Publications of the International Labor Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. For reproduction or translation rights, application should be made to the Publications Office (Rights and Permissions), International Labor Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland. Responsibility for the opinions expressed in the signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labor Office of the opinions expressed therein.
ILO publications can be obtained from major booksellers or ILO local offices in many countries, or directly from ILO Publications, International Labor Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland.
Objectives, scope and definitions
A surface mine is understood to mean an above-ground excavation in the earth (open-cast mine) for the purpose of extracting, testing or producing minerals from a natural deposit. Competent person means a person who, in the opinion of the mine operator and the mining authority, has adequate qualifications, such as appropriate training and sufficient knowledge and skills, for the design, organisation, supervision and safe execution of the duties for which he or she has been appointed. Risk means the probability that something will happen causing injury or damage to people's health.
General principles
General provisions
No miner should be ordered to work alone in a remote location or in a place where danger may exist. Take reasonable care of the safety and health of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Each miner must leave the area as soon as possible after being warned of danger, except for rescue or first aid.
Relations between the mine owner/operator and the workforce must be based on regular consultation, consensus,.
Mining accidents and dangerous occurrences
The result of the investigation is recorded in a designated book and the mining authority is notified of the event. After a mining accident or hazardous event, the Mining Authority must help the mine to ensure that it is improved.
Hazards in the working environment
Miners should not approach a work surface after firing until the dust and gaseous products of the blast have completely dissipated. As far as practicable, stationary diesel equipment should not be used in stagnant air areas or near workplaces. Where possible, such noise sources should be damped with an effective acoustic absorber material to reduce noise emissions to an acceptable level.
W hen such noise control measures are not possible, comfortable and practical personal hearing protection devices, such as approved earplugs or earmuffs, must be worn by every person exposed to noise levels above 90 dbA. Workers must be informed about the nature of heat stress and its adverse effects, as well as about protective measures. They should be taught that heat tolerance is very dependent on drinking enough water (not just to satisfy thirst (and eating a balanced diet).
Carbonated drinks and drinks containing caffeine and high concentrations of sugar or salt should not be offered. Safe drinking water must be placed close to each worker or brought to the worker every hour. Basic ergonomic requirements should be considered, including workplace layout, design of equipment and tools, work techniques, working hours and rest patterns.
For each system of joints, bones, muscles and tendons, there is a range of movements that can be performed most efficiently. The heavier the load carried in front of the body, the closer it should be to the body.
Health, welfare and hygiene of mineworkers
An adequate supply of potable drinking water must be provided at all main work sites during working hours. If it is safe to drink from wells on site, they must be located so that they will not be contaminated by mine waste water (eg outside the mine area, higher than the mine drainage level). Food should not be stored or consumed in any area exposed to hazardous materials, fumes or dust.
Persons who appear to be under the influence of alcohol or narcotics should not be allowed to work.
First aid
Every effort should be made to ensure that at least one employee is trained in first aid applications (the Mining Authority should provide first aid training) who must be on site while mining operations are being conducted. Any employee involved in rescue operations must exercise reasonable care for their own safety and health and not put themselves in danger by acting rashly when there are unknown risks. No one is allowed to enter the area where an accident has occurred, unless it has been made safe and expressly authorized by an authorized person.
Any injury to a mine worker, however minor, must be reported to the person in charge of mine first aid for inspection and treatment before the injured person returns to work or leaves the mine. Arrangements should be made to transport injured or ill persons to a hospital or other suitable medical facility, for example through cooperation between nearby mining sites.
Personal protective equipment
Safety when mining
To minimize these hazards, the stability of any pit wall, bench, or slope where people normally travel to and from their assigned jobs should be regularly inspected and properly maintained. Any place in a mine where any person normally works must have adequate travel routes. Any access exceeding a slope of 50 degrees from the horizontal must be provided by attached steps.
The slope of loose soil or broken rock should be kept at an angle (no more than 45 degrees) that ensures stability. Vegetation, such as large shrubs and trees, should be removed from the topsoil before stripping reaches the roots to prevent hazards from falling trees. Each patio floor in a multi-bench system must be wide enough for people to work and travel freely and safely.
It must be scaled down or supported in a safe manner before other work or travel is allowed in the affected area. Scaling must be performed from a location that will not expose persons to injury from falling material. When digging pits, trenches or other such works, any face or side wall more than 1.5 meters high must be firmly supported (eg by installing supports) to prevent the wall material from falling back or sliding in the excavation.
Any tunnel or adit driven into the face for exploration, drainage or any other purpose must be safely supported if ground conditions require it. Where possible, surface water should be prevented from entering the mining operations by digging ditches to collect the water. Drainage channels should be far from the edge of the excavation and constructed to minimize storm runoff into the pit.
As far as possible, mining operations should be designed so that the water is discharged naturally (e.g. to lower abandoned working areas).
Mechanical equipment
Hammer extraction operations must be performed from a position that will not expose the operator to injury from falling material. Lubricating oil should be used before starting a hammer and at intervals as needed during operation. The material to be broken by the hammers (second stage) must be positioned or blocked to prevent any movement that could endanger persons in the work area.
Before moving pneumatic hammers from one work site to another, the air compressor must be turned off and the hose bled. Before moving drills from one location to another, the air compressor must be turned off and air must be removed from the hose. All pipe/hose structures and connections must be able to withstand the pressure and flow of the operating air.
Appropriate locking devices must be used for connections between machinery and high-pressure hoses, especially where failure of the connection could cause danger to the operator or other persons. Safety equipment suitable for continuous work under the maximum permissible working pressure must be installed on each compressor or pressure accumulator. Whenever the temperature of the compressed air exceeds the limit or any fault is detected in the cooler, the compressor must be stopped.
Use air filters to ensure that only uncontaminated air enters the compressor. The flow of compressed air from the compressor to the place of use must be as dry and cool as possible.
Explosives and blasting
An area around explosive material storage facilities must be clear of debris, brush, dry grass and trees for a distance of 10 meters in all directions. When stored in the same warehouse, abrasives must be kept separate from explosives, safety fuses and detonating cords to prevent contamination. The mine operator must designate an appropriate person responsible for the explosives in the mine.
This person must be over 21 years of age and capable of storing, handling and using explosives. Sealed, non-conductive containers should be used to transport explosives and detonators to and from blast sites. Explosive material must be protected from impacts and from temperatures above 65 ° C when sent to the place of explosion.
The charges may only be paid at the time of use and as close to the blast site as conditions permit. Once charging begins, the only permitted activity at the explosion site may be that directly related to the explosion. Before charging, the loopholes should be checked for obstacles which should be cleared as far as possible.
Unused explosive material should be moved to a protected location as soon as practicable after completion of charging. Only work necessary to correct misfires is permitted in the affected area until the misfire is safely removed.
Cessation of mining / mine closure
