Open Cut » Environment
Post blast fume generation is a significant issue in open cut mining operations. The fumes produced can have significant health implications and potentially, serious safety, environmental and financial impacts.
This project was initiated in an effort to understand the mechanism for fume production in blasting operations in open cut coal mines with the view to develop a preliminary fume production risk assessment matrix based on direct measurements and product quality. The major outcomes of the project have been the development of an instrument to measure in-hole density of the explosive column, procedures to enable on-site measurement of explosive composition and a risk matrix to be used by mine sites as an aid to minimise post blast fume incidences.