Industry

Mining & minerals

From the exploration stage to the mining of new resources, we provide mining and mineral standards to ensure that critical safety and operational considerations are considered in the extraction of materials from the earth. Areas covered by our mining and mineral standards include the safety of underground mining machinery, and explosion preventing and protection in mining.

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Learn how standards achieve critical safety and operational best practices

How to manage employee health and safety in mining
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How to manage employee health and safety in mining

For mining operations, implementing trusted health and safety standards is pivotal to ensuring survival and stability, never mind future growth. BS EN ISO 45001 is the world’s first international health and safety standard. Mining operations already have their own sets of inherent safety hazards, such as powered haulage and machinery accidents, the collapse, falling or sliding of mining materials, explosives risk, exposure to noise, dust, and chemicals, the list goes on. Substantial progress has been made in the control of hazards, but there will always be room for increased safety management. Compared to other standards, BS EN ISO 45001 represents the next comprehensive phase in risk reduction when striving for zero harm. This standard is flexible and can be adapted to suit your operation’s health and safety requirements through any of its growth phases. Moreover, BS EN ISO 45001 supports life in a modern world prone to sudden changes. It has a whole clause specifically dedicated to the management of change through embracing innovation and emerging technologies. This comprehensive approach further recognizes business challenges faced by operations, particularly that of supply chain management, contractor management, and outsourcing. Protecting the mental health of mining workers Supporting mental health within your mining organization has never been more important. As well as helping you to build a positive working environment, a framework for managing psychological health and safety can help to improve your organizational resilience and enhance performance and productivity. BS EN ISO 45003 includes: Information on how to recognize the psychosocial hazards that can affect workers, such as those that arise from working in mine environments. Offers examples of effective – often simple - actions that can be taken to manage these and improve employee wellbeing. Other benefits of adopting this standard include; high levels of discretionary effort, improved recruitment, retention, and diversity, enhanced worker engagement, increased innovation, legal compliance, and reduced absence from workplace stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression. To ensure the survival, stability, and future growth of your mining organization by adding these key health and safety standards to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge In your safety-critical industry, get everyone in your mining business involved in embedding a culture of health and safety. A BSI Knowledge subscription gives you instant access to the resources you need to improve your health and safety processes. The flexibility and visibility it provides of the best practices guidance enable you to get the most from your standards. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our GBM07 Occupational & Personal Safety module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your standards strategy. Request to learn more.Read more
Best practices for blasting operations in mining
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Best practices for blasting operations in mining

