The extraction, metal processing, and waste disposal stages in an ore mining operation can increase the availability of heavy metals leading to acid mine drainage (AMD) into sediment, soil, groundwater, and downstream surface water.Risk Assessment and Risk Management is inherently about the management of unplanned events. Unplanned events which occur on a mine site, or within the surrounding environment or community, have the potential to impact on the viability of a mine or community. The process of assessing and managing these risks is aimed at reducing the likelihood that these negative events will occur and increasing the likelihood that positive outcomes will be realized. Risk management is a core element of sustainable development. The three pillars of sustainability—social, economic and environmental—present various risks and thereby provide a complex and often inter-related mix of risks and opportunities that mining companies need to address. This study aimed to assess the health, safety and environmental risks due to Sharhrbabak Copper Leaching Plant. The data were collected based on the questionnaires filled by 30 persons from four different units asCrushing, Heap Leaching, Solvent Extraction (SX), and Electrowinning (EW). To do this study, first, all the significant risks were identified based on the literature review as well as hours of interview with the HSE experts, workers and managers in Shahrbababk Copper Plant. Then, the HSE risks of the plant were assessed using FMEA (Failure mode and effects analysis) as well as Bayesian Networks (applying Netica software). Our results came from FMEA approach showed that all the identified risks from four studied units were assessed as low risk , Critical , and supercritical . We found similar results from Bayesian Networks as well as most of the risks were fallen into the Moderate and High levels . The results from the sensitivity analysis of Bayesian Networks indicated that the Environment-related node has the most influential effects on the overall risk in Crushing unit and Leaching Heap, where in Solvent Extractionand Electrowinning, the Health-related node has the most influential effects. We conclude that Shahrbabak Copper Leaching Plants has risky activities which can significantly threaten the environment and human-being health and safety, therefore, to have a sustainable development, monitoring and controlling the risks is essential. Keywords: Bayesian Networks, FMEA, Leaching Process, Risk Assessment
