0.9to1.

5

managingpitwall

safetyinthe

corridorofuncertainty
JohnSimmons
SherwoodGeotechnicalandResearchServices
DMEMinesInspectorateHandsonPitwall

SafetyManagementWorkshop

Mackay,23April2009
Outline
Introduction whereIcomefrom
CautionaryTale1 nevertobeforgotten
TheBIGPicture
Risk,Instability,Failure,andSafety
StabilityAssessment,Uncertainties,andALARP

CautionaryTale2 theYallournProblem

Context,Relevance,andValueofSpecialistGeotechnicalAdvice
TheEssentialRoleofaPrincipalHazardManagementPlan
PracticalToolsforAssessingRiskandManagingSafety
TriggersBasedonMovementMonitoring
CautionaryTales3&4 BestPracticeandLTAAttitude
ConcludingCommentsandtheEffectiveness

Dilemma
Introduction WhereIcomefrom
Qualifications:

BE(Civil),MSc,PhD(Geotechnical) damsandslopes
Experience:

19721989:mainlyacademic,alotofFEAandfieldmapping
19901995:BHPEngineeringandBHPAustraliaCoal ports,
industrialfacilities&infrastructure,BHPs

BowenBasincoalmines
1995now:SGRS moreofthesame,includingGTHAtraining,

BPEQconductinvestigations,expertadviceinlitigation
Mines:

MtIsa(pillaryielding)

Cannington(declineportalandairstrip)
Collinsville,Sonoma,Newlands,Burton,HailCreek,SouthWalker
Creek,Coppabella,Broadlea,CarboroughDowns(Boxcut1),
GoonyellaRiverside,PeakDowns,Saraji,NorwichPark,Foxleigh,
GermanCreek,OakyCreek,Gregory,Crinum(Eastboxcut),
Blackwater,CurraghNorth,Ensham,Rolleston,Moura,Callide,
Meandu,

Kunioontestpit,MtRawdon,KoganCreek,WilkieCreek,
Riverton,Wilpinjong,Bengalla,Drayton,Liddell,HunterValley
Operations,MtOwen,Camberwell,MtThorleyWarkworth,Bulga,
NorthBrokenHill,LeinsterPerseverance,PTKaltimPrimaCoal,
PTAdaro,PTArutmin
01

HazardsIntroduction 4
CautionaryTale1

NevertobeForgotten
KPC Melawan West Lowwall May 2005
KaltimPrimaCoal

KalimantanTimurRI
BoxcutLowwallDesign potentialfailure

identified,designchanged,riskassessment,

additionalmovementmonitoringcontrols
NotDugtoDesign

warningsissued,cracks

formed,lotsofrain,shortcutstouncovercoal,

lotsofmovement,morewarnings
ControlsnotFollowed,FailureOccurred

around

midnightinrainasafastearthflow
PersonsMissing rescueresponsedelayedby

informationandsafetyissuesandinadequate

expertadvice
Fatality resultedfromalongcomplexchainof

eventsnotforeseen
Costs

$compensation,lostrevenue,

additionalstripping,delayedproduction,personal

andbusinessreputation
TheBIGPicture

GeotechnicalHazardsinOpenPitMines

RiskAssessment

RiskManagement

Triggermeasurementissues

Whatisajustifiablelevelofeffort

whenlivesareontheline?
Excavated Rock Walls
Spoil or Waste Dumps
Benches
Rockfalls
Likelihoods, Exposure & Damage
PHMP
Situation-Specific JSA
Installation
Coverage Area
Localisation
Accuracy
Reaction Time
Interpretation
Resetting / Tracking
Assessment, Treatment, Residuals
Monitoring and Control
Trigger Action Response Plans
(measure What? How?)
StartingPoints
Whatdowereally

meanbysafe?
Whatdowereally

meanbyrisk?
(its a state of mind, or personal value)
(its a combination of probabilities, benefits, and costs)
Shouldanypersonataminesitebeassafeatsiteaswhenthey

aretravellingtoandfromsite?ProbablyYES
Riskprofileswillbedifferentforthesetwoactivitiesbecause

of

differentexposurestodifferenthazards
Individualchoiceismadetoacceptareasonable

levelofriskthat

goeswiththejob
Partieshaveoverlappingresponsibilitiesifrisksaretobe

minimised,becauseofchoiceseachpersonhastomake
WhoDecidesWhoisResponsibleforWhat?

