Mine System Engineering

Definitions:
Hazard: A hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment. Most hazards are
dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm; however, once a hazard becomes "active", it can create an
emergency situation. A hazardous situation that has come to pass is called an incident. Hazard and possibility interact
together to create risk.
Risk: Risk is the potential of losing something of value. Values (such as physical health, social status, emotional wellbeing or
financial wealth) can be gained or lost when taking risk resulting from a given action, activity and/or inaction, foreseen or
unforeseen. Risk is the correlation between likelihood and consequence.
Accident or mishap is an incidental and unexpected event/circumstance or series of events causing loss of life or bodily
injury or undesirable consequences.
Incident: Unplanned event not resulted in personal injury, property damage but has potential is worthy to note.
Near miss: An accident that could cause harm but missed it.
ALARA: As Low As Reasonably achievable (This means that we reduce risk only to the point where further control/s do not
become grossly disproportionate to any achievable safety benefit)
MSDS: A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that provides health and safety information about products,
substances or chemicals that are classified as hazardous substances or dangerous goods.
PEEPO: People, Environment, Equipment, Process, Organization

PEOPLE - training, licensing, competency, fitness for work

ENVIRONMENT - physical environment, surface conditions, weather conditions, strata control, ventilation, water
EQUIPMENT - vehicles, equipment, tools, signs, barricades, PPE
PROCESS - procedures, standards, legislation, inspections, work instructions, audits, authorities
ORGANISATION - org structure, supervision, risk assessments, policies, reporting

SOP: Standard Operating Procedure

Types of hazards:
1. Physical hazards are conditions or situations that can cause the body physical harm or intense stress. Physical hazards
can be both natural and human made elements.
Squamous cell ( upper layer of skin) & basal cell skin cancers
Melanoma: Melanomas are usually caused by DNA damage resulting from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from
the sun.
Hypoxia: Hypoxia (also known as hypoxiation or anoxemia) is a condition in which the body or a region of the body
is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. (at high altitudes)
Elevated barometric pressures in deep mines increase air temperature
IR exposures in pyro metallurgical processes
2. Chemical hazards are substances that can cause harm or damage to the body, property or the environment. Chemical
hazards can be both natural and human made origin.
Crystalline silica
o Silico tuberculosis
o Accelerated silicosis in rheumotoidal organs
Coal dust
o Coal miners pneumoconiosis
o Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
Asbestosis

 Manganese poisoning
Diesel particulate exposures, Arsenic, nickel compounds (IARC group I carcinogens)
3. Biological hazards are biological agents that can cause harm to the human body. These some biological agents can be
viruses, parasites, bacteria, food, fungi, and foreign toxins.
Malaria, dengue fever
Leptospirosis: Infection caused by corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Leptospira. Leptospirosis is transmitted by the
urine of an infected animal and is contagious as long as the urine is still moist.
Ankylostomiasis: hookworm disease caused by infection with Ancylostoma hookworms. The infection is usually
contracted by persons walking barefoot over contaminated soil.
Legionellosis: The genus Legionella is a pathogenic group of Gram-negative bacteria that includes the species L.
pneumophila, causing Legionellosis.
4. Ergonomic hazards
Cumulative trauma disorders
Shoulder disorders (overhead work in UG- ground support, suspension of pipes and electrical cable)
Ankle and knee injuries ( broken ground)
Fatigue (sleep deficits)
5. Psychosocial hazards
Fatal and severe traumatic injuries have a profound impact on morale
Post-traumatic stress disorders
Notified diseases:
Silicosis
Manganese poisoning
Asbestosis
Types of injuries:
1. Fatal
2. Serious bodily injury
3. Reportable injury

Pneumoconiosis
Lung or stomach cancer

4. Minor
5. Portable

Causes of fatal accidents:

Fall of roof, sides, persons, objects
Explosives
Rope haulages
Other machineries
Dumpers
Reasons for reducing accidents in some cases:
Technology improvements in roof supports (from timber supports to powered supports)
From UG to OC
Reduced manpower at the face due to mechanization
Reasons for increasing accidents in some cases:
Increase in fleet size
High production from OC
Smaller haul roads
Indian standards 3786 (1983): Methods for computation of frequency and severity rates for industrial injuries and
classification of industrial accidents
Definitions:
Disabling Injury (Lost Time Injury) - An injury causing disablement extending beyond the day of shift on which the accident
occurred.
Non-disabling Injury - An injury which requires medical treatment only, without causing any disablement whether of
temporary or permanent nature.

