Safe operation of mining and metallurgical facilities
Scope
This domain tests mining and metallurgical hazards: ground control, ventilation, blasting, hoisting, tailings and molten metal. The exam expects you to match the hazard to the control, not just name the process.
Core rules
- Underground operations require ventilation, gas monitoring, support design and escape routes.
- Blasting is controlled by permits, exclusion zones, warning signals and post-blast inspection.
- Mine hoisting systems need examination, signalling and braking checks.
- Tailings dams require stability monitoring, freeboard control and emergency plans.
- Metallurgical plants control molten metal contact with water, dust, fumes and heat.
Worked example
A coal mine face shows rising methane on the monitor. Reasoning: methane is flammable and displaces oxygen. Stop work, withdraw workers from the affected area, remove ignition sources and increase ventilation only under the mine's gas-control procedure. Inform the responsible person and record the event. Do not test for methane with an open flame or continue production while the level is abnormal. The trap is treating a gas reading as a nuisance rather than a trigger for withdrawal.
Traps
- Ignoring non-coal dust explosion risks.
- Allowing post-blast entry before inspection.
- Treating tailings dams as non-production assets with no safety duties.