Ultimately,safety

andrisk

issuesarebasedoninterpretationsof

lawincludingjudgmentsbycourts

Riskbased

Acts

andRegulations

foropenpitmininghavebeenin

operationforsometimebutapplicabilitytopitwallsafetyhas

not

yetbeentestedincourts...

Futurelegaljudgmentsmaychangethewaywethinkaboutsome

thingsthatwewillbediscussingheretoday

Fornow,wedoourbest

Theguidingprinciplewillbewhatwasreasonableinthe

circumstancesatthetime.Legalprocessesapplystrictteststo

reasonable

andatthetime
Wemeasurerisksas
eventtreeswith
consequences that
dependonexposure
scenarioswithlinked
likelihoods ofdamage
Westartwithdesignand
shouldbecontinually
monitoringandupdating
asrequiredduring
operations
RISKS
BEWARE!
Itsveryeasyto
oversimplify!
TheConceptsofFailureandInstability
INSTABILITY
Whentheforcesactingonabodycannotbebalanced,thebody

willmoveand/ordeformbytheactionsoftheforcesthatcannot

beresisted
Movementcanbesloworrapid
FAILURE
Whenunstabledeformationsbecomeunacceptable,functionor

purposeislost,and/orunplannedcostsareincurred
EXAMPLE
Dumpingorstockpilingrequiresunstableslidingofplacedmaterial:a

dumpfailswhenitdoesnotbehaveasdesigned
REQUIRESAPPLIEDMECHANICS
REQUIRESCOSTINGOF

CONSEQUENCES
INSTABILITY
FAILURE
Safety

GuaranteeorObjective?

Thereisnocertaintyabouthowtheworldworks

Thereforetherecanbenobindingguaranteeofsafety

Toclaimorargueotherwiseisunreasonable

If

wearepreparedtooperateinariskbasedframeworkthen

wemustbepreparedtoweartheconsequences,however

unlikely

Ourcolleaguesintheinsuranceindustryaremakingan

assessmentoftheirrisk

whenandiftheyofferterms

Classicalinsuranceisnotadequatetoprovideforallcostswhen

someonegetshurt

Shiftingtheresponsibilityand/ormovingthegoalpostswith

hindsightarelongstandinghumanbehaviours
Safety

WhatisReasonable?

AandBincidentsweregeotechnicallyequivalentbutdifferent

intimeandlocation

AlloftheAincidentsinvolvedafatality

AlloftheBincidentsoccurredatBMACoalminesites

DifferenceswereNOTattributabletoeffectiverisk

managementbuttoluck

(ielikelihoods)

Safetyinvolvesmaximisingthelikelihoodofpeoplenot

gettinghurt

Weaimingtobesafebydrivingthelikelihoodsofdamage

downtoALARP

levels
BMACoalhaveanAandBShow

whichisusedforgeotechnical

hazardawarenesstrainingpurposes
ALARP=AsLowasReasonablyPracticable
ExampleALARP

guidelinefor

dams

(NSWDams

Safety

Committee)
Similarconcepts

inAGS

Guidelinesfor

LandslideRisk

Management
N
p(deathsN)persiteperyear
p(single

fatality)

~0.000001to

0.0001

persite,peryear
ALARPforWhat?
Inopenpitswehavetorecogniseandmanagerisksfromthe

followinggroundrelatedhazards:

Excavatedpitwallorbattercollapse

Dumpedspoilslopeorbatter,orstockpilecollapse

Releaseofisolatedrockfallsfromslopes

Heaveofroadwaysorworkingbenches

Collapseofcavitiesunderroadwaysorworkingbenches

Uncontrolledreleaseofwaterorliquidmud
However,wealsohavetomanagerisksfrombehaviour

and

attituderelatedhazards.Thesearedifferentproblems
ExcavatedPitWallInstability
HARDWALLS
SOFTWALLS
Structure Controlled Composite
Planar Wedge Toppling Step-Path Rock-Mass
SCALECONSIDERATIONS
SingleBlocks:

loosening,release,trajectory,dropzone
Batters,MultiBench,FullSlopeProfile:

mechanism,runout
MECHANISMCONSIDERATIONS
DumpedPitWallInstabilityMechanisms
3) Truck Dump Point Stability
1) Superficial Settlement Cracking and Skin Slumping
2) Deep-Seated Slumping
SCALECONSIDERATIONS:asforexcavatedwalls
MECHANISMCONSIDERATIONS
FactorofSafety(FOS)
ConventionalslopestabilityanalysisisbasedonaFactorofSafety

