Spatial positioning of sidewall stations in a narrow tunnel environment: a safe alternative to traditional mine survey practice

Regulations, Standards and Codes of Practice

The role of the Mine Surveyor has not changed significantly from medieval times when Agricola described the principal duties of the Mine Surveyor to determine the direction of mine workings and to ensure that no encroachment upon neighbouring properties has taken place. In this chapter it will be attempted to analyse current national and international legislation and industry standards defining the limits of accuracy and working standards employed in mining and tunnelling projects. The impact of various Safety and Health requirements on the working procedures of a Mine Surveyor will be investigated by comparing a number of corporate Standards and Procedures related to working-at-heights in the mining environment. As part of the investigation the impact of external influences such as refraction and strong ventilation on the accuracy of a survey will be discussed.

1. The South African Legislative Environment

The Mine Surveyor in South Africa operates in an environment strictly regulated by legislation and corporate Standards and Procedures. The preamble of the South African Mine Health and Safety Act, No. 29 OF 1996 declares that the object of the Act is:

“To provide for protection of the health and safety of employees and other persons at mines and, for that purpose -

to promote a culture of health and safety;

to provide for the enforcement of health and safety measures; …

to regulate employers' and employees' duties to identify hazards and eliminate, control and minimise the risk to health and safety;

to entrench the right to refuse to work in dangerous conditions; …” [17]
The MHSA requires that:

2. (1) The owner of every mine that is being worked must

(a) ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that the mine is designed, constructed and equipped

(i) to provide conditions for safe operation and a healthy working environment; and…

(b) ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that the mine is commissioned, operated, … in such a way that employees can perform their work without endangering the health and safety, of themselves or of any other person; [17]
According the Act Chapter 2 (9)(2); a code of practice must be prepared and implemented for any practice affecting the health or safety of an employee or other person directly affected by the activities of a mine. Such a code of practice must comply with the guidelines issued by the Chief Inspector. It is required Chapter 2 (11)(1))(a) and (b) to identify, assess and record any risks to health and safety to which employees may be exposed to and design “safe systems of work” necessary to eliminate, control or minimize the recorded risks.
The MHSA Chapter 2 (22) stipulates that “It is an offence to fail to comply with a duty under this Act” and it is the employee’s duty to “take reasonable care to protect the health and safety” of themselves and other persons who “may be affected by any act or omission of that employee;” [17]. As stated in the objectives of the Act, Chapter 2 (23)(1) as well as (30)(1)(b)

”The employee has the right to leave any working place whenever…

1. 
   circumstances arise at that working place which, with reasonable justification, appear to that employee to pose a serious danger to the health or safety of that employee;” [17]
   

It is deemed an offence by this Act to “discriminate against an employee who has asserted any right granted by this Act “ [17].

The MHSA describe the Inspector’s power in Chapter 5 in the following manner in Chapter 5 (54) (1):

“If an inspector believes that any occurrence, practice or condition at a mine endangers or may endanger the health or safety of any person at the mine, the inspector may give any instruction necessary to protect the health or safety of persons at the mine, including but not limited to an instruction that -

(a) operations at the mine or a part of the mine be halted;

(b) the performance of any act or practice at the mine or a part of the mine be suspended or halted, and may place conditions on the performance of that act or practice;” [17]
In recent times the issuing of a “Section 54” by the Inspector of mines have become standard procedure in any event where a serious injury or fatality has occurred. The issuing of a Section 54 implies that all production activities on the mine must be stopped until the Inspector has been satisfied that any conditions in contravention of the Act have been rectified. The stop in production can lead to significant financial losses for a mining company. According to the Act, it is an offence to fail to comply with an Inspector's instruction. It is defined in the MHSA Chapter 7 (91)(1) that a person commits an offence who contravenes or fails to comply to the provisions and regulations of this Act and may be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment according the jurisdiction of the Magistrate’s court. [17]
Within the context of the MHSA Act it is therefore obvious that the primary focus of the mining industry is safety above all else. Mine Surveyors therefore do not only have amoral obligation to ensure the accuracy of their work but also a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of mine employees as well as those of the community. [8].
The Mine Surveyor have in recent times been forced to adapt to a role that sees them ensuring that the core business drivers of their employers are met, while at the same time ensuring that all work is performed in compliance with all the relevant Safety and Health and company Standards and Procedures. [18]
As a result of these core business drivers, the most important of which is safety, it will be necessary to determine how this alternative method of surveying will conform to the requirements of accuracy stipulated by the Mine Health and Safety Act as well as corporate Standards and Procedures. It is important to evaluate the various defined limits of accuracy found internationally in order to draw a suitable conclusion regarding the application of these limits to the proposed method of surveying. The accurate positioning of mine workings in relation to mine boundaries and features that may require protection from undermining or from accidental breakthrough into areas that may contain water, mud or gas that could endanger the lives of mine employees is of the utmost importance. In addition to these points, the accurate representation of all mine workings in relation to surface features is important for the construction of rescue plans. It has been observed by Young that “Frequently mine maps must be produced in court as evidence. In all cases such maps should be so complete and so carefully prepared that no questions can arise in regard to the accuracy of the work of the engineer.” [6]. It is crucial to understand that the accuracy and consistency of the survey method that provides the control for the representation of such workings on plan meet current legal requirements and evaluate any alternatives that may prove more suitable than these regulations.

2.1.1. Major contributors to injuries and Fatalities in the South African mining industry

In the South African Mining Industry, the main contributors to fatalaties and injuries have been identified as Falls-of-ground, Machinery, Transportation and Mining activities [19]. Falling from heights have also been identified as a major contributor to both fatalities and injuries [20]. According to the MHSI newsletter, in the period April to June 2013 37% of the 19 reported fatalaties were as a result of Falls-of-ground and 16% due to transportation and mining [21]. Mine surveyors in the execution of their duties are exposed to these hazards on a daily basis as the survey stations are installed in the hangingwall of the excavation and while observing, the surveyor is directly positioned in the way of conveyances and transportation equipment. It was noted by Metcalfe that the minds of the mine surveyor and the crew during surveying operations should be “… fully concentrated on the work in hand and free from anxiety regarding their safety…” [22].