NEW ZEALAND QUARRYING & MINING Volume 12 - No 4 | August - September 2015 | $8.95
Cementing a preference
The new Hyundai 9 series loader from Porter Group is up for the job at Golden Bay Cement
2015 QuarryNZ Conference in pictures Coverage of the AQA / IoQ conference at Claudelands, Hamilton
INCORPORATING
Aggregate News
Complete solutions for the quarry industry QMI Engineering Ltd specialises in providing solutions to the quarry industry. Our services include full process and plant design, improvement/ upgrade of existing equipment (including retro-fitting of new equipment) to maximize output, installation of new equipment and plant maintenance. Through our parent company MIMICO we have access to the full range of Metso equipment to supplement the range of products manufactured by QMI.
QMI Engineering Ltd 88-90 Takanini School Road, Takanini, Auckland Phone 09 267 9702 | Email info@qmi.co.nz | Web www.qmi.co.nz 2 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
C O N T E N T S
NEW ZEALAND QUARRYING & MINING
10
Volume 12 - No 4 | August - September 2015 | $8.95
INSIDE UPFRONT
4 Editorial 6-9 News, views, comments, and reports from
16
across the quarrying and mining sectors
FEATURES
10-12 16
AQA / IoQ Conference coverage Profile
– A chat with Ilana Miller
18
Quarrying
– River management and consenting
20-21
Health and safety
22
– Chris Baker, CEO Straterra
22
Profile
– The real deal on Real Steel
26
Wheels in the workplace
– Mitsubishi Triton GLS 4WD Double Cab
29-34 35-36
Aggregate News Innovations
ON THE COVER
14 Cementing a preference
26
AT THE BACK
36
Advertisers’ Index
ING & MINING NEW ZEALAND QUARRY Volume 12 - No 4
| August - September
2015 | $8.95
ON THE COVER:
Cementing a e preferi 9enc series loader
The new Hyunda is up for the job from Porter Group t at Golden Bay Cemen
A new Hyundai 9 series loader recently started work at Golden Bay Cement’s Portland plant in Northland, fuelling the furnace that burns non-stop to produce clinker to make cement. See story page 14 pictures Z Conferenceands,inHamilton 2015 QuarryN at Claudel / IoQ confere nce Coverag e of the AQA
32
TING INCORPORA
Aggregate News
Q&M August - September 2015 3
NEW ZEALAND QUARRYING & MINING
Q&M covers news, views and trends from the extractive industries, along with features on projects and people in the industry. www.contrafed.co.nz
Who’s chasing the bad boys?
PUBLISHER
Contrafed Publishing Co Ltd Suite 2.1, 93 Dominion Road, Mt Eden 1024 PO Box 112357, Penrose, Auckland 1642 Phone: 09 636 5715 Fax: 09 636 5716 EDITOR
The weather gods smiled on this year’s QuarryNZ conference with two days of blue skies and sunshine between two soggy wet days either side of the event. The excellent Claudelands venue gave this year’s conference a big lift in terms of trade display, the heavy machinery display outside, and the award dinner. However, I would suggest to the organisers that next year the award presenters be briefed before the dinner as to the stage electronics and avoid the Powerpoint stuff ups and awkward moments experienced this year. I have been told that the industry’s hostility towards the new health and safety regulations and manager certificates had tempered by the end of the conference, following presentations by Worksafe and Straterra (CEO Chris Baker’s speech is published on page 20 and the MBIE Chief Inspector of Mines, Tony Forster, comments on page 8. Please make sure you read both of these). In the Aggregate News section of the magazine there is also a profile on Tony and a comment by MinEx CEO Les McCracken. Health and safety was a big theme of the 2015 conference which raised an interesting question. What is the difference between a ‘quarry’ that, by legal definition, has to be run according to strict regulations, and an illegal extraction operation? If there is a fatality or accident in a non-legal extraction operation, is it fair to brand it as an ‘industry’ problem? While there appeared to be a breakthrough in communications between quarry folks and officials at the conference it was mentioned that it is all very well preaching to the converted (and those who are both industry visible and responsible), but what steps are being taken to find the illegal extraction operations? I am also going to repeat myself here, and I am all in favour of zero harm in the workplace. It is achievable and already practiced by many companies in extraction and civil contracting. But, taken in perspective, the most dangerous ‘occupation’ in this country by an enormous margin is road travel, and the second most dangerous activity is tourism. If we took the same concern and discipline with road use and dangerous leisure pursuits (such as hunting) as we are now doing with the workplace, we would have a far safer nation, and a far more ‘safety’ conscious country. It is quite astounding how softly traffic is policed here (considering how bad the driving standards are), and how light the fines and punishments are in comparison to those that are slapped on companies over workplace irregularities. Enough said. I want to congratulate again the four winners of my award this year – Brad Cobham, quarry supervisor, Hasting Quarry; Jason Glentworth, quarry manager, Kiwi Point Quarry; Matt Goulding, cadet quarry manager, Blackhead Quarries; and Michael Earnshaw, quarry manager, McLean’s Island Quarry. The four were profiled in our April issue and are members of tomorrow’s leaders and deserve our encouragement. I might not have made it clear during the presentation at the Transdiesel Volvo dinner in Hamilton that the award, given out for services to the industry, was split between them this year. Keep on digging for a better future.
Alan Titchall, Editor
Alan Titchall DDI: 09 636 5712 Mobile: 027 405 0338 Email: alan@contrafed.co.nz GENERAL MANAGER
Kevin Lawrence DDI: 09 636 5710 Mobile: 021 512 800 Email: kevin@contrafed.co.nz ADVERTISING
Charles Fairbairn DDI: 09 636 5724 Mobile: 021411 890 Email: charles@contrafed.co.nz REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
Hugh de Lacy, Lindsay Clark, Cameron Officer, and Gavin Riley ADMINISTRATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS
Email: admin@contrafed.co.nz DDI: 09 636 5715 PRODUCTION
Design: Tracey Asher, TMA Design Printing: PMP MAXUM Contributions welcomed. Please contact the editor before sending them in. Articles in NZ Quarrying & Mining are copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the shareholding organisations or the publisher. The views expressed in the Aggregate News section of NZ Quarrying & Mining may not represent the views of Contrafed Publishing or its shareholding organisations. VISIT THESE WEBSITES Aggregate & Quarry Association www.quarrying.org.nz Institute of Quarrying (NZ) Inc www.ioqnz.co.nz New Zealand Minerals Industry Association www.straterra.co.nz Extractive Industries Training Organisation www.mito.org.nz Civil Contractors NZ www.civilcontractors.co.nz NZ Ready Mixed Concrete Association www.nzrmca.org.nz Connexis www.connexis.org.nz ISSN 0110-1382
4 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
U P F R O N T
Another go, another location Trans-Tasman Resources, which led the exploration for offshore ironsand off
Chatham Rock looks to restructure
the North Island, is now seeking to prospect for iron-rich mineral sands off
While Chatham Rock Phosphate (CRP) was
the South Island’s West Coast.
‘bombed’ by the Environmental Protection
Trans-Tasman has applied for a prospecting permit focusing on
Authority in February this year, in what was in
developing offshore mineable resources of iron rich mineral sands known to
effect a total denial of the company’s objective,
host ilmenite, zircon, garnet and gold.
the company has soldiered on.
The NZ Petroleum and Minerals permit will cover over 4400 square
It is now seeking fresh capital to file an
kilometres of a coastal belt from south of Hokitika to north of Karamea from
application for another consent to mine
one kilometre offshore out to the 12 nautical miles territorial limit.
the Chatham Rise. Chatham Rock is also
These Westland sands and seafloor heavy and precious mineral deposits,
attempting to restructure its corporate profile.
in around 20 to 80 metres of water, will be amenable to conventional
This involves a deal with Aorere Resources that
seafloor mining technology which was developed by TTR for its offshore
would turn Chatham into a dual-listed company
South Taranaki Bight iron sands project.
via a reverse listing on the Toronto Stock
The Taranaki project ground to a halt last year when the Environmental Protection Authority in its first case covering projects on the Continental
Exchange. This arrangement would involve Aorere
Shelf outside the 12 nautical mile zone, rejected Trans-Tasman’s proposed
acquiring the core assets of Antipodes Gold.
ironsand-mining project because of likely environmental impact.
That company owns Glass Earth (New Zealand)
TTR decided not to take the decision to a High Court appeal, but
which holds an interest in two Waihi gold
is understood to be gathering information for a new marine consent
prospects with Newmont Mining Corp, for
application. Meanwhile, its Wellington staff numbers have been cut and
$800,000 in shares and $200,000 cash.
its chief executive role, formerly occupied by Tim Crossley, now taken by
The next stage in the proposal would be
executive chairman Alan Eggers, a West Australian based Kiwi and mining
for Antipodes, which is listed on the Toronto
industry executive.
Venture Stock Exchange and the NZAX,
For its offshore Westland prospect TTR plans to use its proprietary
to distribute the Aorere shares to its own
seafloor drilling technology, exploration, geological, engineering and
shareholders, leaving a dual-listed shell that
permitting expertise, developed on its Taranaki ironsands project.
would offer to acquire all of the shares in
The Westland prospect will follow up pioneering offshore exploration a few
Chatham Rock. This would leave shareholders
years ago by a South African-owned company Seafield Resources, which
of Chatham Rock owning about 92.5 percent
searched for undersea placer gold and heavy minerals deposited by glaciers
of the merged entity. Antipodes would then be
in earlier ice ages when sea levels were lower.
renamed Antipodes Phosphate.