(FOS)
FOS=
Sumofallforcesactingtoresist

possiblesliding
Sumofallforcesactingtocause

possiblesliding
FOSisanoutofdateengineersterm.ItreferstoStability

andis

almostmeaninglessintermsofSafety
Geotechnicalstabilitymodelsmustincludegeology,groundwater,

slopegeometry,potentialslidingmechanism,andmaterialstrength

information
Thereismuchmoreskillandjudgmentinvolvedinbuildingthe

stabilitymodelthanincalculatingtheFOS
ProbabilityofFailure(POF)
ThecalculatedProbabilityofFailure(POF)isbasedonthesame

geotechnicalstabilitymodelprinciplesasFOSbutalsoincludes

measuresofvariationofeverythingthatvaries
POFisalsoamisleadingengineersterm,itsactuallytheprobability

ofinstabilityandnothingtodowithfailureorsafety
FOS=1.0

meansthatthemodelmechanismisatthepointof

irresistiblesliding,iethatthe

POFis100%ifthewindblowsfrom

thewrongdirection
FOS=1.20is20%morestablethanFOS=1.00,

butnot

20%lesslikelytofailor20%safer
POF=10%is10timeslesslikelytobeunstablethan

POF=100%,butnot

10timeslesslikelytofail

andnot

10timessafer
Example

DraglineLowwallInstability
Potential Deep-Seated Wedge Instability Mechanism
Passive (Resisting)
Wedge
Active (Driving)
Wedge
Zone at dump base is
weaker due to slaking
and saturation
Floor includes a weak layer
Ariskassessmentforanewpitdesignresultsinspecifiedcontrols(a)

thattheminimumFOSshallbe1.20and(b)thattheminimumPOF

shallbe10%orless
COPYRIGHT SHERWOOD GEOTECHNICAL AND RESEARCH SERVICES
TWO-WEDGE LIMIT EQUILIBRIUM STABILITY ANALYSIS (2LESA)
DATA SUMMARY SHEET
Height H = 80 metres Wedge Properties:
Face Angle theta = 38 degrees 1 = Passi ve 2 = Active 3 = Inter
Base Angle delta = 5 degrees u = 18 18 kN/m3
Backscarp alpha = 60 degrees c'u = 30 30 30 kPa
Midscarp beta = 20 degrees 'u = 28 28 28 degrees
Water Levels s = 20 20 kN/m3
front face hw/H = 0.00 , hw = 0.00 metres c's = 0 15 15 kPa
back face Hw/H = 0.13 , Hw = 10.18 metres 's = 18 23 23 degrees
w = 9.81 kN/m3 c' 1 = 0.0
( Sflag = 1 ) Hw= 5.00 metres ' 1 = 18.0
Resultant: FOS = 1.16 c' 2 = 29.0
Assumed: 31.1 degrees ' 2 = 27.7
Calculated: 31.1 degrees c' 3 = 28.0
Notes: Details on subsequent worksheets ' 3 = 27.3
Goal Seek on :
Assumed - Calculated = 0.0
Thissimpledraglinedumpstabilitycalculationusesaspreadsheet
Input Variables (distributions) Output Variable (FOS distribution)
CalculationofFOS&POF
3

Spoil&TruckDumpStability 20
The example illustrated
here is from an @RISK
simulation
using 5000 runs with Latin
hypercube sampling of all
variables.
POFisthe

