What is required before approving a risk-increasing change to a mine plan?

• A. Inform only the shift supervisor.
• B. Review risk assessment, update PTW and SOPs, brief workers, and obtain approval.
• C. Implement changes immediately without review.
• D. Notify external agencies.

Answer: (B)

When a change to a mine plan would increase risk, it must go through formal risk management and approval before being put in place. This starts with a thorough risk assessment of the proposed change to identify hazards, evaluate the level of risk, and determine whether existing controls are adequate. If needed, the controls, the permit-to-work system, and the standard operating procedures must be updated to reflect the new conditions. Workers then need to be briefed so they understand the new hazards and how to work safely under the updated plan. Finally, formal approval from the appropriate responsible person or authority is required to validate that the change has been reviewed and authorized. These steps ensure the change is properly scrutinized, that controls are embedded in practice, and that accountability is clear.