Underground Priorities
The underground research requirements for 2007 cover two focus areas – welfare of community and employees, and profitability. The first includes health, safety, environment and community initiatives and the profitability goal incorporates improved productivity, systems reliability and reduced costs.
Priorities are grouped into four program areas:
Improved Health And Safety Program
Areas of focus and interest for underground mining are:
- Clarification of key underground health and safety issues and management practices, including legislative best practice alternatives in line with the findings of the UK Robens Inquiry, health assessments, etc. This applies equally to the open cut area.
- Improving the management of principal underground mining hazards such as gas, fires and explosions. Outburst research goals include efficient collection of data, more reliable detection of structures, improved gas drainage, education and training initiatives and improved outburst management protocols.
- Reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of incident prevention and response measures leading to practical solutions for industry implementation.
- Improving equipment operator interfaces, including vibration impacts, ergonomics and appropriate operator skills and practices. Reduce repetitive heavy manual handling and investigate technology to improve vision.
- Safe controls for airborne contaminants (eg dust and diesel emissions) and noise exposure that do not inhibit productivity.
Management Of Mining Conditions Program
- Improved efficiency and effectiveness in characterising ground conditions using innovative methods of drilling, exploration and remote sensing.
- Regional scale integration and interpretation of geospatial datasets to produce more informed understanding of geological features.
- Develop techniques and procedures to improve the effectiveness of ground control systems using monitoring systems, integrated real time models and industry wide analysis.
Higher Productivity Mining Program
- Improvements in roadway development methods and equipment through continuous improvement as well as step change.
- Application of remote control and automation processes to reduce operator exposure to hazards.
- Innovative initiatives to improve the logistics and training of operators, tradespersons and staff so as to build and maintain skills and competency for safer, more efficient mining systems.
Reliability Of Mining Systems Program
- Improvements to the design of underground equipment to maximise safety, fitness for purpose, reliability and maintainability.
- Increase the availability and uptime of mining and services processes, including the application of predictive maintenance methods.
- Development and demonstration of improved monitoring and control systems for equipment and processes.
- Further improvements in the understanding and rationalisation of both low and high voltage electrical systems in underground mines.
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