probabilitythat

FOSis<=1.0

Here,

POF=0.098
Calculated FOS
F
r
e
q
u
e
n
c
y

o
f

C
a
l
c
u
l
a
t
e
d

F
O
S
FOSandPOFOutcomes
StabilityAnalysisTakeHomeMessages

Potentialslidingmechanismmustberealistic

Methodofanalysismustbeappropriate

Groundwaterconditionsmustberealistic

Resultsofcalculationsmustbecheckedforacceptability

Variabilityincludesstrength,groundwater,andgeometry
ANALYSESINVOLVESIMPLIFICATIONS
EFFECTSOFSIMPLIFICATIONSCANBELARGE
FOSRESULTSMAYLOOKGOODBUTBEUNREALISTIC
POFVALUESARELESSRELIABLETHANFOSVALUES
SAFETYISNOTGUARANTEEDBYSTABILITYANALYSES
RELIANCEONSKILLANDJUDGMENTOFANALYST
CautionaryTale2 TheYallournProblem
What: Excavatedpitwallfailure~6Mbcm,length~500m,height~80m,
maximummovement~250m,breachcausingdiversionofthe
LatrobeRiverintothemineworkings
Where: YallournEastFieldMine,LatrobeValley,Victoria
When: 01:30 02:1014
th
November2007
How: Blockslidingonweakinterseam claylayerat/nearbaseofpit
Who: Mineoperator(TRUenergy,)withadvicefromspecialistconsultants
Why: Excessivegroundwaterpressures,lackofproblemrecognition,
inadequateresponsetowarningsigns
MoretothePoint:
Crackshadbeenobservedfromearly2007,specialistgeotechnicalinspectionsas
lateas8
th
and13
th
NovemberadvisedthattheFOSwashighandthat
itisunlikelythatacatastrophicfailurewilloccur,resulting inanimmediate
safetyhazard
Yallourn

Recommendations
Anumberofregulatoryissuestoimprovegroundwaterandsurface

watermanagementand

control,planning,technicalreviewofminingrisk,andmininglicencenotificationconditions
Technical:Mineandtheiradvisersto
Continuetodeveloptheirhydrogeologicalmodels
Continuetodeveloptheirgeotechnicalmodels
Ensurethatthedisciplinesofgeology,hydrogeology,andsoilmechanicsarefully

integratedinto...comprehensivegeotechnicalstabilitymodels
Ensurethatneworsignificantchangestomineplans,layouts,systemsare

thoroughlyevaluatedforgeotechnicalandhydrogeologicalrisks
Ensurethatthehistoricexperienceandunderstandingisnotlostbuteffectively

capturedinthenewandevolvingmodelsofunderstanding
NOTE:KnowledgeandunderstandingdevelopedbyKevinRosengren,Ted

Brown,JackMorganetcby1970wouldhavebeenperfectlyadequatefor

predictingtheconditionsunderwhichthefailureoccurred.Inageneration,this
knowledgewaslost

toTRUenergy
RelevanceofSpecialistGeotechnicalAdvice
Specialistgeotechnicaladviceisprovidedbypersonswithparticulardiscipline

trainingandexperienceinengineeringgeology,appliedmechanics,andengineering

design
InQueenslandtheProfessionalEngineersAct2002andRegulations2003require

registrationofallpersonsprovidinganengineeringservicethatrequires,oris

basedon,theapplicationofengineeringprinciplesanddatatoadesign,ortoa

constructionorproductionactivity,relatingtoengineering

thatdoesnotmerely

involveapplicationofaprescriptivestandard.
ThereareNOprescriptivestandardsapplyingtogeotechnicaladviceinthecoalor

metalliferousminingsectors
ThePEAisaboutPROFESSIONALCONDUCT,notaboutNEGLIGENCE
Thismeanspracticeatastandard

acceptabletoprofessionalpeers
Thismeansmakinga

mistakeoromission
ValueofSpecialistGeotechnicalAdvice
Basedonavailableinformationaswellasthejudgmentandexperienceofthe
geotechnicalspecialist
Analogy:ifyouhaveaheadacheyoucan:
Takeanapandhopeyoufeelbetterwhenyouwakeup
Purchaseandconsume apilltomakethingsfeelbetter
Relyontheadviceofapharmacistaboutarangeofpillsofvarying
effectivenessandsuitabilityformakingyoufeelbetter
SeeyourGPifpainpersists
BasedonyourGPsadvice,consultaspecialistneurosurgeonwho
willtestyourbrainsandskull
usingallthebestavailablegear
Ifappropriate,undergosurgerytoremoveatumour
ESCALATING
LEVEL OF
RESPONSE
ROLE OF THE
SPECIALIST
GEOTECHWORKSTHESAMEWAY
GEOTECHWORKSTHESAMEWAY
LimitationsofSpecialistGeotechnicalAdvice
Batter angle recommendations
Slope profile recommendations
Groundwater, pit water, and mud control recommendations
Recommended placement of materials in dumps
Recommendations on rockfall drop zones and slump runouts
Compliance with specialist geotechnical recommendations
Effectiveness of drill and blast activities
Effectiveness of face trimming activities
Actual achieved pit pumping and mud cleanup
Actual positioning of people and equipment in pits
Recognition of hazardous pit wall situations requiring responses
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
MAYBE
TODAY WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THE ROOT
CAUSES OF PIT SLOPE INCIDENTS IN THESE TERMS
SAFETY

