Workshop: Zero Entry Mining

This zero entry concept is not necessarily new, being practiced in part or whole across other industries. Some of the building blocks or components of zero entry are already widely accepted in existing underground mining (e.g., operating tele-remote LHD equipment from a surface control room). This educational white paper will discuss what could be possible, the challenges and opportunities, and the status of zero entry in mining to date. The white paper will acknowledge that people are still required but will focus on moving people from harms way and exploring what opportunities that it can provide.

Zero entry is a journey which begins with removing people from active areas from operational periods but ultimately progresses to removing people from the mine all together. The reasoning for this is driven by the business benefits. As the journey to zero entry continues, it can enable an opportunity for further business benefits to the point where there is a commitment to never putting people in the mine, which unlocks many benefits (e.g., ventilation, ground support, geometries). The white paper views zero as a progression, not just a destination.

The purpose of the workshop will be to perform an iterative review of the current draft, achieving industry alignment and completing the content generation phase of the project.