation and especially cooling
systems are essential,β says Nicolaas C.
Steenkamp, an independent mining
consultant. The intense heat in deep
JULY 2018 MINING MIRROR
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