Some of the techniques for shallow exploration test drilling of underwater
The rationale for all of this is the belief by
sands from small ships which were used by Seafield were similar to those
the CRP board that the company needs to
later used by TTR for test drilling of ironsands off Taranaki.
broaden its interests and that the financing of
However, when Seafield pulled out of New Zealand in 2011 it said it had
these would be easier with a Toronto listing.
found the gold was buried too deep under the seafloor. Seafield said that
Ever since the gold and silver booms of the
where there was enough gold it was likely to be confined to shallower-water
19th century, the Toronto Exchange has had
inshore areas which were currently inaccessible.
a strong following from mining financiers
Much of the heavy sands down the coast consist mainly of iron oxides
worldwide. This is as strong as ever and a
sourced from the Southern Alps, including magnetite a common ore used by
significant number of mining ventures both in
the world steel industry.
this country and Australia have been financed
Meanwhile, the future for ironsand exports is due to grow despite the current low price for internationally traded iron ore of less than US$50 a metric tonne. New Zealand Steel’s long-running export mine onshore at Taharoa expects
through Toronto’s Venture Board. Both CRP and Aorere list their address as the Onekaka, Golden Bay, home of CRP managing director Chris Castle and his partner and fellow
to more than double its exports from almost two million tonnes a year to
shareholder Linda Sanders. Castle is also
over four million tonnes a year by the end of next year. This is because
managing director and a shareholder of Aorere.
of expansion of the coastal mine on the western Waikato coast and the addition of a second and third ore carrier to serve the export mine. NZ Steel’s Australian parent company Bluescope Steel says the profit and
Chatham Rock shares fell 6.3 percent to 1.5 cents in April, having tumbled from 20 cents before its seabed mining application was
cash break-even point for the mine will drop once three ships are operating
rejected in February. Aorere shares were last at
by mid 2016.
0.3 cents and have tumbled 78 percent in the
The recent drop in the New Zealand-US dollar exchange rate to under $0.70 cents to US$1 will assist profitability with ironsand sold in the American currency. By Lindsay Clark 6 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
past year. Antipodes was last at two cents and has dropped 82 percent in the past year. By Peter Owens.
Aggregate dries up in Cardrona River In recent years, Central Otago has enjoyed a spectacular period of development, not just in the Queenstown-Arrowtown area, but also across the Crown Range in the Upper Clutha District. It has become apparent, however, that supplies of gravel from the Cardrona River for this development have almost run out. As a result of this, there is considerable interest in the Wanaka region and an application by Central Machine Hire of Wanaka to Queenstown-Lakes District Council. This company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of another Wanaka company, Willowridge Developments, and the application relates to a 10 metre-deep quarry on 119 hectares of land owned by Willowridge, across the Clutha River from the town of Luggate. The application seeks to extract about 953,000 cubic metres of gravel over a period of 20 years in three stages. The gravel will be used at Willowridge’s Three Parks and Alpha Series subdivisions at Wanaka. If the application were granted, the operation would involve up to 180 vehicle movements every working day at peak. The proposed quarry would be accessed by McKay Road and would be visible to the passing public for only a short stretch of that road, but not visible from the Clutha River, nor from the Department of Conservation walking tracks in the area. The application states that Stage 1 of the operation would require only a small opening in the river terrace. The front face of the terrace would remain in place until the third stage when it would be removed. The applicant says while there would be a change in the appearance of the landscape it would have no adverse effects,“… its removal will not be noticeable or acknowledged visually to the untrained eye”. By Peter Owens.
Graymont completes NZ acquisition Graymont, an emerging global leader in the supply of lime and limestone products, has finalised the acquisition of two New Zealand-based producers, McDonald’s Lime and Taylor’s Lime. “Completion of this acquisition represents a milestone in terms of extending Graymont’s reach beyond North America to serve new customers in select global markets,” says Graymont president and CEO, Stéphane Godin. “We have great confidence in the long-term growth prospects of the New Zealand economy and the region.” John Reeves, previously Graymont’s general manager of the lime and limestone operations, has been appointed as the company’s vice president for New Zealand, ensuring a seamless transition.
Q&M
Q&M August - September 2015 7
U P F R O N T
Open discussion Chief Inspector of Mines TONY FORSTER answers questions that have been raised by the quarry industry on the draft regulations. It has been said by a number of industry veterans that the
when compared to similar developed countries (six times worse than
current draft regulations relating to quarrying are “not fit for
UK and three times worse than Australia) hence the wider initiative
purpose” – would you agree?
to improve industry performance including the quarries industry.
It was never intended to impose the current Regulations 2013 as drafted on the quarry industry. Anyone suggesting that is misinformed. That option was rejected by the quarry industry and Government in 2013. Many negative views and concerns appear to have altered over the course of the 2015 IOQ/AQA quarry conference and as a result of industry meetings with WorkSafe in Auckland and the two Forum meetings held in Greymouth and Tauranga. If evidence from the 2015 Quarry Conference is accurate, the industry is maturing and moving forward including embracing the concept of regulations that are modified so as to be suitable for the entire extractives sector.
When the government enacted the 2013 legislation the words “Quarries and Tunnels” were added at the last minute. This is not the case. It was the original intention of the MBIE Expert Reference Group to bring the largest most technically complex quarries under the new ‘Mines and Quarries’ regulations. When the case was put to the quarry industry during consultation, that option was rejected and the quarries were therefore left out except for defining safety critical roles. The HSE (Mining Operations and Quarrying Operations) Regulations 2013 were still used to anchor Certificates of Competence (CoC) for the quarry industry. Tunneling was defined
The mining and quarry industry was regulated up until
as a ‘mining operation’ but quarries were left out of all operational
1990-1991 when the health and safety legislation was
aspects of the regulations except for Part 1, which deals with safety
changed and the Mining and Quarrying Inspectorate was
critical roles (managers) and a requirement to give written notice to
effectively dismantled to a large degree. It is said that all
WorkSafe of the manager or acting manager(reg.24).
the information that the former inspectorate had on file regarding quarry sites was binned. This is not the case. That database was for my purposes, out of date and not complete. Other data bases were simply PO Box addresses without a physical address. A new comprehensive digital quarry data base is under construction with the assistance of various entities. We are more confident that we now know the location of most quarry activities and we have started to verify this data and will share information with authorities and industry.
How much of the 2013 legislation applies to quarries? All of the HSE Act 1992 (reprinted on 16 December 2013) applies to quarries as it does to every other worksite. This places a statutory obligation on every employer to take all practical steps to: • Provide a safe work environment, • Provide adequate facilities at work for employees safety and health, • Ensure plant is designed and maintained in a safe condition, • Ensure employees are not exposed to hazards associated with
The original mining and quarry regulations prior to 1992
processing, storage and transport at their place of work and
were still regarded as best practice from most of the larger
also near their place of work where such areas fall under their
operators within the industry. Over the past 25 years the standard across the whole of New Zealand lowered in some areas due to: new players entering the market without
employer’s control. • Have procedures to deal with emergencies arising at work. Employers must systematically identify and regularly reassess
necessarily knowing ‘best practice’; current players not being
hazards at work and then take all practical steps to eliminate those
inspected and kept to a standard; some companies flouting
hazards, or where this is impractical isolate employees from the
the H&S legislation; and, most likely, equipment not being
hazard or mitigate their effects.
upgraded to keep up with the times in some areas. This is not
With the exception of safety critical roles and notification to
to say the whole industry was like this as the major players
WorkSafe mentioned above, none of the Mining and Quarrying
have invested heavily and have kept up with their general
Regulations 2013 applies to quarries. However, whilst there are
H&S requirements.
no prescriptive operational obligations imposed by the Mining and
Yes. I agree with that.
Quarrying Regulations 2013, it can be seen that under the HSE
The Pike River enquiry was aimed solely at the Pike River mine explosion and recommendations were made on this basis – would you agree? The Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy
Act 1992, the legal obligation to identify all significant hazards and eliminate them, isolate or mitigate their effects already exists, has done so since 1992, and every employer including quarry employers are bound by this duty.
made recommendations aimed at that industry it is true. However,
Does the current definition of a “Quarry” apply to anywhere
to address wider societal concerns, the government launched
extraction and/or processing of materials occurs as long as
the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety which
it is not for the purpose of recovering coal or minerals?
highlighted New Zealand’s overall poor workplace safety record
This is basically the question “Am I a quarry”? To understanding this
8 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
question, the starting point is to appreciate that the definition of a
shortcomings. Due to a recent initiative to reconcile information
quarry operation is not within the Mining and Quarrying Regulations
sources, we believe we know where most of the sites are. It
2013, but under sect 19N of the HSE 1992. WorkSafe cannot
would be unfair to assume that all sites yet to notify WorkSafe are
change the Act but has made clear the legal interpretation should
operating unsafely; indeed it would be an alarming indictment of the
not be unreasonable nor overlap into other regulated areas such as
quarry industry if this was so. However, I need to be clear that our
building or civil construction. Nor is it intended to over-prescribe
enforcement approach will evolve in response to those sites that
arrangements for ‘non-complex’ extraction i.e. shallow pits where
continue to make no attempt to notify WorkSafe or operate safely.
there are no steep faces, benches, tips or explosives associated with farming or forestry. From an operational perspective WorkSafe has listened to quarry operator’s and agree that non-complex extraction of gravel from river beds where there is no processing, as well as loading out from stockpiles not associated with active extraction sites, should be excluded. Some information on this topic has already been provided to AQA but a position statement outlining the views expressed above will be included in the Surface Mines, Quarries and Alluvial Mines Guidance document due for release in final draft form. How are Certificates of Competence set? The unit standards required to upgrade all current and new A and B Grade quarry tickets or Certificates of Competence are recommended by the newly established Board of Examiners (set by WorkSafe Board) and then Gazetted). Quarries have three members out of 12 on the Board of Examiners – Andy Loader, Dean Torstonson and Steve Ellis.