Reportable Disabling Injury (Reportable Lost Time Injury) - An injury causing death or disablement to an extent as
prescribed by the relevant statute.
Days of Disablement (Lost Time)
1. In the case of disablement of a temporary nature, the number of days on which the injured person was partially
disabled.
2. In the case of death or disablement of a permanent nature whether it be partial or total disablement man-days lost
means the charges in days of earning capacity lost due to such permanent disability or death.
Partial Disablement - This is of two types:
1. disablement of a temporary nature which reduces the earning capacity of an employed person in any employment
in which he was engaged at the time of the accident resulting in the disablement; and
2. Disablement of a permanent nature, which reduces his earning capacity in every employment which he was
capable of undertaking at the time.
Total Disablement - Disablement, whether of a temporary or permanent nature, which incapacitates a workman for all
work which he was capable of performing at the time of the accident resulting in such disablement.
COMPUTATION OF FREQUENCY, SEVERITY AND INCIDENCE RATES
(refer from copy)
Frequency Rate - The frequency rate shall be calculated both for lost time injury and reportable lost time injury as follows:

Severity Rate - The severity rate shall be calculated from mandays lost both of lost time injury and reportable lost time
injury as follows:

Incidence Rates: General incidence rate is the ratio of the number of injuries to the number of persons during the period
under review. It is expressed as the number of injuries per 1000 persons employed.
The incidence rate may be calculated both for lost-time injuries and reportable lost-time injuries as follows:

Classification of accidents: (Appendix B)

1. classification according to agency

(refer from copy)

Investigation of mine accidents

Causes:
Direct cause (basic cause): Most obvious reasons, i.e. immediate actions or inactions of individuals, or failed defenses
Indirect cause (underlying causes or contribution factors): Less obvious system or organizational reasons (i.e. unsafe
conditions) e.g. inadequate training, Poor equipment design
Root cause: Failings from which all other causes spring i.e. management, planning or organizational failings

Root cause (A root cause is a cause that once removed from the problem fault sequence, prevents the final undesirable
event from recurring):
poor work procedures
lack of supervision
lack of training
lack of safety leader
no Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
poor house keeping
equipment failure
ignored safety rules
purchasing unsafe equipment
didnt follow procedures
defective tools
didnt report hazards
no rules
horse play
poor safety management
no feedback
Objectives of incident investigation:
To prevent recurrence, reduce risk and advance health and safety performance. It is not the purpose of this activity
to apportion blame or liability.
The use of established investigation methodologies guide the investigation team in following a structured, logical
path during the course of an investigation.
Investigation methodologies provide guidance in gathering investigative data and a framework for organising and
analyzing the data.
Steps of investigation:
1. Incident
2. First aid provisions and medical assistance
3. Conduct risk assessment, report of incidence
4. Investigate the accident
5. Identify the contributing factor
6. Determine corrective actions

7. Compile investigation report

8. Develop short term and long term correcting
actions
9. Obtain sign by management
10. Implement the plan
11. Evaluate effectiveness

Post incident immediate actions:

1. Initiate emergency response plan
2. Take actions to make area safe
3. Evacuate people
4. Provide first aid
5. Account for people

6. Notify senior management

7. Capture photographs and videos of the scene
before too many changes
8. Preserve the evidences
9. Preliminary assessment of the incident

Key learning Incident report:

1) Hazard,
2) equipment,
3) causes,
4) comments,
5) recommendations (conclusion of investigation): Based upon hierarchy of control
Hierarchy of hazard control: It is a system used in industry to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazards.
1. Elimination: remove the hazard from the workplace
2. Substitution: substitute (replace) hazardous materials or machines with less hazardous ones
3. Engineering control: includes designs or modifications to plants, equipment, ventilation systems, and processes that
reduce the source of exposure
4. Administrative control: controls that alter the way the work is done, including timing of work, policies and other
rules, and work practices such as standards and operating procedures (including training, housekeeping, and
equipment maintenance, and personal hygiene practices)
5. PPE (personal protective equipment): equipment worn by individuals to reduce exposure such as contact with
chemicals or exposure to noise

