RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LTD.

UNION SECTION
LOW PROFILE - PROJECTS

STANDARD PRACTICE - CODE 5 REF. NO. 5.6

HOLING PROCEDURES
OBJECTIVE

To provide Miners and Supervisors with a procedure to be followed when any holing is
to be effected in the Decline Section .

5.5.1 DEVELOPMENT HOLINGS

1 . All development ends will be plotted on the 1 : 500 by the responsible Shift Supervisor
plan in the planning room at the declines. Working and / or planned development
ends which will come within 30 metres of holing will be identified by the surveyor.
The Surveyor will issue holing notes with sketches to the Section Manager who will sign
for acknowledgement of the holing notes.

2 . Before the middling between 2 ends advancing towards each other reaches 30m the
Mine Overseer will decide which end will be stopped. He will give Instructions
in writing to the Shift Supervisor of which end is to be stopped and examined by him(s.s)
and the developer . The Shift Supervisor and developer must record his findings in
the holing point book.The Shift Supervisor will give Instructions in writing to the
developer of which end is to be stopped and examined and barricaded off. He must sign
for acknowledgement thereof.

3 . The Mine Overseer will decide where to put up the “No Entry” barricade and indicate the
position on the working plan. The Shift Supervisor will daily check until the holing has
been effected that the barricade is still in position.

4 . Where holing takes place in another Shift Supervisor’s section both Shift Supervisors
and their respective Miners will sign the holing point book . Where necessary special
instructions regarding blasting times will be written out and signed for on blasting
schedule.

5 . A pilot hole will be drilled ( one and a half times the length of the round) when ends are
15m or less from holing. The Shift Supervisor and Developer will be informed
immediately when this hole has holed.

6. Holing precaution special instructions will remain in force until a holing has been affected.
 RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LTD.
UNION SECTION
LOW PROFILE - PROJECTS

STANDARD PRACTICE - CODE 5 REF. NO. 5.6

-2-
HOLING PROCEDURES

a. The water will be pumped out and the face examined before end is advanced to hole.

or

b. The Mine Overseer will arrange to drill with a percussion machine ( rigged as per
standard precautions) a hole to drain the accumulation of water. Once water is drained
face will be examined and holing can be affected.

2. Where RAW’s are holed into the old Merensky workings which cannot be examined, the
Developer will ensure that pilot holes are drilled with each round 15m from the expected
holing distance.

3. The Developer will personally check lines, grade and the exact face position from Survey
pegs before each round is drilled in an end 10m or less from holing.

4. Where holing will be affected in areas where people travel or work blasting through will
only take place after the shift has been cleared and special precautions laid down by
Mine Overseer will be observed.

5. The area where holing is to be affected will be examined by the Shift Supervisor prior
to any holing being made and services such as pipes, cables etc. will be removed or
adequately protected before holing takes place.

5.3.3 STOPE HOLINGS

1. The Shift Supervisor in charge of stoping will ensure that roadways or ASD’s where
pillar holings are to be made are examined for misfires as laid down in the regulations.
The Stoper in charge will conduct such examinations and record and sign his findings

2. Equipment in ASD’s or roadways which cannot be removed will be adequately protected

from blast damage.

3. The Stoper and Shift Supervisor will ensure that roadways or ASD’s where holings are to
be affected are effectively closed off by means of blast barrier chains to prevent persons
from inadvertently walking into the blast
 RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LTD.
UNION SECTION
LOW PROFILE - PROJECTS

STANDARD PRACTICE - CODE 5 REF. NO. 5.6

-3-
HOLING PROCEDURES

4 . The Stoper and Shift Supervisor will ensure that roadways or ASD’s where holings are to
be affected are effectively closed off by means of blast barrier chains to prevent persons
from inadvertently walking into the blast.

5 . When stope faces are approaching each other ,one face will be stopped before middling
reaches 15,0 metres and holing will take place from one side only. The Mine
Overseer will decide which face will be stopped and examined to be made safe.

6 . The permanent support (as per code of practice) on the stopped face must be installed
closer than 2m from the face to prevent large spans when faces hole.

APPROVED :

ENGINEER : ………………………………… DATE :……………..

B.A.M. PROJECTS :………………………………….. DATE :……………..

REVISED STANDARD NO:………………………………….. DATE :...................

SHD / TS / 4 - 1 - 4 D