Runs of Muck Hazards Associated with Loading Pockets and Passes

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The information contained in this material is provided as a guide only. WSN recognizes that individual companies must develop health and safety policies and programs which apply to their workplaces and comply with appropriate legislation. This material does not constitute legal advice. While the information provided, including references to legislation and established practice, is current at the time of printing, it may become out-of-date or incomplete with the passage of time. No warranty, guarantee or representation is made by WSN as to the absolute correctness or sufficiency of any

information contained in this material and WSN assumes no responsibility in connection therewith; nor can it be

assumed that all acceptable safety measures are contained in this material, or that other or additional measures may

not be required in particular or exceptional circumstances.

Checklist background

There have been 100 reportable occurrences of Run of Muck incidents (Reg. 854 sec. 21(5)(i)) during the

period 2002-2011. These incidents have been categorized as:

Runs of muck underground

Loading pocket incidents

Muck falling down shaft

The incidents have been associated with causal factors such as, but not limited to:

Runs of water into ore pass

Dumping wet sand fill into ore passes

Impounded water in raise bore holes being reamed

Malfunctioning chute gates

Adding water to muck in passes that was sticking due to the presence of wet muck and fines

Failing to pull the ore passes for a number of days

Overflowing sumps

Punctured fill barricades

Broken water lines

Operators not following procedures

Faulty measuring device.

The following checklist has been prepared specifically for the identification and control of hazards associated

with runs of muck at loading pockets and passes.

We suggest Operators and Joint Health and Safety Committees consider this checklist as a starting point that

will require refining to meet site specific needs and circumstances.

Checklist - Runs of Muck Hazards Associated with Loading Pockets and Passes

Date:________________________ Location: _____________________ Inspected by: ___________________

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations for Mines and Mining Plants (Reg. 854) – Is there awareness and compliance with the following legislation as applicable?

1. OHSA sec. 1(1)(a)(b)(c) – Competent Person

2. OSHA sec. 28 (1)(c)(d) – Duties of Worker

3. Regs. sec 21(5)(i) - Injury Notice

4. Regs. sec 16 – Working Alone

5. Regs. sec. 46 (1)(2) - Access to Workplace

6. Regs. sec. 55 - Protection of Worker

7. Regs. sec. 62.1 – Non Routine Hazardous Tasks

8. Regs. sec. 82.1 – Working Below Loading Pocket

9. Regs. sec. 84 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) – Movement of Bulk Material

10. Regs. sec. 87 (1)(a)(b),(2) (a)(b) (3)(4) – Water Accumulation

11. Regs. sec. 185 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d), (8)(9) (a)(b)(c)(d), (10) – Machine Guarding and Lock Out

12. Regs. sec. 209(3)(4)(5)(a)(b)(6)(7)(8) – Shaft Design

13. Regs. sec. 210(6) Skip Loading

14. Regs. sec. 230(5)(a)(b)– Working From the Top of a Shaft Conveyance

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Regulation 854 Sec. 11 – Training - Common Core and Specialty Modules

15. Has a training needs assessment been conducted for occupations involved with loading pockets and passes?

16. Are supervisors accredited in the following programs: Common Core for First Line Underground Mine Supervisor, Program # P770121 or #P770120. Underground Soft Rock Program # P770131?

17. Common Core for Basic Underground Hard Rock Miner, Program #P770010 or Underground Soft Rock Program #P770130?

18. Are workers accredited in the following programs as appropriate: Specialty Module, Program #P770010 - Perform Trackless Haulage – Operate Scoop Tram Draw Point – Module U0068a?

