Ventilation controls form many of the core risk activities in mines. Developments in practice and research in recent years have helped ensure levels of safety are maintained and improved within the underground mining sector.

The organising committee aims to provide an opportunity to present these developments so that the industry can benefit from this collective knowledge, Chalmers said.

“As per the previous events, we will again call on expertise from industry and academia, to bring about the third in a series of ventilation conferences,” he said.

A key note speaker at the event will be Peabody Energy Metropolitan underground coal mine general manager Andrew Clough, whose presentation is titled “ensuring an effective Principal Hazard Management Plan.

Clough was previously chief inspector of coal mines for Queensland.

“The conference will bring operators, planning personnel, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, government regulators, consultants and research and technology personnel together to explore achievements and build a better industry,” Chalmers said.

“Consistent with the aims of the AusIMM, the conference enables members and industry to keep abreast of views on various aspects of mine ventilation and provide a forum to showcase technical and factual information within the minerals industry.”

The conference will be held between August 31 and September 2 at the UNSW’s Kensington campus in Sydney.