MANAGEMENT

GeotechnicalHazardsinOpenPitMines

RiskAssessment

RiskManagement

Triggermeasurementissues

Whatisajustifiablelevelofeffort

whenlivesareontheline?
Excavated Rock Walls
Spoil or Waste Dumps
Benches
Rockfalls
Likelihoods, Exposure & Damage
PHMP
Situation-Specific JSA
Installation
Coverage Area
Localisation
Accuracy
Reaction Time
Interpretation
Resetting / Tracking
Assessment, Treatment, Residuals
Monitoring and Control
Trigger Action Response Plans
(measure What? How?)
GeotechnicalPHMPOverview
1.

Purpose:describesWhat,Why,Where,When,How,Who,plus

Checks
2.

WhatandWhy?

Geotechnicalhazardshavetobeidentified.

Riskscannotbeeliminated,andsomustbecontrolledandmonitored.

ThePHMPhastoshowthatreasonable

stepshavebeentaken.
3.

Where?

Geotechnicalhazardsarisefromminedesign,miningoperations,and

fromsupportinginfrastructure(drains,dams,roads,stockpileareasetc).

ReliablePHMPsarereferencedtoahighlevelriskassessment.
4.

When,How,andWho?

Describeshazardmanagementactivities,recognising

competencyrequirements.

Trigger/Action/ResponsePlan(TARP):Whathappenswhentriggers

areidentified

orsuspected?Responsibilitiesandaccountabilities,minesiteandoffsite,shouldbe

included.
5.

Checks:

Audits

checkthatpeopleknowwhattodo,anddoitinaccordancewith

thePHMP.Reviews

checkthattheplanworksproperlyandiscapableofdelivering

theintendedoutcomes.

Frequencyanddocumentationofchecksshouldbespecified.
THEGPHMPISTHEKEY
Everypersonataminesitemustbeadequatelyawareofthe

hazardsandtheirroleintheriskcontrolsthathavebeen

implemented
AWARENESSrequiresuptodatehazardinformation,training,

fitnessforduty,andattitude
DifferentRolesrequiredifferentlevelsofAwareness,Training,

and

Fitness
ATTITUDEisbyfarthemostdifficultaspecttomanage
RISKCONTROLShavetoberealisticandreliable
RISKMANAGEMENThastobeEFFECTIVEandFLEXIBLEbecause

siteriskprofilesarealwayssubjecttochange
Intendedasaninduction

andawarenesstoolforcoal

mineworkers
Runsabout42minutes

in4sectionsandcanbe

usedfortoolboxtalks
Includesassessmentand

languagesupportmaterials
Equivalentproductfor

metalliferousmining
StartingPointfor

Awareness

Training
TaskOriented

Assessment
Has to be

simple

fit for purpose

guide actions for

adequate control and

treatment of risks

in a suitable format

for record-keeping
DetailedRockWallChecklist

Example
RockMassDefects: Low Medium High Critical
PitwardsDippingBeds:strikelength none 510m 1030m >30m
Lippingand/orOffsets? none <25mm 25100mm >100mm
Spacing:wheredip>30 >5m 15m <1m
Vert.Continuitywheredip>30 <5m 515m 1530m >30m
ColumnsorVShapesonface? no yes
DSetDip:(Hor.continuity>5m) nil,or<10 1025 2545 >45
DSetsforBeddingSpacing: none <1m 15m >5m
PitwardsLeaning(ToppleMode)? no yes
Joints:(Vert&Hor

Continuity>5m
andStrikingwithin15

offace)
no isolated somebeds fullface
Faults:(traceangleonexposure) ~vert. ~bedding 3075 other
Faults:(dipoffaultsurface) 9070 <30 3050 5070
DetailedInPitDumpChecklist

