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Título

THE FMEA METHODOLOGY APPLIED IN THE RISK MAP FOR AN OPEN PIT MINE

Resumo

Mine accidents can be prevented if risks are identified and mitigated by creating barriers through risk management to reduce the likelihood of Material Undesired Events (MUEs). The FMEA methodology – Failure Modes and Effects Analysis is cited in international risk management standards and is already used in mining and traffic to identify and propose preventive and mitigating controls associated with the risk scenario for the geotechnical structure. In this study, an FMEA was analyzed for an open-pit mine in the Iron Quadrangle whose evaluation considered information regarding inspections and instrumentation, historical occurrences regarding geodynamic processes in addition to a lack of operational discipline. The scenario is identified and depending on its classification in terms of probability and severity will lead to critical action to reduce the risk. From the creation of the risk map, it is possible to represent, through graphic information, the risks identified in a geotechnical structure. The structure was divided according to its structural lithological aspects, into geomechanical/geotechnical sectors and evaluated according to its reported nonconformities. In this context, the present study associated the risk map with the FMEA as the anomalies identified with the initial event and the failure modes with the undesired event according to the possibilities of occurrence. These events are represented by symbols on the risk map. Each geomechanical sector called System Component in the FMEA was classified according to the potential failure mode. This potential failure mode may be related to geotechnical/geomechanical hazards and is related to the absence or failure of controls. Inefficient drainage, overflow, fracture, connection, and surges are related to the initial event in the FMEA. The failure mode will be erosion, planar faults, circular faults, overturning, wedging and block failure are characterized as undesirable events. The analyzes allowed the identification of 24 risk scenarios in the inherent classification, that is, corresponding to the natural or untreated risk associated with a structure, process, action or event without the application of controls associated with the risk, 14 were classified as very high risk, 20 of these passes high with the implementation of the controls test. The last 4 scenarios were classified as medium, corresponding to an unwanted erosion event. For these scenarios, 3 mitigation controls and 4 preventive controls were defined and several actions were mapped, such as the need for an operation manual, surface and underground water management and improvement of drilling and blasting operations.

Palavras-chave

Risk Management; FMEA; Open-pit mine; Risk map

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