What are the duties of the mine surveyor?

On 31 March 2022, the Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws replaced the health and safety elements of the Mines Safety and Inspection laws. For information visit www.demirs.wa.gov.au/whs

Transitional arrangements may be in place for the compliance requirements on this page.

All health and safety notifications, forms and guidance for mining and petroleum has moved to the WorkSafe website

The information below has been left for historical compliance reference purposes

 

 

Background

What is the role of a mine surveyor?

Mine surveyors are involved in the accurate measurement and recording of mine workings. They are critical to the design, planning and safety of surface and underground mining activities, which must be accurately represented on mine plans.

Can there be more one mine surveyor?

Yes. However, to be appointed a mine surveyor for a mining operation, a person must hold an authorised mine surveyor’s certificate of competency or recognised equivalent.

How is the integrity of the mine survey process maintained?

A person must not make or draw a survey or plan of:

  • an underground mine, unless the person
    • holds an authorised mine surveyor’s certificate (grade 1); or
    • is acting under the control and supervision of a person who holds such a certificate.
  • a quarry, unless the person
    • holds an authorised mine surveyor’s certificate (either grade 1 or grade 2); or
    • is acting under the control and supervision of a person who holds an authorised mine surveyor’s certificate (grade 1 or grade 2).

Refer to r. 3.46 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 for more details.

Instruments and accuracy

A person who is carrying out a survey at a mine must ensure the survey:

  • uses instruments and equipment of a precision equal to current best industry standards and technology
  • is to a standard that accords with good engineering practice
  • is to an accuracy of not less than 1:5,000.

In certain cases, a district inspector may approve (in writing) a survey undertaken by means other than those defined above if the means are considered sufficiently accurate.

Refer to r. 3.49 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 for more details.

Datum station and co-ordinator

A datum station must be established in the general vicinity of the mine. It serves as the origin for the survey and co-ordinate system used at the mine.

The position of the datum station must be established in terms of:

  • Map Grid of Australia 1994 (MGA94) co-ordinate system
  • Australian Height Datum (AHD).

If a local grid is used, the authorised mine surveyor should establish the relationship between the local grid system and MGA94 in terms of distance with respect to true bearing.

Refer to r. 3.50 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 for more details.

What is required in mine plans?

Origin of co-ordinates

A plan of the lease or tenement in which the mine is situated must show:

  • the datum station established as the origin of the survey
  • its relationship to the Map Grid of Australia 1994(MGA94)
  • its relationship to the local grid system.

Surface (quarry) operations

  • A plan showing the true size and shape of all excavations
  • Sufficient cross-sections showing
    • advances made in the operation
    • areas reclaimed or again filled in

Underground operations

  • A general plan of any underground levels to a scale that
    • accords with good engineering practice
    • shows, as far as is practicable, the true size and shape of all development openings [see note below]
  • The details and location of underground drill holes at the mine that contain potentially hazardous services (electrical power cables, compressed air lines or diesel fuel lines)
  • As far as is practicable
    • longitudinal sections or projections to a scale that accords with good engineering practice and shows all underground mining operations
    • sufficient cross-sections or projections to a scale that accords with good engineering practice and clearly shows the orebodies and mined-out parts of orebodies
  • The date the plan was made
  • Certification by the person who made the plan that the plan is correct.

A composite plan may be accepted for an underground operation if each level on that plan can be clearly seen.

Certification

Certification of a mine plan must be in the following form:

This is to certify that this survey has been done by myself (or by persons under my own supervision), subject to adequate inspection and field check, and is the actual result of the observations and measurements, and the survey and plan have been done in accordance with the requirements of the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 and the regulations made under that Act.

DATED the ..... day of .....20.....

..................................................

Authorised Mine Surveyor Grade....

Certificate No........

Refer to r. 3.51 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 for more details.

Refer to s. 87(1)(c) of the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 for more details.

When must mine plans be provided to the State Mining Engineer?

  For information about mine plans, refer to the link below.

Refer to r. 3.52 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 for more details.

Scene of fatal or serious accident

An inspector, Coroner or a Deputy Coroner may require a survey to be undertaken or a location plan to be prepared for the scene of a fatal accident at a mine. Only the holder of an authorised mine surveyor’s certificate may carry out this task.

Refer to r. 3.54 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 for more details.

For a serious but non-fatal accident, an inspector may require a survey to be carried out or an accident plan to be prepared.  Where possible, photographs of the accident location should accompany the accident plan.

Where conditions or continuing danger prevent a location survey being made, the position of the accident should be indicated on a copy of a mine plan sheet and annotated by the authorised mine surveyor.