ABSTRACT

The planning and design of mining workplaces is closely related to the planning and design of the mine; it depends on decisions made by mine planners, mining engineers, and other similar professions. Mining operations involve equipment and infrastructure that is expensive to upgrade, high capital costs, and long lifespans. It is not likely that mining will develop in a revolutionary way; evolutionary change, where incremental changes and improvements eventually lead to the visions of modern mining, is a more likely scenario. The ‘design’ of the planning process people cover further on; for now, it is important to note the other aspect of the process: participation. The use of iterative and human-centric design processes is less common in mining. An important aspect of the iterative planning and design process is to create and judge several alternative solutions. The process is applicable to a wide variety of projects, including the design of the mine itself, even if our focus is on workplaces.