Preventing underground risks, managing dust and vibration: keeping workers safe in extreme environments.

QHSE challenges in this sector

Mining and quarrying expose workers to extreme risks: collapses and rockfalls, prolonged exposure to silica dust, mechanical vibration, noise, heavy machinery in constant motion, and sometimes confined or underground work. When left unmanaged, these risks translate into long-term occupational diseases (silicosis, hearing damage) as much as into serious immediate accidents. The geographic remoteness of some extraction sites, particularly in Benin and the sub-region, complicates rapid access to emergency services and calls for particularly rigorous emergency preparedness together with regularly tested evacuation procedures. Operators must also deal with growing environmental requirements on discharge management, ambient air quality and site rehabilitation after extraction, an issue that connects directly with broader environmental management concerns. IFECARM GROUP supports mining and quarry operators in structuring their prevention, from underground risk assessment through to training teams in emergency procedures for extreme environments, drawing on a rigorous industrial risk management methodology, applicable to extractive environments.

What we do for you

• Underground risk assessment: collapse, ventilation, hazardous atmospheres
• Measurement and prevention of dust and mechanical vibration exposure
• Heavy machinery safety training and CACES for extraction-site operation
• Development of emergency plans adapted to the remoteness of sites
• Support towards ISO 14001 for site environmental management