19. Specialty Module, Program #P770010 - Operate Loading Pockets – Module U0088 or Soft Rock - Module U5540?

20. Specialty Module, Program #P770010 - Operate Underground Crusher – Module U0077 or Soft Rock – Module U3148?

21. Specialty Module, Program #P770010 - Perform Shaft Maintenance – Module U0084 or Soft Rock – ModuleU3147?

22. Specialty Module, Program #P770010 - Operate Conveyor – Module U0079 or Soft Rock – Module U5535?

23. Specialty Module, Program #P770010 - Operate Rock Breaker – Module U0029?

24. Specialty Module, Program #P770010 - Perform Fill Placement – Module U0076?

25. Specialty Module, Program #P770010 – Blast Rock – Module # U0006?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Mine Drainage – Drain Holes and Ditches

26. Has a risk assessment been conducted to identify potential hazards and controls associated with drain holes and ditches?

27. Has the mine drainage system been appropriately designed?

28. Are drain holes and ditches located far enough away from the ore handling system?

29. Are drain holes and ditches inspected by the joint health and safety committee?

30. Have all outstanding issues been resolved relating to drain hole inspections?

31. Have areas been identified that are suspected of having water accumulation?

32. Is there a procedure for unplugging drain holes?

33. Are drain holes identified on mine layouts?

34. Are in-rush of water and mine drainage control systems considered as part of the emergency plan?

35. Have potential hazards associated with

the mine drainage system been reviewed with all underground employees?

36. Is there a plan for maintenance of drain holes and ditches?

37. Is there a settling tank/area for clearing and cleaning, and does this system exceed the needs of the mine?

38. Is there a second engineered drain hole system to deal with excessive water or a plugged primary drain hole?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Mine Drainage - Sumps

39. Has a risk assessment been conducted to identify potential hazards and controls relating to underground sumps?

40. Are sumps identified on mine layouts?

41. Are appropriate warning signs and barricades in place for the protection of workers? For signage, consider: CAN/CSA – Z321-96 and/or ISO – 3864–2.

42. Have pumping systems including discharge lines been designed to handle anticipated water flow?

43. Are travelways over and near sumps designed with the necessary guard rails?

44. Are flotation devices/life jackets available as required?

45. Does the JH&SC inspect sumps?

46. Is there a procedure for cleaning sumps and safe disposal of the material?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Backfill System

47. Has a risk assessment been conducted to identify potential hazards and controls relating to the backfill system?

48. Is there a backfill procedure relating to items such as; installation of lines, backfill preparation, handling flush water, disposal of backfill slimes, unplugging fill lines, disposal of sump slimes, pumping and removal of flush and drainage water, cleaning of sumps, a re-muck area or a procedure to dry out the slimes and safe disposal of the material?

49. Is there a monitoring system in place for backfill casings and fill transfer pipe lines when they are in use?

50. Is there a reliable communication system from backfill operator to backfill plant?

51. Are flow meters incorporated into the backfill system to report progress or problems to the central control and/or the fill plant?

Loading Pockets and Ore Passes

52. Has the design, installation and commissioning of loading pockets and ore passes been appropriately engineered and approved?

53. Has a risk assessment been conducted to identify potential hazards and controls for loading pockets and ore passes?

54. Have there been modifications made at loading pockets and ore passes that have not been approved by an engineer?

55. Have all replacement parts been approved by a manufacturer or engineer?

56. Is there a system for determining the amount of material in passes?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

57. Is there a system for determining the impounded water in passes?

58. Have employees been cautioned of hazards associated with excessive explosive charges used to free hang-ups in ore passes, chute and draw points?

59. Is there a standard restricting the use of water to free hang-ups in passes?

60. Is there an escape route for the operator in the event of an unexpected run of material?

61. Does the mine have a standard regarding how long a pass can remain idle before the pass is pulled?

62. Is there a notification procedure in place if a significant amount of water enters a loading pocket or pass relating to; shut down, evacuation and barricading?

63. Is there a procedure in place to search, identify and possibly stop the source of water?

64. Is there a procedure to allow impounded water to drain out of the ore pass before moving the muck by tramming, bypassing, blasting or crushing?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Chute Assemblies at Loading Pockets and Ore Passes

65. Has a risk assessment been conducted identifying potential hazards associated with chute assemblies at loading pockets and ore passes?