Blasting has long been associated with mining as a key activity to extract rock and minerals from the earth.  All mining operations require blasting at one stage or another. Blast hole drilling is used in mining where a hole is drilled into the surface rock, packed with explosives, and detonated. The aim of this technique is to induce cracks in the inner geology of the surrounding rock, making deeper mining possible. The drilling of blast holes is traditionally used when the mine would like to explore the mineral composition or potential mineral yield of an area that is considered for future mining. Blast holes can be considered a fundamental step in the exploration process, but also as in the extraction of coal. It has become a highly specialized area requiring the excellent technical skills of those involved. Good blasting techniques have a direct benefit to mining operations because well-designed blasts reduce risks associated with health and safety concerns and improve operations through efficient extraction and environmental management. Whilst blasting provides an efficient way to make deeper mining possible, it is also a hazardous process.  Gases are produced or released during mining operations including drilling and blasting, by mining types of machinery such as diesel and gasoline motors, and by other means such as the decay of timbers, the after-effects of mine fires, and chemical processes like oxidation. The air in mines, especially coal mines, can also be contaminated by the presence of other gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and excess carbon dioxide. Due to being in a confined space these gases are not always able to disperse and can therefore build up in the mine, and due to their combustible, explosive, or toxic qualities, this is a serious issue. This is because there is an increased risk as the coal dust can explode as a direct result of the ignition of flammable gases such as methane or operation induced by either blasting, machinery, or faulty equipment. Standards can help ensure blasting best practices are followed, reducing these risks. Key Standards to Support Blasting Safety in Mines BS EN 14797 BS EN 14797:2006 describes the requirements for venting devices used to protect enclosures against the major effects of internal explosions arising from the rapid burning of suspended dust, vapor, or gas contained within. It includes the requirements for the design, inspection, testing, marking, documentation, and packaging. BS EN 14591-2 Water trough barriers are autonomous protective systems by reducing the effects of combustible dust and/or firedamp explosions in underground mines to a sufficient level of safety. They are used for preventing the propagation of explosions in roadways in underground coal mines. The purpose of water through barriers is to extinguish explosion flames in roadways in underground mines and in this way to limit the propagation of explosions. They are designed and arranged in such a way that explosions are prevented from spreading through dangerous chain reactions and incipient explosions do not become detonations. BS EN 14591-2:2007 specifies the requirements for concentrated and distributed passive water through barriers, and quick-deploy water through barriers. It also specifies the requirements and test methods for water troughs which are used as components of the "water trough barrier" protective system for underground coal mines. BS EN 60079-35-2 BS EN 60079-35-2:2012 details performance and other safety features of cap lights, including those with a point of connection for other equipment, not covered in IEC 60079-35-1, but which are important for the safety and working conditions of the user. It may also be applied to cap lights for use in mines not likely to be endangered by firedamp. BS EN ISO 19296 BS EN ISO 19296:2018 specifies the safety requirements for self-propelled mobile machines used in underground mining. It deals with hazards, hazardous situations, and hazardous events relevant to these machines when they are used as intended or under conditions of misuse reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer. BS EN 14983 Firedamp drainage is a technical process for selected gas removal, the purpose of which is to reduce the risks presented by inflammable gas and air mixtures. Firedamp drainage is therefore a measure for preventive explosion protection. BS EN 14983:2007 specifies the requirements for equipment and protective systems for firedamp drainage at mines. It also contains requirements for the construction and monitoring of this equipment and protective systems. In your safety-critical industry, get everyone in your mining business involved in embedding a culture of best practices. A BSI Knowledge subscription gives you instant access to the resources you need to improve your blasting processes. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our GBM39 Mining & Petroleum Technology module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your standards strategy. Request to learn more. Ensure your organization is working to best practices during blasting processes where there is a risk of explosion by adding these standards to your collection today.
Achieving sustainability in the mining sector with standards
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Achieving sustainability in the mining sector with standards

