BHP Billiton has claimed a West Australian record for the biggest open cut mine blast after detonating 11 million-tonnes of iron ore at its Jimblebar mine. More than 50 hectares of ground at the Pilbara mine was set off with more than 6,400 detonators.
The explosives used to create small atomic bomb scale blasts are carefully watched, as are the toxic chemicals used in gold processing, the crushers and screens which can make jam out of people, the HV electrics that can discharge and kill, the many propane tanks that can rupture and explode, the unstable stope slopes that can collapse and bury, ...
Come to think of it, everything about heavy mining is dangerous.
No one in W.Australian mining history has yet been killed by a stray Cs-137 source so in realistic terms they come a long way down the list in a domain that has seen hundreds of deaths per annum in the past.
I heard a story about someone who checks in a starting pistol (used for running races) because it ensures his luggage will never be lost or messed with.
For example: if they know there is a radioactive source on board the vehicle they should check for its presence and integrity as soon as it arrives at its destination.
Ideally they should check for its presence on board at the end of each transport day, perhaps by measuring the level of radiation near the box which contains the item.