66. Are chute components part of a preventive maintenance program?

67. Are chute components inspected on a regular schedule?

68. Can chute gates be effectively locked and tagged?

69. Are energy isolating devices affixed to chute gates?

70. Will chute gates close if there is an electrical or compressed air failure, are they “fail-safe”?

71. Are there provisions for blocking gates if they are not “fail-safe”?

72. Are the blocking arrangements a permanent feature and are they easy to arrange?

73. Are all chutes at the loading pocket left empty when shaft inspection is taking place?

74. Are chute gates capable of holding wet muck?

75. Are control valves appropriately labeled/ identified?

76. Are chute gates appropriately labeled/ identified?

77. Are compressed air lines identified as per WHMIS requirements?

78. Are chute control valves appropriately located (ergonomic and safety considerations)?

79. Do chute control valves restrict access or egress to the operators work station?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

80. Have safeguards been designed to protect the operator from a run of muck resulting from a malfunctioning chute gate?

81. Are in-line accumulators in place at air lines to prevent the accumulation of moisture that may result in the failure of a solenoid switch controlling compressed air?

Wet Muck Control Processes in Underground Ore Transfer System

82. Has a risk assessment been conducted identifying potential hazards associated with wet muck in underground loading pockets, chutes and passes?

83. Is there a policy/procedure restricting the use of water at or near passes (sec. 84-87)?

84. Is there an adequate water control procedure in place at loading pockets, chutes and passes (sec. 84-87)?

85. Is there an adequate water control procedure to solve hang-ups in chutes (sec. 87)?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Mucking from Underground Draw Points

86. Has a risk assessment been conducted to identify potential hazards and controls associated with mucking from draw points?

87. Is there a procedure regarding control measures for underground draw point mucking?

88. Is there a standard identifying a restricted access distance from the operator stands to the brow of the stope?

89. Have the location and engineering requirements for the remote mucking stand been predetermined?

90. Has an engineered design of the mucking horizon along with a safe location for the remote operator’s position been addressed?

91. Has a procedure been developed to address hang ups including blasting at draw points?

92. Is there a protocol to deal with wet muck at draw points?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Mucking Shaft Bottom

93. Has a risk assessment been conducted identifying potential hazards associated with mucking shaft bottom?

94. Is there a company policy/procedure relating to mucking shaft bottom, including notification to all appropriate personnel i.e. hoistman and maintenance crew?

95. Is the loading pocket inspected to ensure work can proceed safely with no conditions that could cause inadvertent flow of material?

96. Are control gates at the loading pocket locked and tagged during mucking activity?

97. Is work activity stopped at the loading pocket when mucking shaft bottom?

98. Is ore dumped into the passes during mucking of shaft bottom?

Shaft Inspection Procedure (from MOL Guideline - April 3, 1987)

99. Does the Shaft Inspection crew stop at all loading pockets before traveling below?

100. Does the shaft inspection crew lock and tag the control gate controls?

101. Does anyone check to see if there is a buildup of water in the ore pass?

102. Does anyone work at the loading pocket when shaft inspection is being done?

103. Who checks to make sure that the controls to the conveyors, chute gates, etc. are disabled before men ride in the skipping compartment?

104. Does dumping ore into the ore pass occur when shaft inspection is taking place?

ITEM OK NEEDS

ATTENTION COMMENTS

Loading Pocket Arrangements (from MOL Guidelines - April 3, 1987)

105. Is there an easy access from the skipping compartments to the loading pocket?

106. How many control gates are there?

107. What type of gates are used?

108. Is compressed air or hydraulic power used to operate the gates?

109. Do the gates close if electrical or compressed air failure occurs (i.e. Are they fail-safe)?

110. Are there provisions for blocking gates if they are not “fail-safe”?

111. Are the blocking arrangements a permanent feature and are they easy to arrange?

112. Can gate controls be effectively locked and tagged?

113. Are the controls manual only, semi-automatic or fully automatic?

114. Is the source of the ore from a crusher and ore pass or from a feeder and conveyor belt?

115. Is the control gate capable of holding wet muck?

116. Are all chutes left empty when shaft inspection is taking place?