Access to Deposits as a Stage of Mining Works

An extremely important role in the underground method of mining deposits is the type of access, which is the initial stage of the mining operations. The main feature of mineral deposits is their exhaustiveness and the inability to restore resources. This necessitates the rational management of deposit resources, especially the minimization of resource losses during exploitation. This article presents information on the mining area and methods of access the deposits. In particular, attention was paid to the advantages and disadvantages of access by means of an adit, decline, and a vertical and inclined shaft. Given the relationships among the various stages of mining works, it was found that the number of active levels depends on the volume of production and the adopted mining methods. In addition, attention was drawn to the fact that the access to deposits at increasing depth is related to the intensification of natural hazards that affect the access structure