Need for Ventilation and Cooling in Underground Mines - Morne Beukes

- OCTOBER DINNER MEETING - 

Join us for our next SME Tucson Dinner Meeting! Make sure to select your meal when making your reservation. Reservation deadline is Friday, October 3rd. 

Program: 

Need for Ventilation and Cooling in Underground Mines.

Occupational heat stresses can have considerable impacts on an underground mine personnel’s health and safety; they have also been linked to decreased productivity. Heat stress can manifest in a series of illnesses ranging from rashes and cramps to heat stroke, the latter being potentially fatal, but is also identifiable by an increase in operational errors and loss of efficiency. As numerous mines are operating ever deeper to exploit deeper resources the working environments also increase in heat, and their underground personnel are vulnerable to heat stresses and reduced efficiency. Throughout the world, high-grade deposits are often found in deeper regions with elevated geothermal gradients, and many countries also experience tropical or dry climates. Autocompression, groundwater evaporation, mechanized equipment, and possibly oxidate processes further contribute to the total heat budget in these mines.

Ventilation plays a significant role in controlling heat levels in hot environments as it provides some cooling. However, the cooling capacity of ventilation alone may be insufficient as means of heat removal; consequently, mechanical cooling is required to provide safe working conditions and maintain productivity. Underground mine cooling is still in its infancy in the USA and Latin America compared to deep mining regions such as South Africa and Canada, or Australia with its hot climates. With growing interest in these regions, this presentation outlines the fundamental principles of mine cooling and explores strategies to address underground heat loads, ensuring both workforce safety and operational efficiency.

Opening a major new mine is a complex undertaking, entailing billions of dollars over multiple years. Missteps cannot be tolerated in today’s social media world where, sadly, wealth creation is more often confronted than embraced. Successful project execution requires clear goal cognizance by the participants, and a knowledge of the tactics best likely to achieve that goal.

Venue and Beverage Sponsor:

Meeting Sponsors:

ONE SPOT AVAILABLE!
Reach out to Omar Smith or Liliana Pinedo if you are interested.

Speaker: Morne Beukes - Managing Director for BBE Group Canada

Morné George Beukes is the Managing Director of BBE Group’s Canada office, he joined the BBE South Africa office in 2019 before moving to Canada in 2021. Hehas thirty years of professional and practical experience in mine ventilation engineering at mine and corporate levels, gained during employment at Gold Fields, Anglo AngloGold Ashanti, and currently, BBE Group. He has experience in base metals in South Africa and internationally (Brazil, Argentina, Ghana). He also has had extensive experience with occupational hygiene and participated and led the Chamber of Mines employers caucus on many of the occupational health task teams within MOHAC (Mines Occupational Health Advisory Committee of South Africa). Currently his main technical involvement at BBE is in mine ventilation and cooling system consulting, design, simulation, and training.

• 6:00pm - 7:00pm Social Hour
• 7:00pm - 7:45pm Dinner
• 7:45pm - 8:00pm Announcements
• 8:00pm - 8:30pm Program
• 8:30pm - 8:45pm Q&A

Location:
HEXAGON, 40 E Congress St #300, Tucson, AZ 85701. CLICK FOR MAP.

Costs:

• $55 for SME Tucson members
• $65 for non-members
• Free for UA SME Student Chapter members

Payable at the door by cash, credit card, or check payable to SME Tucson.

Cancellations and No Shows:

Please call or email by the registration deadline to cancel.  If you do not cancel your reservation by the deadline, SME is still required to pay for your dinner, and you will in turn be billed. Thank you. 

Thank you to all our 2024 Scholarship Fundraiser Sponsors: