Rock-engineering audit procedures to improve the safety of mine workers

During the past two to three years, there have been some significant improvements to the quality of the support systems being used on South African gold mines, and the implementation of these new developments, together with more worker awareness has been instrumental in reducing rock-related accidents, particularly in deep mines. This paper provides guidelines to mine and group personnel on how to monitor the ongoing implementation of new technologies and so ensure the benefits that will accrue in terms of mine safety and profitability. Particular attention is given to the establishment of auditing procedures that will enable management to assess the benefits obtained from new technologies, as well as providing improved maintenance procedures and procedures for the optimum utilization of seismic data. The areas that receive most attention include support systems for stopes and tunnels, such as hydraulic props, backfill, and rockburst-resistant tunnel support; stope and regional support layouts; mine standards; and staffing of the rock-engineering department. The paper includes a draft audit form and a hypothetical example of an audit report.