Drillhole location deviations can disrupt energy distribution within mining benches, leading to uneven fragmentation and reduced operational efficiency. This study presents an optimisation approach that compensates for drilling inaccuracies to achieve more uniform energy input. The method involves discretizing the bench into a block model to estimate localised energy distribution and constructing a mathematical model to minimise discrepancies between the planned and actual energy delivery. A Tabu Search algorithm is used to solve the model. Case studies demonstrated improvements in the objective function, ranging from 0.53%–1.54% overall, and 2.14%–3.94% within the zones most affected by deviation.

Satisfying safety issues plays a critical role in mining operations. Although the use of emerging technology became a new trend in preventing powered haulage hazards in the mining industry, these technologies themselves posed new hazards to the problem that are necessary to be identified, assessed, and managed together with common hazards. This study investigates the existing gaps in powered haulage safety to establish a comprehensive framework for conducting risk analysis procedures. To achieve this purpose, a literature search methodology is employed to recognize the most relevant resources and extract the essential information. The most critical hazards in powered haulage operations are identified and classified into main groups. Then, root causes and consequences are designated for these hazards, providing substantial elements for risk analysis, which serves as an effective hazard measurement. Afterward, an overview of popular risk analysis techniques applied in the mining industry is provided to establish a holistic risk analysis framework. Finally, available hazard management strategies are discussed as solutions for mitigating and preventing potential hazards. The study results demonstrated the importance of establishing comprehensive safety protocols, continuously upgrading the advanced technologies, regular training, and continuous risk assessment to mitigate and prevent fatal and non-fatal hazards in mining operations.