There are a number of managers employed throughout the quarry industry who are not academically minded, but are nevertheless very competent at their jobs. WorkSafe recognises and values experience. Existing B-grade managers and those holding a lifetime ‘site specific’ certificate need only one additional Unit standard (G2) in carrying out a risk assessment to upgrade their Certificate of Competence. This is a reasonable requirement and many B-grades have already successfully completed this unit. The extra unit standards required to upgrade current A Certificates of Competence include one level 5 and one level 6 unit standards which are effectively at diploma level. Will there be issues with achieving these qualifications? Many ‘A- Grade’ quarry managers are well advanced in taking these additional unit standards. Not all units are at a high level but some are. Modern quarrying equipment is sophisticated and the
In light of the recent fatalities in the quarry industry there
systems being implemented requires properly qualified people to
is now public pressure to have the quarry industry included
take the industry forward in terms of maintaining and improving
directly with the mining industry, but the legislation has to
production efficiency as well as lifting safety performance in line
cover a myriad of operations from large rock quarries in
with government expectations.
Auckland down to small mobile alluvial operations based out of numerous rivers, large numbers of lime works and gold
Will we have enough managers by the end of year deadline?
recovery operations – it’s not one size fits all.
All the necessary training courses are up and running. There have
We are looking for ‘fit for purpose’ not ‘one size fits all’. The Mining
been some undersubscribed courses and WorkSafe are urging
and Quarrying Regulations 2013 would be amended to address
candidates to enroll now. If there is anyone with a question about
the full range of complexity within the extractives industry ranging
obtaining their CoC they should contact WorkSafe on
from gassy underground coal mines to small quarries but this is
BoE_Secretariat@worksafe.govt.nz Phone: 04 901 4980
entirely achievable. The regulations are already sub-divided into duties imposed on ‘all mines’; ‘underground mines’ and ‘underground coal mines’. What is being discussed is therefore an extension of the existing structure to embrace quarries and alluvial mining operations but that would only happen following proper consultation.
Will WorkSafe be legally required to start shutting down quarries if there is not a suitably qualified person available? No! All the quarry sites operating with current CoC holders require ‘additional’ unit standards. These managers are already qualified
It is common knowledge that there are quarries being
safety-critical post holders and able to manage the site safely but
operated around the country that may not be complying
require to upgrade their existing Certificate. It will be self-evident
with the current H&S regulations, the Mining and Quarry
where operators have made a real effort and we will recognise
regulations, or, in fact have qualified quarry managers
where managers have commenced the additional units. There is
on site at all. Is this due to lack of enforcement from the
no ‘legal’ obligation to start shutting down quarries and I have
government agencies that are responsible for enforcing
categorically and repeatedly stated this will not happen.
these laws?
Operators that have to be concerned are those illegal sites
I agree we must find better ways of bringing these illegal operations
attempting to run ‘beneath the radar’ unsafely and without
to ‘book’ but have repeatedly stressed WorkSafe must not be seen
trained staff.
as a ‘police force’ and we will not get the change in safety culture
Everyone has a right to work in healthy and safe conditions
by enforcement alone. We must regulate with the assistance of
and return home safe to their family. That is non-negotiable in my
the quarry industry in order to achieve fairness and consistency
book. WorkSafe will continue to challenge unsafe and illegal quarry
across safety and production standards. This is a mature industry
operations which not only harm those working there but damage
and operators working outside the law must be doing this knowingly
the reputation of good operators and are a blemish on an otherwise
and ‘in plain sight’ of many who are aware of their potential
excellent quarry industry sector. Q&M Q&M August - September 2015 9
A Q A
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Hamilton turns it on
for quarry delegates
The Claudelands event centre was a near perfect setting for the 2015 AQA / IoQ joint conference and the generous outdoor space attracted a record number of heavy machines on display. The trade exhibition area was also generous and made for good business and networking. The 2016 event will be hosted in Blenheim.
First find a seat - Gough Cat Opening Night Dinner revs into action.
Waiting for the Mother Ship? Delegates were taken out to look at the largest bridge being built on the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway.
Carl Kingi and Jim French, Navman Wireless 10 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
Mike Johnston, Porter Parts.
Mark Keatley from Transdiesel
Above: Industry veteran Paul Tidmarsh at the Porter Group Lunch and admiring the Q&M display, Graham Say, Taupo Scoria and Robin Hocking, Ham & Murray, Australia.
Far left: Field trip BBQ at CR Developments. Left: The things you can do with Lego! This display won DataNow the Andy Loader trophy for best trade display.
Above: The field trip this year ended up at CR Development’s yard for a BBQ and beers and a look at the company’s impressive display of vintage machinery and vehicles. Above: Riki Carley and David Neilson from Cableprice.
The Q&M Editor’s Choice Award for services to the industry was themed Tomorrow’s Leaders and was presented at the conference to the above. They were each presented with a cheque for $500.
One of the many prizes given away on the trade stands, this one from Porters. Q&M August - September 2015 11
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The new Barmac Rotor first displayed at the conference in Dunedin two years ago and now available in NZ, drew a lot of attention at the Mimico stand.
Darren Ralph hosting the Porter Group Lunch.
Billy Hart, Equip2, and Peter McGeary, HG Group.
The popular Ryco virtual racing game provided a very real experience of racing around the Bathurst track.
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12 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
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O N
T H E
C O V E R
Cementing a preference A new Hyundai 9 series loader recently started work at Golden Bay Cement’s Portland plant in Northland, fuelling the furnace that burns non-stop to produce clinker to make cement.
F
rom its plant in Northland, Golden Bay Cement provides the country with a comprehensive range of bagged and bulk cement products. It has been doing this for nearly 100 years now. The company recently acquired a new Hyundai HL770-9 loader from Porter Group to feed the plant’s kiln. Golden Bay Cement started small in Portland, Northland in the 1870s and remains New Zealand’s largest cement manufacturer and supplier. It employs about 200 people throughout the country; three-quarters of these are based at its plant in Northland. Situated about eight kilometres south of Whangarei, the Portland cement manufacturing plant operates 24 hours a day, burning two types of limestone to make clinker. This is made by heating raw materials to a calcining temperature of above 850 degrees Celsius and then a fusion
14 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
temperature, which is about 1450 degrees for modern cements, to sinter the materials into clinker. The Northland plant produces around 2600 tonnes of clinker every day. Its massive cement kiln burns at up to 2000 degrees Celsius, and is fuelled by both coal and wood. The kiln burns through around 10 tonnes of coal each hour – using up to 250 tonnes a day – and another 10 tonnes of wood an hour.
When you need a reliable loader To keep the kiln system hot, Golden Bay Cement is using its brand new Hyundai HL770-9 loader during each rolling 12-hour shift. Twice during a shift the loader supplies raw fuels into the process – it loads a hopper with coal, which goes to be ground and then fed into the kiln system as a
“Although all our operators are qualified and experienced, Porters came out and gave us training on the new machine so we could fully understand the loader, how it works and how to get the most out of it.”
pulverised fuel, and feeds wood biofuel (usually sawdust or construction waste) into a larger hopper that also fuels the process. When it’s not loading the hoppers, the loader is also used to stack the wood biofuel after it’s delivered to site – the kiln’s high temperatures make it ideal for burning construction waste products that would otherwise end up in landfill. Golden Bay Cement has only had the Hyundai loader a few weeks but production manager Harry Carter says they’re very pleased with how it’s performing. “It’s got very good operator comfort, visibility and safety,” he says. “It has good power and loading rate. It fits the use very well. “It’s just had its first service today and it’s working well.” Five different operators use the machine in shift rotation and Harry says they’re all happy with it. The machine features a reliable, fuel efficient, low noise Cummins Tier-lll QSL engine and is electronically controlled for optimum fuel to air ratio and clean, efficient combustion. It has a large operator’s cab with rounded front glass and large door glass for a larger field of view. The cab also features an easy-to-read colour LCD display, an integrated load weight system, viewable through the monitor, and a self diagnostic and monitoring system with active display of engine, hydraulic system, transmission and electrical component information. Harry says that although he wasn’t the one that made the decision to go with a Hyundai loader, he is happy with the machine and was very pleased with the service he and the team received from Porters. “Porters have been very good to deal with,” he says. “They arranged a visit for our operators to see a similar machine in a quarry. And then we were invited to see this machine being prepared for us.” He says that the HL770-9 was customised to their needs – there are some places in the plant where the machine operates that are quite restricted so the ladder and platform to the cab were modified for safety purposes. “Although all our operators are qualified and experienced, Porters came
out and gave us training on the new machine so we could fully understand the loader, how it works and how to get the most out of it.” The Porter Group is New Zealand’s largest supplier of new and used equipment through equipment sales and rentals. Porters says the new 9 series loader is a fine example of high quality engineering and workmanship. Special attention has been given to increased performance, safety and serviceability. “The 9 series gives satisfaction in higher power, lower fuel consumption, more comfort and lower emissions compared with before.” The Hyundai wheel loaders are designed to allow the operator to customise the machine’s engine power, automatic transmission shift timing and clutch cut-off activation based on the job condition and personal operator preference. Different operators are able to fully customise their work environment and operating preferences to fit their individual needs. The Golden Bay Cement plant also has another Hyundai on site. It spends its time completing general loader duties within the plant. • Q&M August - September 2015 15
P R O F I L E
A chat with…
Ilana Miller In the third of our new interview series we have a casual chat with Ilana Miller, national manager minerals at NZP&M, who started her career as a veterinarian.
How long have you been in the industry?
What does the job involve?