The mining sector, an important driver of the global revolution of electric vehicles and renewable sources of energy, is constantly looking to improve its own sustainable working practices.  For mining organizations, sustainable practices are at the core of their license to operate.  More and more companies have come to realize that the only way to be economically viable is to operate environmentally and socially responsibly. The themes of climate change, resource scarcity, and energy efficiency strongly resonate with the mining industry as they have been grappling with those topics in their day-to-day business.  The evolution of electric vehicles and renewable energy has an enormous impact on demand for metals and therefore the mining industry. Cobalt and lithium are mentioned often, as these are specialty metals used in rechargeable batteries. More importantly, copper is the metal of the future, as copper is used in batteries, electric wiring in cars, motors of electric vehicles as well as transmission lines.  To shape a climate-change-proof future, with more electric vehicles and renewable energy, raw materials will be needed, and those resources need to be mined sustainably.  To read more about electric vehicles, click here. Current challenges to achieving sustainability in the mining sector  While the operations of the large-scale mining sector are essential to maintain and increase economic development around the world, the sector also continues to face serious challenges related to its significant environmental and social impact. Environmental and social impacts of the sector include greenhouse gas emissions, toxic waste that can negatively impact soil and water quality, unsafe working conditions, and negative impacts on vulnerable groups such as women and indigenous people. Mining is also currently responsible for 4-7% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. To address these sustainability hurdles, mining companies can adopt best practices to help them implement an environmental management system, reduce energy consumption, minimize GHG emissions and improve their social responsibility.  What standards support sustainability? Knowledge sits at the core of every successful business.  It is something you can trust, something you can safely base far-reaching decisions on. Standards are knowledge and best practice. They've distilled wisdom of experience and expertise, carefully assembled in a dependable format, tried and tested yet flexible and dynamic.  Using standards to achieve your sustainability goals demonstrates to your clients, partners, and consumers that you want to make a difference to the world that we live in, ensuring that you are respectful of people, products, and the planet. Standards equip you with the knowledge to be competitive, environmentally proactive, and socially responsible.  BS EN ISO 14001 BS EN ISO 14001 helps businesses of all sizes across all sectors make their day-to-day operations more sustainable. Sustainability can ultimately save money, improve brand reputation, engage employees and build resilience against uncertainty as well as the ability to rapidly adapt to change. It provides guidance on how to consider multiple aspects of your business procurement, storage, distribution, product development, manufacturing, etc.- so that it reduces its impact on the environment. It also drives you to evaluate how you manage emergency response, customer expectations, stakeholders, and your relationships with your local community. BS EN ISO 14064-1 BS EN ISO 14064-1:2019 specifies principles and requirements at the organization level for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. It includes requirements for the design, development, management, reporting, and verification of an organization’s GHG inventory. BS EN ISO 14090 Climate change will impact mining organizations for decades to come. These impacts can be physical, financial, regulatory, or reputational and businesses need to learn to adapt, which is what BS EN ISO 14090:2019 helps them do.  This international standard exists to help organizations adapt to climate change. It sets out how they can prioritize and develop effective, efficient, specific, and deliverable adaptations which will increase resilience and demonstrate robust and credible risk management. BS EN ISO 50001 Used by large and small organizations across the world to manage and reduce energy use and costs, BS EN ISO 50001 is an excellent framework to help implement an energy management system (EnMS).  Implementing an EnMS provides a systematic approach necessary to continually improve energy performance. Once in place, an EnMS enables an organization to set and achieve objectives and energy targets, take action to improve its energy performance, and benefit from the efficiency and cost savings as a result.  BS EN ISO 26000:2020 BS EN ISO 26000:2020 outlines international recommendations for social responsibility. It covers organizational governance, human rights, working practices, environmental policies, sustainable development, and community involvement. It provides a framework for companies to build a robust and long-term corporate responsibility strategy – helping them gain a competitive advantage and giving stakeholders greater confidence in the integrity of the business. Ensure your mining company is operating environmentally and socially responsible by adding these standards to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge Want to have access to all your sustainability standards in one place? A BSI Knowledge subscription gives you instant access to the resources you need to improve your sustainability processes. The flexibility and visibility it provides of the best practices guidance enable you and your team to get the most from standards - no matter where they are in the world. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our GBM06 Environment & Waste module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your sustainability strategy. Request to learn more.
Digital transformation: Standards and the future of mining
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Digital transformation: Standards and the future of mining

