NOVENEX Toolbox Talk — Ground Awareness Underground
Mining & Confined Spaces · ±8 minutes · novenex.tech/toolbox-talks
Rockfalls remain the leading killer underground. The ground gives warnings — drummy sounds, fresh cracks, spalling — but only to people who check. 'Making safe' is the first task of every entry, not an inconvenience before the real work.
Entry examination
- •Examine the hangingwall and sidewalls from a supported position before entering a working place.
- •Sound the ground — a drummy hollow tone means loose ground; bar it down or support it.
- •Never pass beyond the last row of support to 'just check something'.
Support discipline
- •Support is installed to standard and to pattern — a missing bolt is a reportable defect.
- •Damaged or corroded support (bent props, cracked resin collars) gets reported, not ignored.
- •Watch for new cracks, water changes and fresh spall after every blast — the ground changes daily.
Discussion — ask the crew
- Who is your competent person for making safe on this level?
- Describe the sound difference between solid and drummy ground.
- What changed in your working place after the last blast?
Attendance record
Site: ____________________ Date: ____________ Presenter: ____________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Name: ______________________________ Signature: ________________
Equip this talk
Requisition the roof bolts and related equipment from the Supply Register.