Though relatively new to the minerals sector, I have been involved in regulatory roles since 2011, when I moved back to New Zealand to run a project at Fonterra. This project investigated areas of emerging and existing food safety risks, including comparisons of regulatory systems here and overseas and impacts of these risks on market access in other countries. I then moved onto the government side of the fence in 2012 to work at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) running the Hazardous Substances Teams (regulating explosives, dangerous goods, pesticides, hazardous waste etc) where I was until I started at New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals (NZP&M) at the end of 2014.
The job involves a large variety of stakeholder meetings and communication to a variety of audiences. From the Energy and Resources Minister and senior leadership at the ministry, to industry bodies such as Straterra and Minerals West Coast, to companies operating in New Zealand and potential new entrants interested in understanding how our system works and how they can put their best foot forward. There is also the day-to-day management of the minerals team and working with my colleagues across the other teams in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s energy and resource markets branch (which NZP&M is part of).
Where did you do your qualifications?
Probably the range of vastly differing audiences we interact with, given the shape of the industry in New Zealand. This presents challenges in making sure we are communicating the information in a form that is relevant and understandable. I’m a huge fan of using plain English as much as possible and talking to people, instead of at them. I am currently working on some initiatives, using plain English, to help applicants understand what information they need to provide to NZP&M up front. This should help speed up our processing and get faster decisions on applications, which is what we all want.
I did my undergraduate and postgraduate study at Massey University. I did my undergraduate degree in Palmerston North and then did my postgraduate study by distance when I was working in Melbourne.
Where did you start? For someone who is working in minerals, I had an unusual career start – believe it or not, as a veterinarian. I worked as a vet for eight years in New Zealand, Australia and the UK and took up positions from running a clinic all the way to working in large hospitals which gave me a wide range of different experiences. After eight years I decided it was time for something different. I did a postgraduate qualification in environmental management focusing on natural resources, which started me on this path.
How did you end up in your current position? I was working at the EPA and looking for a new challenge. I was fortunate to hear of an upcoming opportunity at NZP&M through my networks. I was initially recruited into the manager minerals permitting & compliance role, which used my skills in running high volume processes, driving operational efficiency and making sensible, balanced regulatory decisions. When the national manager minerals role became vacant I threw my hat in the ring to step up. 16 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
What is the most challenging part of your job?
What is the best part of the job? My favourite part of the job is going out on site, listening to people in the minerals industry and having very free and frank discussions about the challenges and issues they are facing. The best permit holders I’ve met have not been afraid to lay the real issues on the table and because of that we’ve been able to work through to good sensible solutions. It means we can be satisfied from a compliance perspective and that permit holders can get on with the job.
Does your role conflict with views of friends or family? Work-life balance is really important to me, so I try to ensure when I leave the office of an evening I can focus on spending
time on other pursuits and with friends. Coming from a Waikato farming family, conversation is more often about milk prices and the weather, so we don’t often talk about the specifics of my work. It’s often joked at family barbeques that I work in a government department somewhere in Wellington.
What is the most interesting aspect of the job? The sheer range of what is going on at any one time. The incredible diversity of the sector and permit holders makes sure the job is always interesting. The challenges range from the big policy and regulatory questions involving the sector to the operational challenges of running the shop floor efficiently.
Describe a job incident you are memorably proud of. When at the EPA I was involved in the APEC Committee for Trade & Investment, which involved industry and regulatory groups from across the Asia Pacific region. Through this I got an opportunity to provide support and input for an Australian minerals industry initiative on upskilling regulators across the region to get more sensible and consistent decisions. Through my input on this, we were able to get the project successfully funded and underway. The overall outcome of the project is intended to reduce unnecessary compliance costs on companies. Where possible we were also aiming to achieve a level of consistency across the region. While this is quite ambitious, given the diversity of the region (from USA to China to Papua New Guinea) and the different legal systems, it was the first step in the right direction.
Describe an incident that didn’t go so well. When I was working as a vet in Melbourne I was involved in a rather gruesome animal neglect case. I was responsible for reporting the case and providing evidence for the prosecution. Disappointingly there was little repercussion for the owners of the animal at the end of the legal process, but the images of that experience are clearly etched on my memory.
You are a member of WIMNZ; would you encourage others to join the association? Coming into the industry relatively recently I have found the
WIMNZ network a really useful one to utilise and meet some incredibly talented and well connected people. As with any specialist industry, we should encourage more diversity.
What plans do you have for the future? Outside of work I am a keen sailor and my long-term dream is to sell up, buy a yacht and sail the world. There is something very satisfying about harnessing the wind to get where you want to go and the idea of leaving the daily distractions of phones, computers and TVs is quite attractive. I still have to convince my significant other that it’s a good idea, but I have time to try!
If you weren’t in mining what other industry could you see yourself in? I think the natural resources sector in New Zealand presents many opportunities and it is one I would like to stay involved with in the long term. Given I come from a farming background my most likely leaning would be in an agricultural-related industry.
What future do you think extraction has here? I think there is a lot of potential for the extractives industries in New Zealand. We have a host of natural resources and a fairly mature regulatory system. We have long established metallic mineral operations but there is still a lot of exploration work to be done and real opportunities for investment. With the Christchurch rebuild, the growth of Auckland, and some major roading projects coming up, aggregates quarrying has a vital role to play in economic development.
What needs to be done to achieve that? I think New Zealanders need to better understand the minerals industry – including the economic benefits through good jobs – and that it has a long history here. At the same time we have a world-class regulatory system. It’s not a matter of extractives or the environment – it’s actually both. The industry can contribute to this by coming to terms with change as it occurs and proactively working with regulators to work through what this means for them. We all want to be proud of the minerals industry in New Zealand and working together is the best way to get there. Q&M
Q&M August - September 2015 17
Q U A R R Y I N G
An Environment Canterbury initiative provides a new option for short-term gravel extraction from the region’s rivers. HUGH DE LACY explains.
River management
U
sing gravel extraction as a tool to help Environment Canterbury (Ecan) better control its braided rivers is the motivation behind a new permitting system being introduced by the regional council. Ecan is essentially granting itself a river gravel extraction resource consent and offering contractors 12-month permits under it as an alternative to the standard practice of obtaining resource consents under the Resource Management Act. The aim is to allow the council to target gravel extraction at the parts of the rivers that need it to minimise the risk of flooding. Most existing resource consents for gravel extraction are for five, occasionally 10 years’ duration, but Ecan has found that there’s about twice as much resource consented in any given year than is extracted. That makes gravel extraction a highly uncertain, even random, tool for river flow management. “Only about half of what is consented is actually taken out under the resource consent process,” Ecan river engineer Shaun McCracken told Q&M. “From the management of the rivers and a resource point of view, that makes our job quite hard because once we’ve consented some gravel to one party we can’t allocate that same piece of gravel to anyone else,” McCracken says. 18 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
“At the moment if you’re applying for a five or 10-year consent, you’re applying for a volume of gravel that you don’t necessarily know you’re going to need – you don’t know what contracts you’re going to have to fill in 12 months. “So most businesses’ practice would be to have a good guess about how much you’re going to need, and then probably add a bit more for a buffer.” What Ecan is introducing to the extraction authorisation process is a suite of rules covering everything from the way gravel is extracted to the volume allowed or required to be extracted within 12 months. The existing resource consent process will remain in place, and McCracken sees it as continuing to be the way the larger operators – the likes of Fulton Hogan, Road Metals and Christchurch Ready-Mix – gain access to resource. There is a precedent for territorial authorities to administer gravel extraction other than by resource consents. The Tasman District Council, for example, actually performs the gravel extraction itself, with the contractors uploading their requirements from stockpiles, while neighbouring Nelson City already operates a system similar to the one Ecan is introducing. The short-term option has been welcomed cautiously by Canterbury contractors whose main concern seems to be that it
and consenting
Conway River. www.lawa.org.nz
not signal a move by Ecan to gradually take over the control of the whole gravel resource, be it on land or in the riverbeds. Isaac Construction chief executive Brian Warren says that the experience in South Canterbury, where Ecan has been trialling short-term authorisations for several years, is that “it seems to work quite well”. “There’s merit in being able to gain licences for small volumes quickly, but it doesn’t fit with the longer-term largervolume permits. “From Isaac Construction’s perspective we’ve got some significant infrastructure relying on long-term gravel out of the [Waimakariri] River, and short-term licences for smaller quantities doesn’t sit well with that.” Warren accordingly cautions against Ecan moving away completely from the resource consent process. George Kelcher, Road Metals’ general manager, was part of a group of South Canterbury contractors who negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ecan to make shortterm allocations after the regional council put a temporary stop to extraction from southern riverbeds while it surveyed them. “We went for short-term consents of three months with a maximum of 30,000 [cubic] metres, and in return their guarantee was you’d get those inside two weeks,” Kelcher tells Q&M.
“That worked relatively well: It gave Ecan some tools [for river management], it gave the industry some certainty, and it gave the community access to the resource.” Ecan’s short-term extraction option is being set up under its Land and Water Plan, and it’s communicating with the industry by way of the Canterbury Gravel Liaison Committee, as well as the South Canterbury MoU Group. Kelcher is a member of both. The Land and Water Plan replaced the short-lived National River Resource Plan, which was aimed at standardising the rules and regulations for river management nationwide, but which turned out to be less user-friendly than it might have been. The Land and Water Plan is currently under appeal in the courts, so has yet to be passed. Kelcher says Ecan is also looking at applying a code of practice, presently under discussion and due back for comment shortly, on river extraction. He noted that while such a code might enhance safety on extraction sites, “we are commercial operators and we have to get a commercial benefit out of it”. “But at the end of the day [Ecan’s short-term permitting option] is absolutely for the benefit of the community because the closer the gravel is to a job, the less cartage there is, and the less the ratepayers have to pay for councils and NZTA,” says Kelcher. Q&M Q&M August - September 2015 19
H E A L T H
&
S A F E T Y
Straterra’s point of view
on health and safety
Chris Baker
The following is a précis of the speech that CHRIS BAKER, chair of MinEx and CEO of Straterra, made to the 2015 QuarryNZ conference last month.
