Surface mining industry association, Aspasa, has called on miners to use the lag between the opening of surface mines and the delivery of products wisely, by preparing smart stockpiles, internal roadway systems and traffic separation measures to deal quickly and safely with the tide when markets reopen. Post-lockdown deliveries Carefully planned stockpiles should be prepared to meet large demands when markets return to trading
Aspasa director, Nico Pienaar, says that while surface mines have been allowed to operate at 50% of capacity since relatively early in the lockdown period and 100% after 1May 2020, markets for the products including commodities, construction products and others, will remain closed until
further restrictions are lifted. “It is foreseeable that a mine operating at 100% capacity will need to stockpile products until markets reopen. We are
therefore advising mine managers to do their research upfront and carefully plan for reopening, while also bearing in mind safety and speed of movement. “At this point it will also pay to take heed of upcoming legislation that will require separation of traffic, including mine vehicles, road vehicles and pedestrians to avoid collisions. In this way smaller-scale surface mines can reduce the risk of collisions and thereby avoid the requirement for potentially costly Proximity Detection Systems (PDS),”Nico concludes.
Aspasa
Nico Pienaar
Tel: (011) 791-3327
Fax: 086 647 8034
Email: nico@aspasa.com
