When top-slice stopes are worked in two shifts or more, blasting of the mat may be done at the _______ of the shift provided that the incoming shift is at hand to inspect the stope for fire as soon as the smoke has cleared out.

• A. Beginning
• B. Middle
• C. End
• D. Final

Answer: (C)

In multi-shift top-slice stopes, safety after blasting hinges on having an immediate fire check by the next crew. Blasting the mat at the end of the shift ensures that, once the smoke clears, the incoming shift is on hand to inspect the stope for fire and any signs of heat or smoldering. This minimizes the time that hazardous conditions could go unchecked and lets any necessary actions be taken before work resumes. Blasting at the beginning or middle would leave no ready crew to perform that prompt inspection, and “final” isn’t the standard timing used for shift-change safety. Thus, the end of the shift is the correct timing.