_____
SAFETY AND HEALTH ALERTS AND GUIDANCE
FOUR FOCUS AREAS FOR MINES SAFETY As we transition towards new work health and safety legislation in Western Australia, the Department’s Mines Safety Directorate continues to conduct proactive work to support our mining industry. A key part of the Department’s role as the State’s mine safety regulator is monitoring the rates of accidents and incidents in mining, with the aim of improving safety. Based on accident and incident data in WA mining operations, the Department has identified four focus areas for Mines Safety inspectors in 2021. These areas are hazardous manual tasks, repeat hazard exposure, contractor management and mentally healthy workplaces.
Engaging with safety and health representatives
While conducting activities related to these four areas, Mines Safety inspectors will continue to engage with safety and health representatives (SHReps) to identify issues and solutions.
Hazardous manual tasks Is your site proactively managing hazards associated with manual tasks? Repeat hazard exposure Are hazards and risks being managed appropriately to prevent reoccurrence?
Contractor management Is your site appropriately managing the health and safety of contractors?
Mentally healthy workplaces Are psychosocial hazards and risk factors proactively managed?
01 HAZARDOUS MANUAL TASKS Manual tasks remain a key area when it comes to incidents and related injuries, with consistently proven high levels of risk. Mines Safety has identified a number of injury types related to manual tasks that contribute the greatest amount of lost time and restricted work duties when compared to overall industry figures. While Mines Safety will continue to focus on all aspects of a mining operation, they will be paying close attention to these injury types to ensure sites are identifying and controlling their risks appropriately. The top three reported injuries relating to manual tasks account for 14% of all injuries.
02 REPEAT HAZARD EXPOSURE Along with hazardous manual tasks, Mines Safety is also focussing on instances where a person has been exposed to a workplace hazard repeatedly. Inspectors will be investigating whether hazards have been suitably identified and understood, and whether appropriate controls are in place. Sites should apply the strongest hierarchy of control measure first, which involves eliminating exposure to hazards where possible. Where this is not possible, sites should minimise the risk by working through the hierarchy from most to least reliable measures. Mines Safety will be assessing whether sites have implemented suitable methods of control and taking appropriate action where necessary. Safety performance data over several years demonstrates lack of improvement in incident rates.
| 18 | ThinkSafe vol. 3 no. 1 April 2021
