Development of a ground control management plan and framework for safe access for a legacy open pit mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Authors: Sandve, L; Banda, M Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2535_12

Cite As:
Sandve, L & Banda, M 2025, 'Development of a ground control management plan and framework for safe access for a legacy open pit mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada', in JJ Potter & J Wesseloo (eds), SSIM 2025: Fourth International Slope Stability in Mining Conference, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2535_12



Abstract:
Ground control management plans (GCMPs) are documents which are consistently adopted by open pit operations to outline the mine’s approach to assessing both existing and potential geotechnical hazards and establishing controls to eliminate or reduce those hazards. A GCMP was developed for a legacy open pit mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, to enable safe access and support remediation and closure construction work. The GCMP was developed in collaboration with the main construction manager (MCM), as well as the site owner. The management plan will be implemented by the MCM, with support from the consulting geotechnical engineer as required based on hazards observed in the pits. The GCMP will be treated as a living document and will be reviewed and updated annually, or as conditions change. Key components of the GCMP included defined roles and responsibilities and competency requirements, a monitoring program with associated trigger action response plans (TARPs), hazard maps for rockfall and subsidence risks, pit access maps detailing permitted activities, and a framework for requesting access to the open pits beyond what was allowed for in the pit access maps. As the site is not an active mine, special considerations had to be made in the development of the document for it to be applicable to the available personnel and resources onsite. This paper presents the authors’ process to develop the GCMP and its applicability at the closure stage of a mine site, with a focus on establishing safe open pit access. Although other guidelines for GCMP development exist amongst many mining companies, the approach presented herein reflects what WSP has found to be effective in our experience for application to legacy open pit mines.

Keywords: ground control management plan, hazard, rockfall, subsidence, trigger action response plan

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