【正文】 ck Engineers to acquire a level of petency in mine seismology that would allow them to fulfil a number of functions previously occupied by mine seismologists. The parallel development of user friendly software as a tool for basic seismic data analysis has added to these requirements by offering the nonspecialist user an opportunity to carry out various forms of seismic data analysis. A further influence arises from the fact that seismology services are now outsourced on many mines, leaving rock engineering departments with the responsibility to control seismology contracts and liaise with suppliers, which adds managerial functions to their role in an already technically demanding field. This paper investigates the new role embraced by rock engineers on seismically active mines and suggests an outline of training contents that is able to provide the knowledge and skills required. The author has presented training courses with contents similar to those outlined here to rock engineering consultancies and mining houses in South Africa. 1 .Introduction Mine Seismologists in South Africa The development of digital seismic systems in the early 1990s and their installation on rock burst prone mines led to a proliferation of seismic data and the employment of specialised personnel in the field of mine seismology. Around 1996 the gold mining sector in South Africa had 24 mine seismologists to manage seismic systems, analyse and evaluate data and supply relevant information to mainly rock engineers, production personnel and mine management. Mine seismologist can be broadly defined as follows: Any person, irrespective of background and formal 13 training, whose sole responsibility is the management of seismic systems and / or the analysis and evaluation of seismic data originating from mining operations. Mine seismologists were, with the exception of two corporate seismologists, employed by the mine and integrated into the mine’s rock mechanics departments. This setup considering seismology part of rock engineering has developed from the perception that seismic information is best utilised in the department responsible for mine layout and support design. It ignores the fact that, academically, seismology forms part of geophysics, which is in some countries considered part of the geology discipline (USA) and in others part of the science of physics (Germany and France). Instead of being integrated with rock engineering, mine seismologists could have joined the prospecting divisions of mining houses and then be seconded to mines as the need arises. This would have opened up more career prospects and may have retained some of the seismologists in the field, preventing the exodus that took place in the second half of the 1990s. By mid 2021 AngloGoldLtd. (now AngloGoldAshanti) had lost all of its mine seismologists bar one on corporate level. Out of the original 24, eight changed their working field and four left the country. Gold Fields Ltd. retained three of its six experts, plus one on corporate level. Of those leaving the mines, six individuals joined existing or opened up their own consultancies, all of which are still in business today, three years later. By mid 2021, the number of minebased and employed seismologists stood at four, only one of which is on a mine not previously served in this way. The number of individuals in consultancies has recently increased to ten due to demand by Harmony GM Co. Ltd. Generally speaking, consultancies have taken over the role of service providers in the field, operating seismic works, managing the gathered data and analy sing and evaluating data for most rock burst prone mines. In this environment mine employed rock engineers bee primary customers of seismology services. They are in charge of controlling the contracts with service providers, but also carrying out basic analysis of seismic data with specialized software tools that are A closer look at the various functions executed during seismic data interpretation reveals requirements for senior rock engineering personnel whose responsibilities include seismology related tasks. There are four discernible task groups that rock engineers have to cover in such an environment: 1) Input into mine planning: Design bracket pillars for seismically active structures。 or in an expanded form: Monitoring objectives, seismic 17 systems designand installation, data collection, data analysis, risk reduction. These are keywords representing five major elements in a loop of continuous improvement aimed at reducing the most pressing seismicity related risks (Figure 2). Risk reduction, the last element, is linked to the first by evaluating the success of risk treatment campaigns and subsequently adjusting monitoring objectives. For instance, once a seismically active remnant has been successfully extracted, there is no longer a need for detailed coverage of this area. Resources can rather be spent on monitoring other sources of seismic energy emission. Rock engineers who wish to familiarise themselves with the full scope of mine seismology, albeit with limited detail, could use the OSCAR model as a memory aid Itexplains the main steps and the functionality of major elements of applied mine seismology. Monitoring objectives Monitoring objectives need to be formulated – and regularly reviewed – to define the desired outes of seismic monitoring on a mine. Three areas need to be visited to derive such objectives: Need What aspect of seismicity needs to be quantified, . which source parameters and at what level of accuracy? Location Where are the areas that experience seismicity, . what is the geographical distribution of seismicity and rock bursts? Method How are objectives to be met, . which resources are available and what is the time frame for implementing t