I
know there have been many concerns raised within the quarry sector over recent months; what right has MinEx to represent quarries; don’t they understand, a quarry is very different to a mine; how can regulations developed in response to a disaster in an u/g coal mine apply to us; and quarry workers are very different to mine workers. And of course, I know, underpinning all these concerns is this challenge; how do we make our workplaces safer. First, I want to provide some context for the regulations issue: the Pike River coal mine tragedy was completely avoidable. It was a tragedy born of governance and management failure. As an aside – any one interested in Pike River, or how disasters occur, or companies fail, should read the book on Pike River by Rebecca McFee. An excellent read, accurate, very well researched and totally across the issues. I’m not Rebecca’s agent, but I’d be happy to be! So yes, that tragedy was completely avoidable. I am equally confident in asserting that the three quarry fatalities that have occurred this year were also completely avoidable. So we have a problem here. And it’s the response to that problem that is at issue here. After Pike River, the government set up the Pike River Royal Commission. We all think the commission did an excellent job and all of the 16 recommendations made in the Royal Commission’s report were adopted by the Government. That led in 2012 to the formation of the Pike River Implementation Team, and, over a remarkably short period of time, to the development and introduction of the 2013 Mining Regulations. About the same time as the Government was acting on the Pike River Royal Commission recommendations, the Government formed the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety – generally referred to as the Jager Taskforce. The brief for this taskforce was to: Provide an assessment of the current performance of the workplace health and safety system (across the economy); and recommend by 30 April 2013 a package of practical measures that would be expected to reduce the rate of fatalities and serious injuries by at least 25 percent by 2020. 20 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
This report was released in April 2013 and the key finding was summarised in their press release. “Workplace Health and Safety Taskforce calls for urgent, broad-based change. New Zealand’s workplace health and safety system has a number of critical weaknesses and needs major systemic changes to save lives,” says Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety chairman, Rob Jager. Jager says the current system “is not fit for purpose”. “We believe there is no single critical factor that can account for New Zealand’s high rate of serious injuries and fatalities suffered at work. Rather, we believe that our workplace health and safety system has a number of significant weaknesses across the full range of system components that need to be addressed if we are to achieve a major step-change in performance.” So this is the context for the current discussion – for the new H&S Bill before Parliament and for the proposition for new Quarry Regulations. Pike River was the catalyst, and the 2013 Mining Regulations proceeded ahead of the Jager Taskforce, but it is the findings of that taskforce, that H&S across NZ needs a major upgrade, that is the driving force for the changes we face. We must have safer workplaces. Safety performance must improve. Pike River made it clear that regulations have a vital role to play, and, if any convincing was required, recent fatalities in the quarry sector make it clear that changes are necessary. I want to return now to the 2013 Mining Regulations – and address some of the concerns, and misunderstandings, that have appeared in various discussions amongst the quarry sector. It’s true the Mining Regulations started off using the Queensland Mining Regulations as a model and focused on underground coal. Can you imagine the howls of protest from the gold sector? I recall many conversations with the mine manager at Macraes, or with his boss, and the next up the ladder from Melbourne, and with Newmont Waihi Gold – “how can coal regulations work for a gold mine, they’ll put us out of business. We need a separate set of regulations,” they said. Some of those comments will resonate with many of you, I’m sure. And it’s also true, generally bureaucrats didn’t understand
these differences – but by the time we had finished, and Les (McCracken) played a major part in this, they did. Of course, some good appointments made a difference also. The 2013 Mining Regulations work for u/g coal, o/c coal, u/g gold and o/c gold, and tunnels. They’re certainly not perfect, they need changes, but largely they work. And they are now not ‘Queensland Regulations’. They are in fact, a mix of the regulations from different jurisdictions, adapted for New Zealand. Fit for purpose in New Zealand. Do they work for smaller mines? Well, there are no smaller hard rock gold mines. There are smaller coal mines however, not that many, but none have gone out of business as a result of the 2013 Mining Regulations. The regulations are heavy handed in some areas and changes are needed and there is no doubt these changes are more important for small operations. So you need to understand, although the 2013 Mining Regulations were developed in a remarkably short time, industry – mostly through MinEx – put a huge amount of work into the regulations. There were few constraints placed on our input and they have been in use now since December 2013. The other important aspect of these regulations is that they are risk based. The old regulations from 1980, something that many fondly refer to, were prescriptive, and, you will be interested to know, those regulations covered both mining and quarries, suffice for me to say that safety performance under the risk-based regimes introduced in other jurisdictions has improved majorly – fewer LTIs, fewer fatalities. Period. So that gives you some context for the 2013 Mining Regulations. I want to turn now to MinEx: MinEx was formed to share resources between the mining and quarry sectors, to be more effective in our work with government on improving health and safety management in workplaces, and to help industry achieve the H&S safety improvements I discussed earlier when I spoke about the Jager Taskforce. When the Government adopted the recommendations of the Pike River Royal Commission report in late 2012, the resource sector, and I include quarries in that definition, had no strategy, coherence or capability to deal constructively or effectively with government on H&S matters, or with H&S at an industry level.
That was a problem because the Government was, quite rightly, on a track that was going to have a major effect on us all, whatever we did. So we raised some funds, contracted Les, came to an arrangement with Straterra and the AQA and, simply, got on with the job. I know there have been various arguments and criticisms about MinEx – but here are the facts. We have a business plan, approved by AQA, IOQ, Straterra, the coal sector and, most importantly, the MinEx board. That board comprises: the chair and deputy chair of AQA, myself and Glen Grindlay from Straterra, Joe Edwards from CCNZ, Ray Urquhart from EPMU, Gordon Laing (who needs no introduction) from IOQ and, wearing two hats but with only one vote, Les representing AusIMM. Funding comes from the quarry sector, Straterra members, the coal sector, and we hope to see more members from the service sector. A couple of final observations. If we set out, from scratch, to develop a set of regulations specifically for quarries, the result would look remarkably like the 2013 Mining Regulations. Not the book itself, but the parts that applied to your operation. They would be risk based, and nobody, anywhere, is going to argue that a regulation developed for a specific activity in a mine, should be any different than a regulation developed for the same activity in a quarry – least of all the regulators and they have a fair bit of say on this issue. My last observation is this: the mining sector invests close to $1 million per annum in Straterra. That has allowed us to build a capability, and influence, that is far and away better than our sector has ever had before. Ask any of our members, or MBIE, WS, or MITO. We want to work with the quarry sector on H&S because collectively we can do more than we can on our own. That is Government Relations 101. However, if the quarry sector wants to work separate from us – no problem. My Straterra board would probably give me a small slap on the wrist and expect me to get on with what we need to do regardless. But I can say, we bring a drive and a capability to improve safety, we want to make a difference, like all of you we want our workers to go home safely every night, and we can achieve those things much more effectively if we work together. Q&M
Q&M August - September 2015 21
P R O F I L E
The REAL DEAL Using high-tech equipment Luke Mathieson and his father Alex manufacture machinery parts from some of the toughest material there is. Theirs has been a fast-growing business. By GAVIN RILEY.
S
ome companies bear dull-thud names of the Bloggs & Son variety which suggest little or no thought was given to how they would resonate with potential customers. Real Steel, on the other hand, is the real deal. The single-syllables two-word rhyming title has a tungsten-tough metallic sound to it that is exactly right. Real Steel is about machinery parts made from high-quality Swedish steel and supplied to several industries in New Zealand, including quarrying and mining. Alex Mathieson thought up the inspirational name in 2000 when he was pondering what to call his newly founded company. A former member of the Aggregate & Quarry Association executive, Alex spent many years in and around quarrying. He was working in Australia when he was approached in 1982 to return to New Zealand to manage Owhiro Bay quarry in Wellington. In 1987 he became manager of Capital (now Allied) Concrete, then from 1990 spent five years in partnership with John Ray in the latter’s civil contracting company. Alex set up quarry-management company Atom Hire in 1995. He began importing ground-engaging tools from Australia for his own use, quickly realised there was a market for the product, and began on-selling it to other quarries and contractors. Fifteen years ago he founded Real Steel, operating initially out of a 40-foot container in Plimmerton, north of Wellington. Two years later Alex’s son Luke joined the fledgling company after having obtained a degree in economics and worked in finance in Edinburgh for 18 months. 22 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
Luke became general manager in 2003 then managing director in 2010 when he bought into the business (buying out the original Australian shareholders). Alex, a shareholder and director, became involved mainly in sales and projects. “We have a very good working relationship and a high degree of respect for each other,” Luke says. “We each have different skills. Alex has really let me make my own decisions and mistakes from day one but has always been there as a sounding board. We talk most days about what is happening in the business. “On that note we have now established a more formal advisory board, which is chaired by Nick Calavrias, who was CEO of Steel and Tube for 19 years, to give the business more support at a governance level to continue growth into the future.” As the Mathieson father-and-son partnership has thrived, so has Real Steel. In 2003 it began making its own cutting edges, using basic equipment, then in 2007 moved out of its container and into a 300 square metre factory at Trentham where it installed a 20-yearold reconditioned CNC profile cutter. Three years later the flourishing company transferred its operations to 5000 square metre premises in the former Dunlop tyre factory in Upper Hutt’s South Pacific Industrial Park. There it quickly tripled its staff total to more than 30 to keep up with the demand for its high-strength and wear-resistant components for the quarrying, mining, transport, construction, forestry and recycling industries. In 2012 Real Steel created a wave of publicity when Prime
Above: Panoramic view of the Real Steel factory with the Kinetic K5000 plasma cutter at left and the Yawei press brake in the lower background. Left: Luke Mathieson, Prime Minister John Key and Alex Mathieson at the unveiling of the Yawei press brake in 2012.
