An apparatus (20, 60) for controlling operation zones (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of a mining automation system comprising passage control units (2a, 2b, 2c), PCUs, separating the operation zones (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), the PCUs (2a, 2b, 2c) being associated with one or more acknowledgement units (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) for providing, based on a user input, an acknowledgement comprising a safety related confirmation that an operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) can be isolated by the associated PCU (2a, 2b, 2c), the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform: - determine a set of passage control units, PCUs, (2a, 2b, 2c) enabling forming of an isolated operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of a mining automation system; the apparatus being characterised in that it is further configured to at least to perform: - store an acknowledgement status record comprising zone configuration data comprising identifiers of the PCUs in the set of PCUs in association of an operation zone identifier of the operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d); - maintain the stored acknowledgement status record for the set of PCUs, the acknowledgement status record indicating, for each PCU (2a, 2b, 2c) in the set of PCUs, if an acknowledgement has been received from an acknowledgement unit (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) of the PCU; - determine, based on the acknowledgement status record, a PCU associated with two acknowledgement units (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) arranged at both sides of the PCU within the set of PCUs for completing isolation of the operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d); - select of the two acknowledgement units (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) associated with the PCU an acknowledgement unit (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) located outside the operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) to be isolated; and - control, in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the selected acknowledgement unit (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f), a state of the operation zone indicating a mode of activities allowed in operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d). - determine a set of passage control units, PCUs, (2a, 2b, 2c) enabling forming of an isolated operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of a mining automation system; the apparatus being characterised in that it is further configured to at least to perform: - store an acknowledgement status record comprising zone configuration data comprising identifiers of the PCUs in the set of PCUs in association of an operation zone identifier of the operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d); - maintain the stored acknowledgement status record for the set of PCUs, the acknowledgement status record indicating, for each PCU (2a, 2b, 2c) in the set of PCUs, if an acknowledgement has been received from an acknowledgement unit (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) of the PCU; - determine, based on the acknowledgement status record, a PCU associated with two acknowledgement units (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) arranged at both sides of the PCU within the set of PCUs for completing isolation of the operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d); - select of the two acknowledgement units (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) associated with the PCU an acknowledgement unit (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f) located outside the operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) to be isolated; and - control, in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the selected acknowledgement unit (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f), a state of the operation zone indicating a mode of activities allowed in operation zone (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d).