Annual Meeting Preliminary Program - Full Brochure (PDF) - SME

TECHNICAL PROGRAM
3:05 PM
E3 Plus Excellence in Health & Safety: The EHS e-Toolkit
J. Olsen 1 and B. Mercer 2 ; 1 Barrick Gold, Salt Lake City, UT and
2
Exploration, Avalon Rare Metals, Toronto, ON, Canada
The E3 Plus program provides off-the-shelf guidelines for Junior exploration
companies which are designed to be incorporated directly as Corporate policy.
The adherence rate for the Canadian Junior exploration companies is well over
60%, with the US companies lagging far behind.Recently, universities in Canada
have begun to adhere to the E3 Plus principles in their curriculums. The excellence
in Health & Safety (EHS) e-toolkit addresses General Safety Principles,
Emergency Response, Survival, Weather & Environmental Risks and much
more. This sessionwill present a case study on success using the EHS e-Toolkit.
3:25 PM
Thoughts and Considerations for an Exploration
Health & Safety Program
C. Spencer; AMEC Mining & Metals, Sparks, NV
Mineral exploration is often performed in remote environments away from the
typical support infrastructure common to mining and therefore has different
safety requirements. The projects are often hours, or sometimes days, away from
urban environments with definitive medical care. Many of the field staff are
young and new to working remotely in the field and their experience can present
an additional layer of challenges. The demographic often comprising experienced
management also calls for some special considerations when developing a
health and safety program.
3:45 PM
The PDAC Health & Safety Pocket Guide
W. Mercer 1 , K. Mulchinock 2 and C. Mitchell 3 ; 1 Exploration, Avalon
Rare Metals Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada; 2 PDAC, Toronto, ON,
Canada and 3 Consultant, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Canada is leading the world in the scale and dynamism of the exploration industry
developments. The PDAC aims to ensure that the exploration industry adopts
consistent and robust risk management to prevent and mitigate significant health
and safety (H&S) hazards for field workers. The PDAC Pocket Guide is aimed at
providing an overview and insight into the strategic safety risks that field workers
have a responsibility to address. It evolved from the 784 page H&S Toolkit available
from the E3 Plus website. The Pocket Guide has 116 pages printed on special
water resistant paper. Whilst prevention must always be the primary focus the
guidelines are for field workers so they can properly and responsibly prevent and
manage (1) the most common field injuries, which are slips and falls, and injuries
caused by the improper use of tools, and (2) accidents and fatalities associated
with field transportation, especially helicopters and vehicles (including all-terrain
vehicles). The presentation will focus on the development and content of the
PDAC Field Safety Pocket Guide, its importance for the mineral exploration industry
and how companies can use it as part of their H&S strategy.
4:05 PM
The PDAC-AMEBC Annual Health & Safety Survey
W. Mercer 1 , K. Mulchinock 2 and J. Buchanan 3 ; 1 Exploration, Avalon
Rare Metals Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada; 2 PDAC, Toronto, ON,
Canada and 3 AME BC, Vancouver, BC, Canada
The Canadian Mineral Exploration Health & Safety Survey conducted by the
Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the Association for
Mineral Exploration British Columbia is the single survey that measures safety
performance across 12 provincial and territorial jurisdictions in Canada. The survey
gathers data covering the range of health and safety (H&S) incidents. The
survey has been completed for 6 years with over 1,300 incident descriptions. The
survey enables a understanding of the causes of exploration H&S incidents. This
is supplemented by a 31 year database of fatalities, with basic information on
causes. For 2012, the PDAC and AMEBC are seeking ways to increase participation
in a voluntary survey that doubles as an information collection mechanism
for the Safe Day Everyday Award and Safe Day Everyday Gold Award. The presentation
will give an overview of the survey as well as insights into the lessons
that companies can learn from its results. The survey data is a valuable key input
for the risk analysis that any company should undertake prior to any exploration
field program.
chair:
2:00 PM
Introductions
Mining & exploration:
Geology: Geomechanics
2:30 PM • Monday, February 25
P. Kulatilake, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2:05 PM
Evaluation of Temperature Effect on P-wave Velocity, UCS and
Elasticity Modulus of Rocks, Using Newly Developed Apparatus
M. Sharifzadeh 1 , J. Ashrafi 2 and A. Modiriasari 1 ; 1 Department of
Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of
Technology (AUT), Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran and 2 Faculty of
Mining Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz,
Islamic Republic of Iran
Instabilities occurred as a result of climate changes caused to investigate the rock
behavior dependency to temperature changes, in this paper. In the natural earth
condition, the phase transition of pore water has known to be the most effective
factor causing different rocks mechanical properties due to temperature changes.
So, the temperature range of [-30, 30]∞C is selected in laboratory tests of this
study. P-wave velocity, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and elasticity
modulus of rocks at different temperatures are studied by developing a temperature
adjusting apparatus. The tests were performed on three rock types. The results
show that firstly, the temperature reduction and pore fluid freezing improves
these rocks mechanical properties. Secondly, the dependency of rock properties
to climate changes depends on the type and shape of its porosity as well as porosity
percent. The improvement of rock mechanical properties in jointed rocks exceeds
rocks with spherical pores. Finally, maximum changes in rocks properties
occur at [-10, 0]∞C, which includes the phase transition of pore fluid.
2:25 PM
An Investigation of Grout Penetration Depth in Fractured Rocks
M. Sharifzadeh 1 , A. Modiriasari 1 and J. Khani 2 ; 1 Department of
Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of
Technology, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran and 2 Soils Engineering
Services (SES) Company, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Grouting is mainly used to improve mechanical properties or decrease the permeability
of rock mass around civil and mining projects. The purpose of this
paper is to present the most effective factors on grout penetration depth in rock
mass. Such factors are essential for reliable estimation of the grout penetration
depth and the expense for cement take of any grouting project. In this paper,
about 50 different types of the relations presented so far by various researchers to
estimate the depth of penetration in fractured rock were studied. The effective
factors are classified to rock mass properties, grout properties, and operational
factors. Preliminary results show that firstly, the discontinuities aperture and
Lugeon value are respectively the most investigated factors of rock mass properties
influencing on penetration depth. Secondly, the yielding stress, viscosity, and
density of grout are the most effective factors of grout properties. Finally, grouting
pressure has an intense effect among other operational factors. The investigations
were also verified in Siah Bishe dam case study.
2:45 PM
Role of Gas Pressure in Underground Coal Mine Bursts
W. Pariseau; Mining Engineering, University of Utah,
Salt Lake City, UT
Face and pillar bursts, bumps and bounces are violent failures that occur in underground
coal mines in response to a complicated interplay of face and pillar
geometry, seam depth, coal strength and moduli and interactions between roof,
seam and floor strata. Additional complications arise from the presence of gas,
mainly methane, and associated pressure and flow that vary with time and are influenced
by the rate of face advance. A fully coupled hydro-mechanical finite element
code, UTAH4, allows study of these interactions that determine stability
during face. Face advance is often fast compared with gas flow and depressurization.
Consequently, gas pressure is high at the face and strength is low at the face.
If longwall is stationary, depressurization occurs at the face, effective stress and
strength increase. However, quantitative analysis of a site-specific case involving
a deep coal mine in central Utah shows that high stress concentration is likely to
pose a threat to face and pillar wall stability regardless of gas pressure.
This is the Technical Program as of September 1, 2012. IT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
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Please see the Onsite Program for final details.