Although the mining industry is known for proper use of risk management tools, companies continue to encounter difficulties with the incorporation of occupational health and safety (OHS) into major mining projects. In spite of the level of risk and uncertainty associated with mining projects, little research has focused on the systematic management of all risks including OHS. This limitation has been attributed to a lack of reliable data and a shortage of expertise for proper identification and evaluation of risks.
Under economic boom conditions, the mining industry must meet several challenges associated with new project start-ups in environments marked by complexity and uncertainty. Rigorous management of risk remains indispensable for monitoring and controlling the various threats that loom over growing mining companies. Numerous companies thus seek to improve or devise integrated approaches to risk management.
In the present thesis, a new risk-factor-based systemic and systematic approach to integrating OHS into mining project risk management is proposed. This approach uses a new concept called “hazard concentration” as well as the multi-criteria analysis method known as the analytical hierarchy process. The aim of this work is to promote the utilization of this approach throughout the goldmine sector in Quebec.
In addition to the proposed approach, its tools and new concepts, we provide the scientific community and mining sector practitioners with a preliminary portrait of risk in mining projects. Such a portrait is indispensable for the timely production of complete and reliable evaluations of mining risks. We also share two adaptable databases each compiling over 200 hazards identified in the course of studies carried out in two goldmines, one open-pit and one underground. These databases constitute a body of knowledge that is potentially adaptable and transferable to other types of mining company as well as to other new mining projects.
In summary, this study enabled our industrial partners to identify and rank potential risks in order to choose the monitoring and control strategy best suited to their corporate goals. The study involved action research with inter-disciplinary teams over the duration of several phases of mining project and promoted sharing of industrial know-how. The effort allowed us to gather well-founded and consistent opinions and to benefit from a wealth of experience gained in the mining sector. Finally, our work could make a substantial contribution to the consideration of OHS in all operational activities in the mines involved in the study.
The work described in this thesis nevertheless has several limitations, a few of which we expect to address in the future. To begin with, we shall examine the use of the Delphi method as a means of reaching an expert consensus on establishing a scale for the conversion of hazard concentration to probability. We also recommend exploring the possibility of including other data gathering techniques that might be better suited to studying the challenges and risks. The proposed approach to risk management has been implemented in only two mining companies in Quebec. Its influence by organizational culture remains an impediment to the broader application of the results obtained. We hope to address this limitation through increased presence in the sector and by follow-up at the two companies that have participated so far in our studies.
| Date | 14 Jun 2012 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Sylvie Nadeau (Supervisor) & André Gbodossou (Co-supervisor) |
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Badri, A. (Author),
Nadeau (Supervisor) & Gbodossou (Co-supervisor),
14 Jun 2012Student thesis: Doctoral thesis › Doctorate in Engineering: Engineering