In recent years, mining companies have adopted a growing range of digital solutions. Many have mechanized their operations, moved from the physical to the digital realm by adding equipment sensors, and adopted unified networks to transmit data. Despite this progress, in many ways, these steps are only a beginning and COVID-19 has accelerated this imperative. As the sector transitions through the current crisis and moves from responding to recovering and ultimately thriving in the “new normal,” mining leaders have an opportunity to avoid falling back into conventional ways of working. Instead, they can chart a new path and embed recent changes sustainably by embracing digital transformation. Standards can help with this transition. Challenges to digital transformation in the mining sector There remain several barriers to the adoption of new technologies within the mining sector. On the one hand, mines are internally competitive and siloed, so that mines run by the same company compete when it comes to safety, productivity, and other measures. The internal politics and lack of cooperation within mining companies hinder the implementation of new technologies, which require concerted efforts from all departments in order to facilitate integration and systems innovation. Moreover, mining operators commonly lack trust in cloud services and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions as they generally have a very protective attitude towards their data. This stems not only from an industry-wide distrust of new technologies but also from negative experiences in the past with large, “reliable” companies, who have, for example, experienced hacking scandals. These barriers are making many mines increasingly less competitive and more costly, as others who take the plunge begin to reap the benefits of digitization. Benefits to mining organizations of digital transformation Digital technology—when implemented with management and mindset changes—is leading to meaningful operational improvements. For instance, advanced analytics and sensors are helping lower maintenance costs and decrease downtime while boosting output and chemical recovery. Robotics and semi-autonomous equipment are taking humans out of mines, reducing costs and risk.  Labour costs are high for many mining companies, with large wage premiums in the sector due to skills shortages and an aging workforce. Automated technologies allow companies to remove staff from dangerous working conditions.  Efficiency and productivity gains can be substantial, particularly for those companies operating in remote areas with high fuel costs. The costs of such technology are falling, sometimes rapidly, giving companies further opportunities to reduce and manage their operating costs in the face of volatile commodity markets. And as these technologies are increasingly proven to be commercially viable, the risks associated with their adoption decrease, and companies themselves face pressures to compete with technology leaders. Enhanced digitization and remote support of work activities also offer an opportunity to take a more integrated view of assets, business units, and the organization as a whole. For the first time, many organizations have the breadth and depth of visibility into their operations needed to focus on driving system-level thinking and performance. Doing this, however, often requires not only technology but also a change of leadership style and the creation of supporting culture. Which standards support digital adoption by mining organizations? Standards play a crucial role in de-risking investment and accelerating the adoption of new technologies through confidence in performance. They are critical in the commercialization of new technologies, building trust, and supporting the creation of new markets at home and internationally. BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 Since its inception in the early 1990s, global information security standards have grown in rigor and recognition. So too have information security threats and the best ways to manage them. BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally acclaimed standard for information security management. It is the baseline standard of the BS EN ISO 27000 series of international information security management standards and the foundation standard for implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMS). For mining companies moving to adopt more digitized processes, they will also need to protect their information from cybersecurity risks.  PAS 440:2020 Mining companies have always faced pressure to limit the destruction of their activities. In order to protect their reputation and limit their social and environmental impact, they need to consider not only the benefits of their innovations but also any possible adverse outcomes, including through unintended use, misuse, or other unforeseen consequences; and plan accordingly. Check PAS 440:2020 for details on responsible innovation. To read about achieving sustainability in mining, click here. To help mining companies innovate responsibly, PAS 440:2020 provides overarching guidance on how to structure innovative thinking and processes responsibly, irrespective of domain. It provides information for companies that want to innovate responsibly and to demonstrate their responsible behavior. It will help them structure their thinking and guide their actions. BS EN ISO 56002:2021 An innovation management system will enable organizations to effectively manage their innovation activities. The benefits should be available to the whole business, from successful outcomes, improved communications, effective training, increased confidence, policymaking, and competitiveness. BS EN ISO 56002:2021 provides guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating. and improving an innovation management system within an organization.  BS EN ISO 56003:2021 When it comes to embracing new technologies, collaborations with other companies can deliver a wide range of benefits to enhance competitiveness and performance. Standard BS EN ISO 56003:2021 provides organizations with the tools and methods for forming innovation partnerships with other organizations. Benefits of an innovation partnership include; access to knowledge, skills, technology, and other intellectual assets that are not available within the organization, and access to infrastructure resources to develop or improve services.  As technology continues to advance rapidly in the mining sector, accessing the standards your business needs to adapt to these innovations does not have to be complicated and time-consuming. Our tailored BSI Knowledge subscription service provides flexibility, access, visibility, and control over the standards and insights your team needs to adopt emerging processes. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our GBM39 Mining & Petroleum Technology module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your standards strategy. Request to learn more. Prepare your mining organization for the digital technologies of tomorrow by adding these standards to your collection today.

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