The most frequent cause of injuries and fatalities in underground mines is ground instability. When rocks or walls of earth become displaced as a result of mining activity, they can cause the ground or walls in the underground mine to shift and move, sometimes resulting in a partial or complete collapse. As underground mines age and are dug deeper into the earth, the walls and ground become less stable.
Ontario alone has around 40 underground mines with nearly 25,000 workers—this translates into thousands of opportunities for ground control injuries. Also, several of the mines in Ontario have already reached depths of almost 3,050 metres (around 10,000 feet), making them even more dangerous for workers.
Controlling ground stability calls for a combination of well-thought-out engineering and operational procedures to prevent worker injury or death.
Safe Ground Control
In order to mitigate the risk of injury from ground instability, share the following safety recommendations with workers:
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