Example
OverallGeometry: Low Medium High Critical
FloorDip: 04
(0%7%)
48
(7%14%)
812
(14%21%)
>12
(>21%)
DumpHeight:(toecrest) <40m 40m80m 80m120m >120m
OverallSlope:(toecrest) <25 2535 3540
RillSlopeHeight: <30m 30m45m 45m60m >60m
UndercutBatterAngle: <37 3740 4045 >45
DumpMaterial: Low Medium High Critical
SpoilFloorContactRemoulded? no yes don'tknow
Spoil

PassiveBlock(Base,Toe): Cat.4 Cat.3 Cat.2 Cat.1
Spoil

ActiveBlock(Bulk,Crest): Cats.4,3 Cat.2 Cat.1
ExampleOperationsLevelOCEChecklist
Face
Materials
Soil or XW Rock >10m height at overall slope angle >45
WeatheredRock>20mheightatoverallslopeangle>70
FreshRockand/orCoal>70mheightatoverallslopeangle>70
Crest
Cracking
CrestAccess&NoCracksobservedwithin15mofcrestline
CrestAccess&Cracks<5mmobservedwithin15mofcrestline
NoCrestAccessor PossibleCracksHiddenwithin15mof
crestline
<5mmopening/shift:existingcracksor newcrackdevelopment
5mmto10mmopening/shift:existingcracksor newcrack
development
>10mmopening/shiftanddevelopmentofexistingornewcracks
Face
Cracking
Nocracks>5mmwideobservedonbatterface(s)
Cracks>5mmwidemorethan1every2monaverageevident
whendug
Cracks>5mmwidemorethan1every2monaverage,newafter
digging
AlsoWater; Geological Factors, Work Area Lighting, Controls,
J SA or RA ... suitable for linking to TARP
Example OCEChecklistLinkedtoTARP
Level (1)Green (2)Yellow (3)Orange
ExcavatedRock
WallControls
Windrowsand/ormarkers
tositestandards
AdequateLightingforshift
andweatherconditions
RoutineOCEinspections
FollowallrelevantSOP's
Windrowsand/ormarkers
tositestandards
AdequateLightingforshift
andweatherconditions
RegularOCE/Supervisor
inspectionsduringshift
Implementmovement
telltalesorothermonitoring
FollowSOP'splus
positioningformaximum
standoffandrapidretreat
Reportobservedchangesin
conditionstothesite
geotechnicalspecialist
Reportconditionsincluding
anychangesduringshiftat
thenextshiftstartup.
Windrowsand/ormarkers
tositestandards
Implementrestricted
entryzones,communicate
accessconditionstoall
personnel
Communicaterisksby
HazardAlertreport
Implementmovement
telltalesorother
monitoring
Useofalarmsystemsor
spotterstobeassessed
AdequateLightingforshift
andweatherconditions
OCE/Supervisorand
Operatorsconductfrequent
inspectionsduringshift
Reportobservedchanges
inconditionstothesite
geotechnicalspecialist
Also
(4) Red
Example ChecklistBasedTARP
TriggersBasedonMovementMonitoring
Identifyextentofpotentiallyhazardousslopemovement
(Exposure,Consequence)
Identifymechanismofpotentiallyhazardousmovement
(explainlikelymovementsinresponsetominingprocesses)
Provideinformationonrateofmovement
(providehistory,helpexplainwhattoexpect)
Provideinformationfortriggeractionresponseplans
(makejudgmentsonwhentotakespecifiedactions)
Providereferenceinformationforreview,planning,andtraining
(RiskManagementinvolvescontinuousimprovementprinciples)
PURPOSES:
FactorsthatmayAffectMovements
Geologicalconditionsbehindexposedface
(mayormaynotbethesameastheface,maybeunknown)
Complexityofrockmassstructure
(joints,beddingpartings,faults,shears,rockbridges,
3Dnot2D)
Blastdamage,includingpros&consofcontrolledblasting
(mayormaynotbeobvious,extentlargelyunknown)
Stressconditionsatstartofminingcycle
(virginandprecursorstresses,3Dversus2D)
Weatherconditions
(effectsofrainfall,humiditychanges,andtemperaturechanges)
MiningSequence
(stressconcentrations,rateofunloading)
MovementMonitoringTools
SightingStakes linedata,quickvisualinspectionforimmediatefield
use
Survey (prisms,reflectorpegs) pointdata,precision&repeatability
limits
TellTales pointdata,alwaysarelativeindicator,cancombinewith
survey
Extensometers converttelltalemovementtoasignal
InclinometerorSettlementProfiler lateralorverticalmovement
profiles
RepeatedImaging areadata,photogrammetry,laserprofiler,radar
AutomatedScanning laserprofiler,radar,robotictheodolite
MovementTelltales&Extensometers
KPC multiple wires, battery, light, siren
Examples MovementMeasurement
Mt Owen fixed prisms
KPC
remounted
prisms
Adaro fixed prisms
& robotic theodolite
Tarong remounted
GPS receiver
SlopeStabilityRadar
What trigger
level should I
use today, and
where?
10 SlopeMonitoring 43
Expectations

