Major Hazard Risk Assessment (MHRA) is used to help prevent major
hazards, e.g., fire, explosion, wind-blast, outbursts, spontaneous
combustion, roof instability and chemical and hazardous substances,
etc., from injuring miners. The structured process associated with
MHRA helps to characterize the major hazards and evaluate
engineering, management and work process factors that impact how a
mine mitigates its highest risk. The National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studied the application of
this technique to US mining conditions through a field-oriented
pilot project. Risk assessment teams used in the pilot project were
primarily composed of mining company personnel. Ten case studies
were performed over a wide cross-section of mines. These mines were
representative of the important mining commodities in the US
minerals industry, i.e. coal, metal, non-metal, and aggregate.
Also, the sizes of the mines ranged from small to large and were
located across the country. The ten case studies demonstrate that
most US mines have the capability to successfully implement an MHRA
and that the MHRA methodology produced additional prevention
controls and recovery measures to lessen the risk associated with a
select population of major mining hazards. The basic ingredient for
a successful MHRA is the desire to become more proactive in dealing
with the risks associated with events that can cause multiple
fatalities. A successful outcome is marked by a thorough
examination of existing prevention controls and recovery measures.
When pressed to consider more controls to further mitigate the
risk, a well-staffed risk assessment team was able to identify
additional controls. For these mining operations, it was important
to add additional controls, even if they were not required by
existing mining regulations, to lower the risks associated with the
major hazards under consideration. If a mining operation is not
willing to commit its best people to an MHRA or will not provide
them with sufficient time to see the process through to its
conclusion, the MHRA output may prove to be useless. Additionally,
if a mining operation is not prepared to discuss its major hazards
in an open and honest fashion and to present the findings of the
risk assessment in a written report, the MHRA output will be
unclear, and attempts to monitor or audit important controls may
not be possible. A MHRA is most effective when the mining operation
possesses 1) a proper understanding of its hazards, 2) experience
with informal and basic-formal risk assessment techniques, 3)
proper facilities, machinery and equipment, 4) suitable systems and
procedures that represent industry Best Practice, 5) appropriate
organizational support with adequate staff, communications and
training, 6) a formal and thorough plan for emergency response, and
7) a safety risk management approach that is promoted and supported
at all levels of the organization.
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