3 | P a g e Class 1 Location Assessment Development Site – Surface Magazine, Waihi North Project 2. Introduction The current Waihi Gold mining operations have been in production for over 20 years within the township of Waihi, in the eastern Waikato region of New Zealand. The Waihi Operation is owned by Oceana Gold (New Zealand Ltd) (OGNZL). Through the proposed Waihi North Project (WNP), OGNZL seeks to expand the existing operations and extend the life to at least 2036. The mining process involves drill and blast operations utilising commercial class 1 explosives. The required quantity of explosives for use in mining operations has been forecast by the business. The class 1 products are currently delivered to site by a reputable commercial supplier and stored in certified magazines prior to use in mining operations. The proposed Waihi North Project will require the relocation of the existing surface located class 1 magazine storage facility. OGNZL is currently undertaking a study to determine a suitable location to relocate the storage facility. The new class 1 storage facility will be subject to the same legislative requirements and operational management plans as the existing facility. Once licensed and constructed, the new storage facility will be controlled by qualified personnel. The facility will be inspected and re-certified annually, where a ‘Location Compliance Certificate’ is issued. These certificates are issued by independent Compliance Certifiers who are authorised by WorkSafe New Zealand. The facility will be operated in compliance with the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 . Waihi Gold mining operations have a demonstrated track record of safely managing stand-alone and fully compliant class 1 storage facilities. Global Seismic Solutions Ltd (GSS) was engaged by OGNZL to investigate an appropriate location and develop a site design for the relocation of the class 1 storage facilities. In addition to legislative requirements, the site design criteria include safety, environmental and operational considerations. 3. Regulatory Compliance Considerations for Class 1 Storage Facilities The ‘Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017’ is the primary reference document for hazardous substances in the workplace. It references classes 1-9 including ‘use, storage, transportation, manufacture and disposal’. The regulation is derived from the overarching ‘ Health and Safety at Work Act 2015’ legislation . The ‘ Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017’ outlines the compliance requirements and regulations regarding controlled zones and relevant obligations of a ‘Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking’ or PCBU (refer to Section 9.27’ ). A controlled zone means: ‘An area abutting a hazardous substance location that is regulated so that’, — (a) within the zone, the adverse effects of a hazardous substance are reduced or prevented; and (b) beyond the zone, members of the public are provided with reasonable protection from those adverse effects. The ‘ Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017’ also stipulates additional requirements of the PCBU in relation to mitigating risk from storage of class 1 substances including emergency response and requirements for competent person(s) to be in charge of such substances. Additional reference documentation, ‘ AS 2187.1 1998 – Explosives, Storage, Transport and Use – Storage’ has been considered in the assessment of a suitable new location. This legislation provides guidance in relation to suitable Inter Magazine distances or IMD which support the calculation of controlled zones using the NEQ of individual magazine units. ‘ Table 3.2.3.2’ of AS 2187.1 ’ describes the offset distances to ‘other explosive storage’. This table was utilised to support the separation
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