WhatisMostImportant?
Issue SSR Alternatives
Coverage Area 100s of metres
+
Discrete accessible points
selected in advance

Detectable
Movement
Line of sight

(apparent towards SSR)
-
True 3D to 1D

(selectable for purpose)
+
Localisation
Pixel size and averaging
defined by setup
-
Absolute discretion, but
useless if in wrong spot
+
Accuracy/
Repeatability

2mm

(day/night/rain/dust)
+
2mm to 50mm

(day/dry/clear)

Reaction Time
Cycle time defined by
setup, 15 to 3 minutes
-
Defined by signalling,
hours to instantaneous
+

Resetting /
Tracking
Limited capabilities
defined by setup
-
Impossible to easy,
defined by setup

Bang for Buck
Lease or purchase,
$1M+or $80K+/month
-
Big bang for little bucks,
variable value
+
-
ExampleofIndustryLeadingPractice
TRIGGERS:
Heavyrainfallwhencleaningout

behindinpitbench

TREATMENTS:
MonitoringPegs,JSEA,SOPs,and

goodattitudes
Example:LTAAttitude
TechnicalServices:
70 presplitchangedto75 tosuitanoperationalconstraint,
assessedasadequatebyGeotechnicalConsultantbasedon
measuredjointandfaultorientations
Operations:
100%ofpresplitblastholesdrilledbetween73 and77
pitslopedugbydraglinewithdozerkeycutandnoproblems
coalminedwithoutincident
Escort(SiteHealthandSafetyRep,SHSR):
Thishighwallistoodangerous.Itstoosteepandtoohigh.
GeotechnicalConsultant:
Lookssafetome.See heresmy5Steps.Pleasespotformewhile
Imeasurejointandfaultorientations
SHSR:
Notme itsyourcallmate.Wedallbealotsaferminingit
underground.Youwouldnthavetoworryaboutallthatrockthats
abouttocollapseonyourhead
ConcludingComments
Thisaddressisadaptedfromhazardawarenesstraining
presentationsthatnormallytake4hrincludingfieldwork
Itwouldhavebeeneasytospendanother20mindealingwithrisk
managementforisolatedrockfallhazardsalone
Theintentionhasbeentoclarifysomekeyissuesandtoblowaway
severalmythsandmisconceptions
Todays workshopwillelaborateonmanyofthemattersraised,
offersomealternativeviewpoints,andhopefullyprovidefor
improvedlevelsofpracticeinfuture
andfinally,pleaserememberthattheActrequires aPHMPtobe
effective.Everyonehasatakeonwhatthatmeansbutnobody
reallyknows.ItisreallyaboutmakingthingsasSAFEasreasonably
practicable buttherearenoguarantees
Acknowledgments
Theviewsexpressedinthispresentationarebasedonpersonal

experienceandcountlessinteractionswithothers,butfull

responsibilityrestswiththeauthoralone.
Thefollowingpersonshave,eitherwittinglyorunwittingly,guided

theauthorsthinkingaboutsafetyandstabilityinopenpitsand

forthatreasondeservespecialthanks.

Innoparticularordertheyare:

DennisMcManus,AndrewJohnstone,PaulMaconochie,

TerryClarke,DanCawte,KevinRosengren,MartinBurns,

DanEisenstein
Someofthesenamesmaybefamiliartoyou,butprobablynotthe

lastname.Dantaughtmethatifsomethingisnotwrittendown,

itneverhappened.