Root cause analysis:

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving that tries to identify the root causes of faults or problems.
1. 5 Whys: The 5 Whys is a technique used in the Analyze phase of the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze,
Improve, Control) methodology. It is a great Six Sigma tool that does not involve data segmentation, hypothesis
testing, regression or other advanced statistical tools, and in many cases can be completed without a data collection
plan.
By repeatedly asking the question Why (five is a good rule of thumb), you can peel away the layers of symptoms which
can lead to the root cause of a problem. Very often the ostensible reason for a problem will lead you to another question.
Although this technique is called 5 Whys, you may find that you will need to ask the question fewer or more times than
five before you find the issue related to a problem.
2. INCIDENT CAUSE ANALYSIS METHOD (ICAM):
Professor James Reason: organizational psychologist and human error expert
Organizational accidents: Reason defines organizational accidents as those in which latent conditions (arising mainly from
management decisions, practices or cultural influences), combine adversely with local triggering conditions (weather,
location etc.) and with active failures (errors and/or procedural violations) committed by individuals or teams at the front
line or "sharp end" of an organization, to produce an accident.
Fundamental concept of ICAM:
Acceptance of the inevitability of human error. Human factors research and operational experience, has shown that
human error is a normal characteristic of human behavior, and although it can be reduced, it cannot be completely
eliminated
Objectives:
To establish all the relevant and material facts surrounding the event.
To ensure the investigation is not restricted to the errors and violations of operational personnel.
To identify underlying or latent causes of the event.
To review the adequacy of existing controls and procedures.
To recommend corrective actions which when applied can:
- reduce risk,
- prevent recurrence;
- And by default, improve operational efficiency.
Detect developing trends that can be analyzed to identify specific or recurring problems.
To ensure that it is not the purpose of the investigation to apportion blame or liability. Where a criminal act or an
act of willful negligence is discovered, the information will be passed to the appropriate authority.
To meet relevant statutory requirements for incident investigation and reporting
Causal factors are mainly organized into 4 categories:
1. Absent / Failed Defenses: These contributing factors result from inadequate or absent defences that failed to
detect and protect the system against technical and human failures. These are the control measures which did not
prevent the incident or limit its consequences.
2. Individual / Team Actions: These are the errors or violations that led directly to the incident and are typically
associated with personnel having direct contact with the equipment, such as operators or maintenance personnel.
3. Task / Environmental Conditions: These are the conditions in existence immediately prior to, or at the time of the
incident that directly influence human and equipment performance in the workplace. These are the circumstances
under which the errors and violations took place and can be embedded in task demands, the work environment,
individual capabilities and human factors
4. Organisational factors: These are the underlying organisational factors that produce the conditions that affect
performance in the workplace. They may lie dormant or undetected for a long time within an organisation and only

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

become apparent when they combine with other contributing factors that led to the incident. ICAM classifies the
organisational factors into 14 Organisational Factor Types (OFTs)
Hardware
8. Design
Training
9. Risk Management
Organisation
10. Management of Change
Communication
11. Contractor Management
Incompatible Goals
12. Organisational Culture
Procedures
13. Regulatory Influence
Maintenance Management
14. Organisational Learning
ICAM model of accident causation

Steps of Data Analysis:

