In Summary, the key points for a successful DPM committee (DPC) are:-

• Management support and participation is crucial, particularly to:-
  • To comply with the legislative requirement of “As low as reasonably practicable” (ALARP), via solutions raised by the DPC.
  • Understand and approve the financial resources as required.
  • Provide an example to the workforce that management is taking this health risk seriously.
• A management supported ‘DPM champion’ is required
  • The role of the ‘Champion’ remains intrinsic throughout this process as this person will be responsible to make sure that each department participates fully throughout the testing period
• There is a need for a wide range of skills that no one person only can be expected to have. Involvement from various departments is needed, such as engine maintenance, ventilation, OH&S.
• Management and the DPM Champion shall encourage all departments to pursue continuous improvement.
• All decisions on mitigations should be made collaboratively with the committee.
• An integrated approach to reduce DPM levels is not the task of a selected few but rather an all of mine approach.
• Broadly the mitigation of DPM can be divided into engineering controls and administrative controls.
• Establishment of a hierarchy of controls is a roadmap to success.
• Two types of goals should be targeted.
  • Short term, cost-effective goals to keep the enthusiasm going
  • long-term goals that require extensive evaluation and a cost benefit analysis.
• The strategy required is to be mine specific and the DMC will be ideally placed to identify the right strategy for the mine.
• The DPC shall identify the issue, understand the size of the problem and set clear goals as how to resolve.
• The DPC may require from time to time a further expert view to make sure that the analysis of technology is relevant to the problem. The conventional practice of Plan-Do-Check is the preferred method to trial new technologies.
  • An important part of this process requires continuous monitoring of the equipment as well as the environment to ascertain the success or otherwise of the new technology i.e., benchmarking before, during and after scenarios.
  • Relevant in-mine data is needed to be collected at all times so as to identify how the implementation of the mitigating technology contributed toward the overall air quality within the mine.
• Allow for failure of trialled technologies as part of the overall plan. Past failures can lead to the discovery of new technologies
• It is important that each trial of technology is properly recorded so that future endeavours don’t waste valuable resources.