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The Mine Ventilation Society of Zimbabwe (MVSZ) is pushing for ventilation engineering to be incorporated into mine design from the outset, as the industry seeks to improve underground safety and control exposure to hazardous dust, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
The call comes ahead of the MVSZ Annual Conference and AGM, scheduled for October 29 and 30 at the Holiday Inn in Bulawayo, under the theme “Innovation in Mine Ventilation for Sustainable Mining Growth”.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe ahead of the event, MVSZ president Dr Tonderai Chikande said mine planners needed to consider airflow requirements before underground workings expand, rather than attempting to address ventilation deficiencies after operations are established.
“This is particularly important. We need to move away from designing a mine first and trying to solve ventilation problems afterwards. Mine design should incorporate ventilation from the beginning, including shaft and airway positioning, development layouts, working-face ventilation, blasting arrangements, equipment selection, dust-control points and future expansion,” Chikande said.
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For smaller underground operations, he said effective ventilation did not necessarily require expensive infrastructure but needed to be tailored to the mine’s layout and production methods.
“For small mines, this does not necessarily mean an expensive large-scale ventilation installation. It means having a ventilation system designed for the actual mine geometry and production method, rather than relying on natural ventilation or ad hoc fans,” he said.
The MVSZ’s position highlights the role of ventilation engineering in mine planning, particularly as underground operations develop and introduce activities that can generate hazardous dust. Drilling, blasting, crushing and milling can expose workers to respirable crystalline silica when dust-control measures are inadequate.
Ventilation helps supply clean air to working areas, dilute and remove contaminated air, and prevent polluted air from recirculating.
However, ventilation must be supported by controls at the source, including wet drilling, water sprays during blasting and crushing, and dust suppression during ore handling.
The society is also advocating stronger occupational-hygiene monitoring to establish workers’ exposure to respirable dust and crystalline silica.
“We cannot manage what we do not measure,” Chikande said.
The MVSZ has identified collaboration with the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, universities, mining companies and occupational-hygiene practitioners as important to improving monitoring and developing practical measures for smaller mining operations.
The wider challenge extends beyond ventilation infrastructure. Training for mine operators, managers, shift bosses, artisans and workers is also necessary to improve understanding of dust-generating activities, auxiliary ventilation, post-blasting re-entry procedures, risk assessment and the proper use of protective equipment.
The society maintains that personal protective equipment should remain a last line of defence rather than a substitute for engineering controls that reduce exposure at source. Medical surveillance and screening are also important, but preventing harmful exposure remains central to reducing occupational lung disease.
Through ventilation audits, mine-design advice, technical mentorship and training, the MVSZ can support operators in adopting systems suited to their mining methods and working conditions. Cooperation between industry, regulators and occupational-health specialists will be important in extending these measures to smaller and less-resourced operations.
The upcoming Bulawayo conference places ventilation innovation and sustainable mining growth at the centre of industry engagement, providing an opportunity for ventilation professionals and other stakeholders to examine how better planning and engineering controls can support safer underground operations.