Five rules of causation:
1. Rule 1 - Causal Statements must clearly show the "cause and effect" relationship: When describing why an event
has occurred, you should show the link between your root cause and the bad outcome
2. Rule 2 - Negative descriptors (e.g., poorly, inadequate) are not used in causal statement: To force clear cause and
effect descriptions (and avoid inflammatory statements), we recommend against the use of any negative descriptor
that is merely the placeholder for a more accurate, clear description (The Resident Manual was poorly written
vs. On Call start and stop times are not documented in policy)
3. Rule 3 - Each human error must have a preceding cause: It is the cause of the error, not the error itself, which leads
us to productive prevention strategies (Joe ordered heparin and the patient bled out vs. Joe order heparin
because he was unaware of a history of active Peptic Ulcer Disease in the pt.)
4. Rule 4 - Each procedural deviation must have a preceding cause: Procedural violations are like errors in that they
are not directly manageable. Instead, it is the cause of the procedural violation that we can manage.
5. Rule 5 - Failure to act is only causal when there was a pre-existing duty to act: A doctor's failure to prescribe a
medication can only be causal if he was required to prescribe the medication in the first place. The duty to perform
may arise from standards and guidelines for practice; or other duties to provide patient care.
Problem solving techniques:
1. Change analysis:
look for deviation from the normal
make an analysis of the change to determine its causes
Use following steps define problem

establish normal
identify, locate and describe the change
specify what was and what not was affected
identify the distinctive features of the change
list possible causes
select most likely causes

2. Job safety analysis: A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is one of the risk assessment tools used to identify and control
workplace hazards. A JSA is a second tier risk assessment with the aim of preventing personal injury to a person, or
their colleagues, and any other person passing or working adjacent, above or below. JSAs are also known as Activity
Hazard Analysis (AHA), Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and Task Hazard Analysis (THA).
The JSA or JHA should be created by the work group performing the task. Sometimes it is expedient to
review a JSA that has been prepared when the same task has been performed before but the work group must take
special care to review all of the steps thoroughly to ensure that they are controlling all of the hazards for this job
this time. The JSA is usually completed on a form. The most common form is a table with three. The headings of the
three columns are (1) Job Step (2) Hazard (3) Controls.
3. Energy trace and barrier analysis (ETBA): It is a professional level procedure intended to detect hazards by focusing
in detail on the presence of energy in a system and the barriers for controlling that energy.
ETBA steps:
I.
Identify the types of energy present in the system
II.
Locate energy origin and trace the flow
III.
Identify and evaluate barriers (mechanisms to confine the energy)
IV.
Determine the risk (the potential for hazardous energy to escape control and damage something
significant)
V.
Develop improved controls and implement as appropriate
Types of energy:
Electrical
Noise and Vibration
Kinetic (moving mass e.g. a vehicle, a machine
Thermal (heat)
part, a bullet)
Radiation (Nonionizing e.g. microwave, and
Potential (not moving mass e.g. a heavy object
ionizing e.g. nuclear radiation, x-rays)
suspended overhead)
Pressure (air, water)
Chemical (e.g. explosives, corrosive materials)
Risk Assessment Tiers:
(not in syllabus)
This tiered approach provides a systematic way of determining what level of investigation is appropriate for the site
of concern, minimizing unnecessary investigations, and allowing more efficient use of resources.
Risk assessment can be undertaken at three distinct levels of detail. Broadly, the degree of detail and quality of the data at
each level can be described as:
Tier 1: Qualitative (Introductory Risk Assessment)
Tier 2: Semi-quantitative (Advanced Risk Assessment)
Tier 3: Quantitative (Advanced Risk Assessment)
At each tier, the five key tasks:
i.
Problem Identification,
ii.
Receptor Characterization,
iii.
Exposure Assessment,

iv.
v.