Minister John Key was the star guest and speaker at the company’s unveiling of its $800,000 Yawei press brake. With an operating weight of 135 tonnes and 8.2 metres long, the Chinese-made steelshaping machine is the heaviest and largest of its kind in New Zealand and sits on 2.5-metre-deep foundations built from 60 cubic metres of concrete and two tonnes of steel. “It [the press brake] has allowed us to develop a market for highstrength lightweight tipper bodies using our premium Hardox material,” Luke explains. “The steel is so hard and strong that we need a machine this
With an operating weight of 135 tonnes and 8.2 metres long, the Chinese-made steel-shaping machine [the press brake], is the heaviest and largest of its kind in New Zealand and sits on 2.5-metre-deep foundations built from 60 cubic metres of concrete and two tonnes of steel.
big to be able to form it to take maximum advantage of Hardox properties. But it also has given us good capacity in our wear-parts business, eg, we can form a full bucket skin for a 992 loader from 16mm HX500 plate in one piece. “The press brake has been one of the components in our growth over the last few years.” But it is not Real Steel’s only expensive purchase of fabrication/ production machinery. “In late 2013 we invested in a Kinetic K5000 plasma cutter with a bevel torch and 48 horsepower spindle with tool changer,” Luke says. “As far as investment goes, this machine cost almost double what the press brake did – so, significant investment. “This machine makes most of our wear parts. It allows us to put a plate of steel on and take finished parts off, so it has really reduced our manual processing and materials handling. It is also much quicker than our previous manufacturing, so it has given us capacity and speed at the same time. “This machine runs 18 hours a day on two shifts with one operator and replaces about four manual machines.” The company also has a K2500 plasma cutter which runs 18 hours a day; a Magnet Beam electromagnet for lifting long, thin plate; drilling, bevelling and machining equipment; and 10-tonne overhead cranes. Its business in the quarrying and mining industries is centred around the supply of wear parts, which fall into three categories: Q&M August - September 2015 23
P R O F I L E
Close-up of the Yawei press brake
24 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
Equip2 makes rock processing easier. Real Steel’s K2500 plasma cutter, which has a 22-metre bed and can high-definition cut 50mm plate. Like the K5000 it runs 18 hours a day.
Above all Equip2 processing solutions pride themselves on their experience and ability to provide the perfect machine to suit the job at hand, with an extensive supplier network set up, and support bases around New Zealand, Equip2 are able to offer the complete reliable solution, backed with experienced support.
Keestrack Destroyer 1011
Real Steel’s Magnet Beam, an electromagnet used for lifting thin plate up to 10 metres long. It is fully remote-controlled and has the ability to turn plate.
• Plate products, such as cutting edges, bucket skins, chute liners and truck liners. • Cast products, comprising crusher parts, jaws, cones and blow bars. • Ground-engaging tools, including ESCO mining and quarrying tooth systems. Luke says about half of his company’s sales is in wear parts. By industry, transport accounts for 50 percent of total business, and quarrying and mining 35 percent. The company currently has 36 staff in addition to Luke – five in sales, two in customer service, seven in the design team, 18 in the factory (fitters, welders, machine operators), three in administration, and one in marketing. “Our people are the key to our success,” Luke says. “We currently have 13 people employed who have university qualifications and we have some deep manufacturing experience in the factory. Our factory has state-of-the-art machinery and we require skilled people to operate it. “We have a great team and try to look after them well with a wellness programme, including health insurance, gym memberships, health checks and hot lunches during winter months. Also, we have just passed our ACC health and safety audit at a tertiary level.” Not surprisingly, given Real Steel’s rapid growth in a relatively short time, Luke is optimistic about how he can further enhance the success of both his company and his customers. “We see a good future for our business. We’re currently working on new products with a focus on reducing customers’ operating costs, increasing efficiency and improving safety,” he says. Q&M
Your perfect solutions Freephone 0800 872 254 Email: sales@equip2.co.nz www.equip2.co.nz
Call us today! 0800 872 254 Q&M August - September 2015 25
W H E E L S
I N
T H E
W O R K P L A C E
Polished diamond The updated Mitsubishi Triton ute range has arrived with a whole lot of mud-plugging, towing and hauling technology onboard that will give the competitors pause for thought. By CAMERON OFFICER.
T
he new Mitsubishi Triton range has arrived in New Zealand and on first impressions it looks like it’ll give its rivals a run for their money within this increasingly competitive segment of the market. In addition to being immediately impressed with our top spec Triton GLS tester’s good looks, we managed to spend some time towing with the truck too. There’s definitely substance beneath the style. If a tandem trailer loaded with gear, or a mini diesel tanker attached to the tow ball (not forgetting downtime with a boat or trailer-load of motocross bikes on the back) is in your work forecast, then we can report the new Triton – with its 3100kg braked tow rating – offers very decent capability. Our 900kg-ish load was well inside the ute’s capacity, but we were towing across some seriously boggy Waikato pastureland. Locked into 4H for good measure, the Triton hauled our trailer through the tough stuff without complaint. Out on the open road there was no shunt-and-pull, with the excess weight on the back barely noticeable. Backing up to the trailer was a cinch too thanks to the GLS grade’s standard reversing camera. With our tester fitted out with a hard tonneau lid, there was a lot of sheet metal to see over, so having a camera is a great bonus. Good for peace-of-mind when 26 www.contrafed.co.nz Q&M
reversing in a busy yard with people and other vehicles moving around too. Another standard safety item in the Triton GLS toolbox is Trailer Stability Assist, which utilises sensors to detect sway at open road speeds. The system applies brakeforce to the appropriate wheel and adjusts engine power in order to stabilise the sway motion. Every Triton also features seven dual stage airbags placed throughout the cabin, an ISOFIX latching system for child car seats in the back, LED Daytime Running Lights outside and a new addition called SmartBrake. In an emergency braking scenario, this system detects if you’ve inadvertently hit the accelerator as well as the brake pedal and cancels out the accelerator action. While we put the Triton to the test in the mud and metal, thanks to its Super Select technology, four-wheel drive ability is excellent on tar seal too. The four mode system lets you toggle between 2WD for aroundtown running, 4H for muddy stuff or even if the access road feels a little dicey in the wet, 4HLC high range gearing for dedicated off-road travel and 4LLC (Low Range with Locked Centre Diff), which will get you to wherever you need to go regardless of whether there’s a track under the wheels or not. Mitsubishi claims the low range gearing in the Triton is 25
Mitsubishi Triton GLS 4WD Double Cab Engine: 2.4-litre four cylinder MIVEC turbo diesel Transmission: Five-speed automatic Torque: 437Nm Fuel Economy: 7.6L/100km Tow rating: 3100kg (braked) Payload: 960kg Price: $59,490 + ORCs
percent lower than the previous model, so real rock crawling can be done with added confidence. The 2015 model features a new centre differential, providing for 60/40 torque split which works as effectively on road or off with regards to providing better grip and traction. The various traction systems featured in the Triton come under the heading of Mitsubishi All-Terrain Technology (or MATT for short). This system provides the full gamut of active safety software designed to keep you on the road or access track, and includes Active Traction Control, a Multi-Mode Anti-Lock Braking system which sends different amounts of brakeforce to individual wheels depending on the situation, and Active Stability Control, designed
to combat under- or over-steer. Sticking with controls in the centre console, our test Triton featured a five-speed automatic gearbox with sports-shift paddles, although a six-cog manual is available in all grades too. One-touch push button start (with keyless entry), Bluetooth hands-free phone calling and audio streaming, a big and bright 6� touchscreen display and dual zone air conditioning all complete the picture inside. Bolstered by great looks and Mitsubishi New Zealand’s hard-tobeat five- and 10-year Diamond Advantage warranty programmes, the Triton has developed into one comprehensive ute that is definitely worthy of further inspection. Q&M
Q&M August - September 2015 27
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Aggregate News AGGREGATE & QUARRY ASSOCIATION OF NZ
A word from Andrea
I
t was great to see so many quarry people gathered together in Hamilton at our annual conference. It was another memorable event and I think we have all taken some new knowledge and ideas back with us to consider for our own workplaces. Many thanks to the organisers – you did a great job!
Congratulations to our leading lights in the environmental arena: the winners of the MIMICO Environmental Excellence Awards: • Gold: Holcim NZ, Tauranga Bay Westport • Silver: Winstone Aggregates, Belmont Quarry, Wellington • Bronze: Fulton Hogan, Gore Crushing, Gore And congratulations to Michael Earnshaw, the quarry manager at McLean’s Island Quarry; Jason Glentworth, quarry manager at Kiwi Point Quarry; Brad Cobham, quarry supervisor at Hasting Quarry; and Matt Goulding, cadet quarry manager at Blackhead Quarries who all received Q&M magazine awards for services to the industry.
A special members’ edition of Aggregate News includes all the details of the winners and is also on our website www.aqa.org.nz Health and Safety was high on the list of topics at the conference and also in our informal discussions. The industry had a relatively good health and safety record until the middle months of this year, when three tragic fatalities put our workplaces in the spotlight. My sincere condolences go to the loved ones of these men, our fellow workers. While none of the quarries involved were AQA affiliated, the industry as a whole must surely now sit up and take notice. Of course, being a member of the AQA doesn’t keep you safe, rather it keeps you well informed and updated on your responsibilities. This is a new age: health and safety regulations must be abided by for the good of us all. You will see on page 30 that WorkSafe and MinEx forums are being held around the country. Please pass the information around to anyone you know who has a quarry operation so that they can attend. Let’s all work to ensure our fellow quarry operators, however small and off the radar, are well informed about their responsibilities for keeping themselves and their staff safe. Take care.
