Abstract:
Tailings are waste generated during the ore extraction and processing process. This waste is directed to thickeners, where solid particles settle, causing solid-liquid separation, and sent to dams, which is the structure used to dispose of the waste. Waste pumping is a vital part of a production process. When the waste plant is stopped, production is interrupted, as the process equipment works 24 hours a day and 365 days a day. This work aims to increase the effectiveness of the waste process, ensuring the integrity of employees and assets, and minimizing the exposure of operators to adverse working conditions. The work evaluated the conditions of the routine activities of the operational teams, within the waste pumping process, identifying the risks of the activities and the frequency with which they are carried out. The results achieved were possible because we developed a methodology that automated the cleaning process carried out by the operational team in the filtration area, which is a part that directly impacts the process, where it was possible to reduce up to 90% of the occupational risks present that were identified, thus how to increase the operational performance of the waste system, ensuring its availability.