John Lawson
9 years ago
I guess I had always thought that this type of mining was relatively free of major accidents, not withstanding the major cave in at RTZ's Bingham Copper Mine in Utah, a couple of years back.
Today I have learnt that a side wall has collapsed in Glencore's open pit Copper Mine in Katanga.
2 people are dead and 7 are missing.
From the posted information, it would appear that this collapse may have damaged, or blocked the pump inlets so it might be some time before all the bodies will be recovered.
Not a dissimilar outcome to the botched demolition of a power station, here in the UK.
Graigfawr
9 years ago
One of the insiduous risks in surface mines is the disparity in size between large haulage trucks and small personnel vehicles. When the two come into conflict, the latter suffer badly. After some deeply unpleasant fatalities in recent decades, UK surface mines now have to provide separate tracks for haulage vehicles and for personnel vehicles.

Having been on opencast sites in poor visibility (rain, low cloud/mist, morning/evening low light conditions), and seeing heavily laden haulage vehicles not daring to stop in case they were unable to continue up adverse inclines, it's clear that despite any number of flashing roof lights, a Land Rover slithering axle-deep through gloop across a haulage road is a very exposed and fragile vehicle compared to large haulage vehicles.
sinker
  • sinker
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
9 years ago
"Graigfawr" wrote:


.....After some deeply unpleasant fatalities in recent decades....



Hmmm. Yes. I witnessed the aftermath of one a few years (20ish) ago. Cold, wet, misty, early evening, zero visibility. Production Manager got out of his pickup and took a shortcut across a haul road. You can imagine the rest.
Yma O Hyd....

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