Andrea Cave, AQA Chair www.aqa.org.nz August - September 2015 29
AQA Board Chair Andrea Cave, Winstone Aggregates
Deputy Chair Jayden Ellis, Stevensons Construction Materials
Board Members Tony Hunter, Blackhead Quarries Bruce Taylor, Fulton Hogan Mike Higgins, Isaac Construction Brian Roche, Ravensdown
MINEX UPDATE
Recent fatalities
By Les McCracken, CEO MinEx
W
e have had three fatalities in three months in the quarry sector and these have been well publicised in the media. While it will be some time before all of the facts come out and we know exactly what caused the accidents, we can draw some lessons from these events. These include:
Planning Committee
• guarding
Chair
• vehicle interactions and vehicle maintenance (brakes, steering, seatbelts), and
Dan McGregor, Winstone Aggregates Bill Bourke, AQA Dudley Clements, J Swap & Co Geoff England, Winstone Aggregates Jonathan Green, Fulton Hogan Mike Lord, Envirofert Nicky Hogarth, Holcim
• ground control.
Technical Committee Chair Stacy Goldsworthy, Green Vision Recycling Greg Arnold, Road Science Bill Bourke, AQA Jayden Ellis, Stevensons Construction Materials Alan Stevens, Civil Contractors David Morgan, Winstone Aggregates Brett Beatson, Ready Mixed Concrete Association
The Waikari quarry photographs that have appeared in the media show a highwall with no benching and with a joint surface dipping into the pit and evidence of previous rock falls along much of the highwall. All mining and quarry operations, particularly those with face heights over 10 metres, should examine their highwalls for evidence of instability and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of their workers. Operations covered by the 2013 mining regulations should by now have completed a geotechnical assessment of their operations and put in place any controls required to ensure a safe operation. While quarry and alluvial gold operations are not covered by these regulations this does not remove the obligation on them to also carry out a geotechnical assessment of their highwalls, particularly if they have previously shown any signs of instability. This assessment might be simply a thorough examination by the CoC holder in charge or might require an assessment by a geotechnical expert. While it is the fatalities that get all the media attention, our MinEx statistics show that in the period from July 2014 there have been 16 lost time injuries in the quarry sector, and none in the surface mining sector. No comparative data is received from the alluvial sector and that is an issue we are seeking to address. Extractive industries H&S Forums The first of these forums was held in Greymouth on June 17 with approximately 100 people attending from all sectors of the industry. The forum is a joint WorkSafe/MinEx initiative with the objective of drawing in those operations that are not engaged with any of the industry organisations and in this way assisting them to improve their health and safety performance.
Aggregate & Quarry Association of NZ PO Box 32 019, Maungaraki, Lower Hutt, 5050
Further forums are planned: (dates and venues subject to change, please see our website www.minex.org.nz for updated details) • Alexandra – August 2015 • Palmerston North – September 2015
Chief Executive Roger Parton
• Ashburton – October 2015
tel 04 568 9123 fax 04 568 2780
• Invercargill – November 2015.
email office@aqa.org.nz
CoC training
web www.aqa.org.nz
Much progress has been made here with MinEx releasing a number of training schedules for new competency training and these can be found on our website www.minex.org.nz along with a calendar for the year with dates and venues. We will be completing a capacity assessment on the training being offered. This is expected to show the need for more Human Factors (26855) courses along with generally more training courses being offered in the North Island and particularly in Risk Management (26856).
Facts and fiction By AQA CE Roger Parton In my last article, I hoped that the year would have no more fatalities in the industry but unfortunately that has not happened. We have been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in the past few weeks, copping flak from politicians, media and even the unions for being removed from the mining regulations. However, as I went to great lengths to point out, what is being reported is not factually correct. The quarry sector did not lobby to be removed from the 2013 Mining and Quarry Regs as such. The industry found, early on in the Pike River Implementation Team’s discussions, that what was proposed was focused on underground coal mining and had little relevance to the quarry sector. Because of the huge political pressure to complete the regs in a very short time frame, the logical solution accepted by both the government and the industry was to leave quarries out for the time being. We undertook to work with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to develop regulations and guidelines for the quarry sector. During the development of the Mining and Quarry Regs 2013, the quarry industry proposed that the quarry sector be included in the first part of the regs, which relate to Certificates of Competence. The regs came into force at the end of 2013. In 2014, the AQA initiated the Quarry Industry Working Group to start drafting guidelines. The meetings grew in size as more sectors (alluvial, forestry etc) became involved. WorkSafe NZ suggested, and we agreed, that it take over the process and by late 2014 a draft was ready for final approval. In early 2015, the AQA spent time working on the Mining and Quarry Regs 2013, to identify if, with suitable amendments, the quarry sector could fit into this legislation. This was done because the new Act was looming on the horizon and it is easier to amend existing regulations than to create new ones. A marked up set of regs was submitted to
WorkSafe and a further meeting on this issue was held in May. This brings us to the present: the draft Mining and Quarry Regs 2015 have now been circulated for comment, giving us an excellent opportunity to amend the regs to include quarries, as long as our sector fits logically into the legislation. There is one outstanding issue relating to the definition of ‘quarry’ in the Health and Safety in Employment Act. The quarry industry has identified some flaws in this definition, as have other sectors such as civil contracting. We need to broaden and fine tune this so that our sector is accurately represented. All of this work has been done in close consultation with MinEx which has undertaken a huge amount of work on the training, CoCs, guidelines, draft regs and all the other issues that have been going on at this time. So where are we now? • We await the release of the draft guidelines for final approval and promulgation • We await the political decision of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment regarding the Mining and Quarry Regs 2015 as to whether the proposed changes will be included at this time • We await a decision as to when and how the definition of ‘quarry’ will be amended. The quarry sector has been unfairly accused of opting out of the legislative controls imposed on the mining sector. The above shows that the accusation is unwarranted and untrue, and that we have been waiting for the government to respond to all of the work that the industry has done to meet its obligations in this area.
Health and Safety forums Open discussion and information forums held by WorkSafe NZ and MinEx These forums are an opportunity to learn how you, the industry and the regulator can work together to ensure every site achieves the improvements in health and safety performance that all employees are entitled to. MinEx and WorkSafe are holding the forums to give you the opportunity to ask questions first hand, engage with other locals on how they are implementing changes in their operations, find out about training courses in your region and more. Dates and venues are available on the MinEx website:
www.minex.org.nz
www.aqa.org.nz August - September 2015 31
Working in the extractives industry By Tony Forster, Chief Inspector Mines and Extractives (Mines, Tunnels & Quarries), High Hazard Unit and WorkSafe New Zealand
I
have been New Zealand’s chief inspector of mines / extractives since February 2013. Like miners all over the world I was already aware of some of the difficulties attending the Pike River disaster and came to New Zealand when it became apparent I could have a role to play in addressing some of those challenges. However, the true extent of some of those difficulties only became apparent once I started tackling the various elements that make up this job and challenges continue to emerge as the work progresses. I accepted a two-year contract initially, and have accepted a one-year extension to consolidate the gains we have achieved in partnership with the regulator and the industry working together. I will return to the United Kingdom in January 2016. Before taking the job with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) I worked for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK. Like my current role, this involved implementing structured inspections, engaging and educating industry, dealing with CEOs, boards, managers, trade unions and safety reps. I was also involved in developing multi-agency emergency response plans and testing mines’ rescue capability as well as carrying out serious incident investigations and prosecutions. I have over 42 years’ experience in the mining industry, beginning in 1972 as a mining craft apprentice with the National Coal Board (NCB). At 19, I was working on the coal face as a ‘power-loading face-worker’ (PLF) until progressing to a face deputy at the age of 23. For the next 10 years I progressed through various tiers of management at several large mines as under-manager, deputy manager and colliery manager. Before joining the HSE in November 1988, I worked at NCB Scottish headquarters as deputy head of industrial relations, where I came into closer contact with industry and trade union
leaders. During my time with the NCB I also dedicated 14 years to being a mines rescue worker and team captain responding to underground emergency incidents. Through the nationalised coal industry I was fortunate to come into contact with some dedicated people and to benefit from excellent training and workplace supervisors. I also benefitted from the genuine toughening-up experience of working as a coal face worker and later, as face charge-hand, being responsible for others. I took every chance to work overtime and during the annual shut-down worked in 1000 metre deep shafts on statutory rope changes. As I increased in my practical experience and qualifications, I was appointed as a shot-firer in charge of hundred-shot blasts on large cross measure tunnels and deep shaft-sinking projects. On completing the NCB Engineering Training (ET) Scheme, I gained a 1st Class Mine Manager’s Certificate. Throughout my time working at the pit, I attended technical college and took additional night-school classes to gain a mining technician’s certificate, achieve the ordinary national and higher national diplomas in mining, and pass the external Chartered Mining Engineer exams, becoming a member and elected fellow of the Institute of Mining Engineers. Before taking up the position of CIE in New Zealand in 2013, I served in the UK as Her Majesty’s inspector / principal inspector / acting chief inspector of mines for 24 years during which time I also studied for a Masters Degree in Occupational Safety and Health at Salford University. I graduated in 2003. My working career has been varied as a coal mine worker, supervisor, manager and mines inspector. I have lectured at university and worked in large underground and surface mining operations, inspected quarries and opencast coal mines and also worked with the Emergency Services and Ministry Of Defence on civil resilience projects. I have had responsibility for million tonne production longwall faces and also worked with hand-operated mines and colliers using pick axes and pit ponies to win the coal. I therefore have a sound understanding of the challenges faced by, and the reasonable health and safety standards expected from, large and small mines and quarry operations. Since working with the mining and quarrying sector in New Zealand, I have seen operators cooperate with the regulator to consolidate and expand the good practices already in place. Some operators have taken heed of advice and initiated radical changes to embrace new ways of working. However, there are some in the sector who are not at the level of commitment they should be. These outliers might claim not to understand “complex risk-based legislation” or might feel that Pike River had “nothing to do with them”. They are misguided and it does not take a genius to work out that every New Zealander has a right to work in a healthy and safe environment and that basic precautions such as decent guarding and good electrical safety must be applied to conveyors, crushers and other extractives machinery.
