Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/594078
OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED OUR EXPERTS Preventing Flyrock November 2015 Bob Archibald has more than 35 years of world-wide experience in the mining, industrial minerals, construc- tion materials, and aggregate industries, including senior positions in management, fi nance, operations, and engineering with companies ranging from large, multi-na- tional to small, family-owned notes both public and private. He currently is president of Archibald Consulting Group, a diversifi ed consulting fi rm that provides business, fi nancial, technical, and communications services to the construction materials and industrial minerals industries. Most recently, Archibald served as chief operating ofi - cer for Global Proppant Sup- ply, LLC, a Wisconsin-based producer of high-quality frac sand. Technology now allows blasting experts to improve the process, while reducing the likelihood of fl yrock incidents. Video cameras, surveying equipment, laser profi ling, and 2D and 3D photogrammetry options allow professionals to create fl yrock models and de- termine the probability of a fl yrock incident, including where the fl yrock may go. This is also helpful from an operational standpoint because the blast area must be cleared prior to the shot. In contracting out your drilling and blasting, it may be tempting to hire the lowest bidder. From a safety standpoint, this could easily be a mistake. But from a cost standpoint, the lowest bidder may not provide the best overall cost, either. Any additional cost incurred by hiring a superior drilling and blasting contactor may easily be realized two to three times over in re- duced crushing and screening costs. Common causes 2 3 Communication is key 5 Take advantage of technology 6 Lowest bid may not be best As corporate manager of Blaster Development for Austin Powder Co., Frank Sames is a registered blaster in the state of Tennessee and a licensed blaster in the state of Kentucky. Sames joined Austin Powder Co. in 1993, after graduating as a mining engineer from the Technical University of Berlin in Ger- many. He has held positions as corporate technical repre- sentative, division technical representative, and division operations manager in the company's Midsouth Division. He has held his current po- sition since the fall of 2007. Sames has been a member of ISEE and SME since 1995. Flyrock incidents can usually be traced back to four root causes. Insuffi cient burden (i.e. space between rows), especially in the front row, will result in energy causing rocks to travel farther out than is desirable. Improper stemming may launch rocks up and out. Improper tim- ing, with back rows shooting before front rows, can have the same effect. Irregularities in geology, such as a clay seam, can also cause issues. Communication — with thorough documentation through the use of logs and checklists — is imperative amongst the planner, the driller, the blaster, and operational per- sonnel to ensure a safe, successful shot. For instance, the driller can help the blaster know where he might have lost pressure during the process, which can indicate such anomalies as a clay seam that can affect the shot.