Mining Process Safety: Elimination of Catastrophic Risks in Belt Conveyors

Most companies continue to think of risk management as a role or policy, rather than treating it as a strategic capability needed to generate a competitive advantage or ensure business continuity. The path to effective risk management is a long, difficult but worthwhile journey, and contributes to risk mitigation, improved operating results, improved reputation, and ultimately a stronger, competitive, and resilient business.

It is noticed that major disasters are strongly related to asset conditions failure in management and maintenance processes.

Based on the international best practices of the O&G industry and the growing challenge of ensuring the integrity of industrial assets, HATCH, together with a major global mining player, has created and implemented methodologies to detect and identify undesirable events throughout the asset lifecycle and apply effective actions to eliminate, prevent and mitigate these events.

Questions to be answered throughout the process phases below:

• Are all catastrophic risks identified?
• Are all fault modes and associated hazards under control?
• Are there adequate mitigation and prevention controls to reduce the probability or consequence of potential threats/hazards?
• Are there adequate emergency response plans in the event of a catastrophic failure?
• Are the necessary resources available and trained personnel/staff for risk prevention and mitigation?
• Does the continuous improvement system provide for audits and lessons learned?

This case study considered the application of this methodology in relation to the group of more than 4000 belt conveyors, starting with the identification of risks and potential failures in all types of conveyors (conventional, pipe, underground, TCLD, relocatable, embedded in machines), identification of controls, field inspection, project adequacy and planning of adaptations implementation.

For this, the following steps have been established:

• Risks Identification:

Evaluation of the asset in its normal installation condition, considering the structural, operational and maintenance issue, additionally with the incident or accident reports associated with them, allowed for the identification of 07 Material Unwanted Events (MUE) scenarios, which included:

• Loss of structural stability
• Loss of control of belt conveyors
• Loss of fastening chutes and pulleys
• Loss of pressure control in coupling
• Start fire in belt conveyors
• Particle emission
• Loss of material containment

2 – Control Measures Identification

Through workshops involving specialists from both companies and using tools such as bow-ties and FTA, information was collected through field visit, project development expertise, benchmarking with other companies in the industry, which allowed the identification of 51 controls, including mitigating controls and preventive controls.

Following the work, all components associated with each of the controls were identified and the project requirements, assembly, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of each of the components were established.

For each of the critical controls, one-pages were elaborated, establishing the parameters of management and operation of these, such as responsibility for the control, inspection routine, triggers for evaluation of incidents, limits, and operational parameters.

3 – Diagnosis of the situation in the field

The third stage, related to the verification of the current conditions of existing assets, demands a large number of resources, and equipment and risks were prioritized according to the specificity of each operational site. As an example of the process used, this case will address the assessment of the risks associated with the stretching system of belt conveyors, prioritizing the loss of belt control, loss of fastening pulleys and the cause of fire of the conveyor belt.

During this stage, conceptual project solutions were developed that would eliminate the human presence in the risk zone in case of failure in the stretching system. For each of the evaluated conveyors, the best alternatives for changes and modifications in the stretching systems were identified. In addition, the existence and correct functioning of the established controls were verified in the field.

After identifying the gaps, investment estimation (CapEx), adequacy of schedule, implementation plan and a list of action treatments for each asset was elaborated with the respective prioritizations, considering ease (cost x estimated time) for safety impact.

4 – Implementation

At this stage, the management and maintenance routines of existing controls and the implementation of new controls and project improvements are adequate, according to the diagnostic phase of the situation in the field.