John Meech

Abstract:

In 2006, a tragic accident took place at the Sullivan mine in Kimberley, B.C. Four people died as the result of their entering into an oxygen-depleted sampling station located at the toe of a waste dump. The dump had been in active use for over 50 years and the sampling shed in place for about 5 years without any problem. The accident was reported by the BC Chief Inspector of Mines as being "unprecedented in the history of mining". The accident demonstrates that reclamation sites can be a danger only recognizable if a risk assessment is carried out on a regular basis each year after closure. Annual assessments are needed since physical, chemical and environmental factors at the site affect oxygen-depletion that change over time. In this paper, an Atmospheric Fuzzy Risk Assessment (AFRA) tool will be described that can identify a possible confined space danger at a waste dump undergoing reclamation. The tool uses fuzzy logic in a rule-based expert system to transfer knowledge on atmospheric hazards. AFRA can help mining engineers and other safety professionals to recognize this danger at a reclamation site while developing an inventory of confined space issues at any site.