A roof fall hazard is still one of the major threats in the underground mining industry. Each such type of event always brings great risk to miners and causes serious interruptions in the process of rock excavation. In general, the possibility of roof fall hazard occurrence is directly related to the local geology, the presence of horizontal stresses as well as the type of excavation method and the efficacy of the utilized roof support. Due to the complexity of this process, it is important to continuously evaluate the roof fall risk, especially in long life-time places where a mining crew is often present. Within this article, a detailed review of the current methods of monitoring and evaluating roof fall risk was presented. Based on the extensive literature survey, different types of devices were described, and their advantages and disadvantages were pointed out. Furthermore, new trends in the area of roof fall risk monitoring were described and discussed.

Underground mines are a vital part of the European raw material industry. The subsurface mining process is related to the large-scale development of underground structures like tunnels, chambers, workings, etc. These structures are abandoned or liquidated during the process of exploitation or after the termination of works. Still, due to the unique environment, post-mining facilities may be adopted for different purposes. There are few examples of implementations of this capacity in practical terms such as underground laboratories (ULs), energy storages, landfills of dangerous wastes, or food production plants. Unfortunately, the unique environment offered by underground space is also related to the occurrence of exceptional hazards, like seismicity and ground control problems, gases, floods, the lack of natural ventilation, and high temperatures. This results in low interest in investing in such facilities. Within this paper, some ways to repurpose underground mines have been presented, and possible challenges that need to be faced have been described. An extensive database of threats to post-mining repurposing and ways to mitigate them has been prepared based on surveys and interviews conducted with representatives of currently existing Uls and mining companies and a literature review. Finally, this manuscript provides a general look at post-mining infrastructure in Europe’s current situation and in the future.