Toxicity Assessment, and

Risk Characterization

Safety and Health Management System

Objective of establishing a SHMS in mines:
To provide Safe work environment
To achieve Zero Harm
To ensure risk to mine workers from mining operations at an acceptable level and ALARA
Changing scenario of Indian Mining scenario:
Complex geo-mining conditions
Increasing demand for minerals including fossil fuels to improve and sustain the economic growth
New Technology - Newer dimension of safety & health issues
Existing Legislative provisions do not match with changing technology
Standard or safe operating procedures are yet to be developed leading to unsafe operations
Lack of skill or competence to adopt new technologies, enhancing chances of human error
High capacity machines producing heat, noise or dust or use of diesel machines UG making working
atmosphere vulnerable
High level of physiological and psychological stress while operating high capacity machines
FDI in Mining Sector
Privatization and outsourcing
Existing mine management system and structure is not effective to manage health & safety issues of
contractual workforce
Safety obligation of operators or contractors for contractual workforce not well defined in statute or contract
Subcontracting by relatively smaller contractors not having adequate capacity or concern for safety
Employees are purely temporary or migratory in nature and not well conversant with mining activities or laws
General lack of skill and competence
Comparatively lower cost of production by outsourcing - at the cost of safety, health and welfare
Safety sometimes being considered as a cost component only, ignoring cost of lives or living condition
Contractors workers having more risk taking attitudes, as earnings directly connected with output
Lack of adequate and visible commitment for ensuring safety and health conditions of the work persons
Socio-economic problems
Features of current SHMS:
Mainly rule based not system or process based no real improvement in the system, being managed case to case
basis
Basically enforcement driven
Being managed by generally reluctant compliers of safety statute
Pursuing traditional inspection activities
Compliance being the key focus or responsibility of the safety department only -not a concern for others
Safety management is not an integral part of organisational management
Limited participation of workers not in the process of development of safety policy, safety management plan or
implementation or review
Reactive and Not Proactive
Too much focus on human Error/Lapses/Violation
Organisational factors overlooked
Not capable of coping with technological changes and dynamism of workplace
Reliance upon going by the book
Lot of grey areas
Lack of accountability

Current SHMS is not effective:

Still have high death rate
Not being able to prevent disasters
Similar causes are repeated
Process of hazard identification at workplaces and controls not yet been established
Lack of Effective Mine Emergency Management System
General work environment is far below satisfactory level
Solution:
Change in the philosophy of SHMS
Risk based SHMS should gradually replace Rule based SHMS
More and more participation & involvement of all stake holders, including workers, in developing, implementing,
reviewing and monitoring SHMS
Built in checks for monitoring safety performance
Provide scope for continuous improvement
ILO 176 Safety and Health in Mines Convention, provided that the mine should establish SHMS based on the
principles of Risk Management to identify hazards, assess risk and implement controls to reduce risk.
Accident due to machineries is the major contributory factor for fatalities. Safe use of machines through
development of Standard Operating Procedure based on risk assessment is the call of the day.
Fit for purpose equipments and competent operators are the two primary requirements to ensure safe operations
other than working condition.
The contractor management must be developed based on risk assessment
To have an adequate and effective emergency management system, an emergency response plan must be
developed based on scenario based risk assessment and current emergency capabilities
Reporting of accidents / incidents / dangerous occurrences/ high potential Incidents should be given more priority
and commitment. All reported accidents / incidents, whether or not resulted into loss of lives or serious injuries,
should also be given due importance and to be investigated
Risk Based SHMS:
Broad risk management elements and practices
Focus on general risk management principles
Identify the hazards,
assess and control the risks
Basic Principles:
A systems approach (Managing safety in terms of systems of work rather than concentrating on individual
deficiencies)
Involves assessment and control of risks
Developed through onsite relevant consultation
Proper understanding by risk creators
Commitment of persons involved - from top downwards
Effective communication
SHMS forms part of an overall management system that includes organisational structure, responsibilities,
practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining
a safety and health policy
Features: SHMS must
define S&H policy; and
contain a plan to implement S&H policy; and
state how to develop capabilities and support mechanisms necessary to achieve the policy; and
Include
Principal hazard management plans and

Standard operating procedures

Contain a way of
Measuring, monitoring and evaluating performance of SHMS; and
taking action necessary to prevent or correct matters that do not conform with the SHMS; and
Contain a plan to regularly review and continually improve SHMS so that risk to persons at the mine is at an
acceptable level; and if there is a significant change to mining operations of containing a plan to immediately
review the SHMS so that risk to persons is at an acceptable level.

Advantages:
Risk based SHMS proactive before consequence
Risk creators obligation to reduce risk
Quick to develop and implement
Developed through a process of effective consultation
Scope of continuous improvement
Can go hand in hand with technological development
Independent of legislation making process
Structure of SHMS:
Principal Hazard Management Plan
Standard Operating Procedure
Risk Assessment
Life Cycle of Risk Based SHMS:
Concept
Design
Development
Acquisition
Construction
Operation
Maintenance
Modification
Disposal

Basic Risk Management System

Elements of Risk based SHMS