32 www.aqa.org.nz
HHU mines and quarries inspectors, Straterra, MinEx, AQA and IOQ as well as many large and small quarry operators have tried really hard to embrace the Pike River Royal Commission recommendations and the work the regulator has been doing since, and also to get the word out to others about the basic legal requirements. Nevertheless, HHU is aware that there are potentially hundreds of small quarry operations which could be placing themselves and their workers at increased risk by seemingly ignoring attempts to advise them. They appear intent to fly under the radar, possibly in the mistaken belief that it will soon blow over and “go back to the way it was before”. In this they are misguided and I would invite them to reconsider and take advantage of the help and advice now on offer. There have also been stunning successes. Some operators are working flat out to get their people qualified with the new unit standards and they are emerging as true champions for the extractives industry in New Zealand. There are some variations in the quality of training provided in the extractives sector. Substandard training will be challenged. The stakes are high and the government has set great store by increasing competence and skills among workers, supervisors and managers. WorkSafe, NZQA and MITO are working together to ensure the standards are lifted so that industry can have confidence in the training, but more importantly to ensure that every worker in the industry knows that those in control have been well trained.
Establishing the Board of Examiners has been another significant step in consolidating the gains already made. Once the panels of examiners are in place, this will protect the quality of Certificates of Competence granted for the extractives sector. Consultation with key members from Straterra, AQA, IOQ and MinEx has seen much progress in the socialisation of the new Mining Regulations. There is evidence of this in the readiness now displayed by the quarry industry to embrace the Health and Safety in Employment (Mining Operations and Quarrying Operations) Regulations 2013. These regulations were developed in the space of 12 months which is in itself an amazing feat and are supported by a growing suite of Approved Codes and Guidance. This programme of codes development will continue into 2017 and beyond. I have been asked if I have become the ‘face’ of the High Hazards Unit and, for a short time, maybe I was. However this is no longer the case. WorkSafe HHU is staffed by extremely talented, capable, and dedicated people who – with the assistance of industry organisations – are taking the message to the sector that a new age has dawned. Mine and quarry operators must continually re-evaluate the risks and hazards that impact on the health and safety standards of their businesses. It is not acceptable to take workers from their families, and this is the driving principle that underpins WorkSafe New Zealand’s work.
Updating your Certificate of Competence To hold a CoC under the new requirements which came into force on 1 January 2015, you must complete the unit standards for the relevant CoC before submitting your application:
Quarry Certificate of Competence
Unit Standard Number Title
A-grade Quarry Manager 16686 Conduct an incident investigation at an extraction site 17279 Demonstrate knowledge of the coordinated incident management system (CIMS)
22445 Describe the roles and functions of a CIMS Incident Management Team (IMT) at an incident
26855 Analyse human factors present in workplace practices to determine how they contribute to incidents at an extractive site 26856 Carry out the risk management processes at an extractive site B-grade Quarry Manager
26856 Carry out the risk management processes at an extractive site
Site Specific
26856 Carry out the risk management processes at an extractive site
Once you have these unit standards, fill in the application form on the WorkSafe website: www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/notifications-forms/certificates-of-competence/application-for-coc-by-holder.pdf This includes:
1
Completing the fit and proper person form
2
Providing a current criminal check record
3
Holding a current first aid certificate. www.aqa.org.nz August - September 2015 33
Forging the future The joint AQA/IoQ conference held at Claudelands in Hamilton last month attracted a massive display of heavy machinery. This picture was shot taken early morning on the first day as Hamilton’s infamous fog drifted up from the river. The very successful conference enjoyed two days of perfect weather.
Join our united voice! The Aggregate and Quarry Association achieves workable and sensible outcomes for our industry. We need to speak as one convincing voice, and we want to ensure all quarry operators, regardless of size and location, are aware of all health and safety requirements. Contact us today: office@aqa.org.nz www.aqa.org.nz
Benefits for members include: • A voice on numerous national committees, including MITO and MinEx • Access to information and guidance from our expert Planning and Technical committee members plus our Board members • AQA members also receive issues of Contractor and Q&M free of charge. A G G R E G AT E & Q U A R RY A S S O C I AT I O N O F N Z
Supporting New Zealand from the ground up 34 www.aqa.org.nz
I N N O V A T I O N S
Game-changing technology An Australian-designed and built ‘game changing’ product will be available next year to the world’s biggest mining and drilling companies. The new TruProbe product uses gamma geophysical survey sensors inside drill strings to help mining companies identify precious metals and minerals. It is able to replace conventional gamma geophysical surveys but at a much smaller cost and with significant time savings. Currently gamma surveys require a team of geophysicists, extensive equipment and expensive laboratory time. The surveys are normally conducted at the completion of the borehole before the drill rods are removed, requiring the drill crew and rig to wait while the geophysical crews conduct the survey. With the TruProbe technology drilling crews will be able to conduct the gamma survey while removing the drill rods, eliminating costly stand-by charges. The TruProbe product, which will be distributed from Boart Longyear’s Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Adelaide, was developed by Adelaide-based Deep Exploration Technologies Cooperative Research Centre. Boart Longyear’s director of strategic information, Michael Ravella, says the cost and time savings provided by the new technology will be a game changer for the mineral exploration market. “There isn’t anything else like this technology available in the mining industry at the moment,’’ he says. Mining giant BHP is one of the mineral exploration companies that will receive preferential access to the new technology, expected to be available and operational in the first quarter of 2016.
Sandvik expands crusher range Two new hard rock mining cone crushers in Sandvik’s CH800 series have been designed to improve productivity and profitability in the mid-range segment. The CH860 for high-capacity secondary crushing and the Sandvik CH865 for highreduction tertiary and pebble applications both feature higher crushing forces relative to mantle diameter and a 500kW motor, and combine a range of advanced automation features for more secure and productive processing. Kevin Hole, Sandvik’s business line manager for crushing and screening, says the two new crushers are “scaled down” versions of Sandvik’s existing CH890 and CH895 cone crushers. “These two mid-range models are even more productive, robust and reliable,” he says. “They offer a more than two-fold increase in performance range compared to other crushers in their class, and perform up to 30 percent
better in certain applications.” Both incorporate Sandvik intelligent systems that enable real-time performance optimisation and the compact design solutions reduce dynamic loads and minimise engineering and installation work.
“These crushers feature fewer moving parts than competing models, while non-welded, bolted liners on the top and bottom shell enable safer, easier maintenance.” For more information: www.sandvik.com/outperform Q&M August - September 2015 35
I N N O V A T I O N S
Sandvik’s new DR461i A new automation-ready bulk mining drill rig suitable for both rotary and down-the-hole (DTH) applications incorporates features to increase reliability, ease of maintenance and safety. Sandvik Mining’s DR461i is a diesel powered, self-propelled, crawler-mounted blasthole drill and has been designed to withstand harsh mining conditions across a wide range of different climates. It builds on Sandvik’s experience and success with the DR460 drill rig. Scott Wright, business line manager for surface drills and exploration, says Sandvik incorporated customer feedback into its R&D for the DR461i, with the aim of developing the safest, most durable and reliable drill rig available. Safety enhancements include autonomous pipe handling, above-the-deck bit change,
additional walkways, hand railings and safety interlocks. “The drill has been designed to fully comply with the various safety standards around the world, including Australia’s own Mining
Design Guidelines (MDG) for mobile and transportable equipment in mines, Earth Moving Equipment Safety Roundtable (EMESRT) Design Philosophies and CE conformity marking,” Scott says.
CleanScrape conveyor belt cleaners A worldwide specialist in belt conveyor technology is now the sole distributor of the CleanScrape Cleaner, as Martin Engineering is now responsible for sales. The innovative belt cleaning system received the Australian Bulk Handling Award in the “Innovative Technology” category in 2013 for its design and potential benefits, which include low belt wear, extended service life, reduced maintenance and improved safety, ultimately delivering lower cost of ownership. It has been proving itself in a wide range of applications, such as mining, coal handling, quarrying, cement, scrap and other material bulk handling operations. Unlike conventional belt cleaners that are mounted at a 90 degree angle to the belt, the CleanScrape Cleaner is installed diagonally across the discharge pulley, forming a three-dimensional curve beneath the discharge area that conforms to the pulley’s shape. The unique design incorporates a matrix of tungsten carbide scrapers and is tensioned lightly against the belt to prevent damage to the belt or splices. Despite extremely low contact pressure between belt and cleaner, it has been shown to remove as much as 95 percent of potential carryback material.
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The Terex Finlay C-1540RS tracked mobile cone crusher provides the versatility of a crushing and screening plant on one machine in aggregate and ore surface mining applications. Based on the proven and tested Terex Finlay C-1540 cone crusher, this machine variant features an innovative on-board recirculating system and detachable sizing screen. If recirculation and sizing of materials is not required the sizing screen can be quickly detached from the machine without the need for lifting equipment. The Terex Finlay C-1540RS can be fitted with an optional patented pre-screen module which allows fines materials to be removed prior to being fed to the crushing chamber offering higher production with lowest cost per ton wear and running costs. The large hopper/feeder has an automated metal detection and a purge system to protect the cone and reduce downtime by removing metal contaminants from the feed belt. Contact Stu Sutherland on 021 915 508
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