Prioritizing the mitigation of legacy geomechanical mine hazards using a risk-based approach

ABSTRACT: Mining companies and governments are managing an increasing number of legacy assets in various states of closure, and these assets often include potential geomechanical hazards such as crown pillars, slopes, raises, and portals. Mitigating these hazards may require significant time and resources, and it may not be practical or economical to implement rehabilitation measures for all of the identified hazards in the short-term. This paper outlines a method for identifying and prioritizing hazards using a risk-based approach. The approach has been used successfully at numerous mine sites across North America and includes compiling the available data, identifying potential hazards, ground truthing and verifying expectations, assessing the likelihoods and consequences of failures, assigning risk ratings, and evaluating mitigation and rehabilitation measures.