THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY
ISSUE 17 - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Modern Maintenance Improving productivity and safety
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Comment Regular maintenance can be a lifesaver MACHINERY BREAKDOWNS CAN BE EXTREMELY COSTLY FOR MINING COMPANIES SO THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THIS SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF WORKER SAFETY, CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.
MICHAEL PHILIPPS
PUBLISHER CHRISTINE CLANCY MANAGING EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au EDITOR MICHAEL PHILIPPS Tel: 0439 341 033 Email: michael.philipps@primecreative.com.au
M
aintenance work is crucial in the mining and resources sector. Not only does it mean that expensive and specialised equipment is kept in the best possible condition to improve operations, it is also a vital part of keeping the workforce safe. Without ongoing maintenance, this equipment could fail and put the health and welfare of workers in jeopardy. While breakdowns in machinery is inevitable, maintenance gives an opportunity to identify a potential problem before it happens and can extend the life of equipment. With the majority of mine sites in Australia located in remote or regional areas, there is the additional cost of getting parts replaced as it often takes time to send machinery away. Considering parts often need to go to regional hubs or cities to be replaced, the associated downtime can be days and even weeks. There is also the importance of keeping
JOURNALISTS TOM PARKER Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: tom.parker@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER JANINE CLEMENTS Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au SALES MANAGER JONATHAN DUCKETT Mob: 0498 091 027 Email: jonathan.duckett@primecreative.com.au
workers safe while performing maintenance requirements on mining equipment. In this edition of Safe to Work, Kal Tire Australia operations health and safety manager Scott Laurie says his company uses a guideline called the ‘hierarchy of controls’ to identify the best way to keep its team members and customers safe. It was through this that the company’s Innovation Centre in Canada developed its latest offering, the Magnet Clamp, which eliminates workplace hazards by removing workers from the risk zone. Another way of reducing downtime while performing repairs on equipment is the ability to perform maintenance on-site. BOA Hydraulics has spent many years listening to its customers and from this have developed an on-site mobile hydraulic hose repair solution that eliminates hydraulic downtime as well as increasing productivity and profitability. While the cost of regular maintenance can be expensive,
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it pales in comparison to the cost of buying new or replacement equipment. Keeping equipment well maintained can save a mining company millions of dollars in repairs and downtime, but if it also keeps its workers safe - the value is priceless. Michael Philipps Editor
FRONT COVER Image: Kal Tire.
PRIME CREATIVE MEDIA 11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne, VIC 3205 Australia www.primecreative.com.au © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2016 All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the p ublisher.
In this issue Features 20
CU doing the research to E keep miners safe
WA university projects explore key issues in the resources sector
24 Golden opportunity or a cage with gold bars?
The Gold Industry Group’s Great Debate tackles working from home
28 Removing the hazard and increasing safety
Kal Tire highlights the importance of the hierarchy of control
30 Increasing hydraulic uptime for the mining industry
28 36 Taking flight with Erizon
46 MikroPul dusting
A focus on safety has led the company to implement drone technology
How the pulse jet dust collector contributes to efficiency
38 Charging towards better
48 Mining’s criminal curveball
Aerial Solutions
off for safety
battery operations
Epiroc has made massive strides when it comes to its electric offering
Deliberately lit fires are just as deadly as any other incursion and must be met with the same urgency
40 Diacon advancing safety
50 Shining a light on
DELLNER BUBENZER explains the importance of its latest brake software
Revolutionising the conveyor guard industry
A WA Parliamentary Inquiry aims to improve workplace behaviour
34 A Titan in tyre maintenance
42 What does chronic unease
52 Prospect Awards
Jodi Goodall explains the concept in highhazard industries like mining
The first set of nominations named for the awards night
BOA Hydraulics provides a turn-key hose repair and maintenance solution
32 State-of-the-art monitoring for brakes in mines
The Titan220e has been specifically designed to benefit the mining industry
the FIFO industry
in 2022
look like in practice?
exhibit mining’s best
52
34
REGULARS
3 COMMENT
6 NEWS
18 PRODUCTS
SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 4 JAN-FEB 2022
54 EVENTS
News Fortescue implements four-drink maximum on site Fortescue Metals Group has implemented several initiatives to enhance the safety, culture and experience across all company workplaces, as a result of feedback from its Workplace Integrity Review. In response to the feedback, Fortescue has implemented initiatives in both the short and longer term. These include a limit of no more than four mid-strength alcoholic drinks can be purchased in a 24-hour period across all Fortescue sites. It also includes a range of enhanced physical safety features, refreshed training and induction programs regarding workplace culture and behaviour, and a good bystander program, empowering all Fortescue team members to call out behaviour that is not aligned with the company’s culture and values.
Fortescue limits workers to four drinks to increase safety.
Fortescue chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines appeared before the WA Parliament’s inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry to express the company’s commitment to eliminating sexual harassment from the workplace. “We know that more can always be done to ensure we are providing a safe and secure workplace and through our Workplace Integrity Review, we have gained valuable information and heard about lived
experiences directly from our team members. We are listening to what we have been told and we are acting on it,” she said. The review also included leadership walks across each operational site to identify safety issues. “Employers in the mining sector have demonstrated time and again that we can be leaders in the field of ensuring workplace safety. There is no reason we cannot also be leaders in preventing workplace sexual harassment,” Gaines said.
Dragline investigation ongoing as Curragh restarts Coronado Global Resources has halted dragline operations at its Curragh mine complex following an incident with a coal mine worker but will begin restarting other areas of the mine as investigations continue. The company temporarily suspended operations at the site in Queensland’s Bowen Basin following the death of a coal mine worker earlier this month. “Coronado has commenced planning for a gradual and phased recommencement of operational activities that will progressively restart over the coming days,” Coronado stated. “Dragline operations will remain suspended until otherwise advised.” Resources Safety & Health Queensland
(RSHQ) inspectors remain on site with a compliant Coronado, while the Queensland Police have left the operation. “The RSHQ Inspectorate has issued directives to isolate the accident site and to suspend all operations of draglines at Curragh until it is satisfied that these activities can recommence safely,” Coronado stated. “Coronado will continue to work alongside authorities as required for the investigation process.” A statement from the company was issued earlier in the week following the incident, offering counselling to all affected by the event. “The company is focussed on supporting the family of the employee
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and workers at Curragh, and counselling services are being made available,” the company stated. “Coronado extends its deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the individual.” The Curragh mine produces a variety of high-quality, low-ash met coal products which are exported globally to leading steelmakers. Curragh also produces thermal coal, which is primarily sold domestically under a long-term contract to Stanwell, a Queensland government-owned entity and the operator of the Stanwell Power Station. The coal mine produced 8.8 million tonnes in the first half of 2021.
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Avoid unplanned maintenance with RigScan from Epiroc Keeping your equipment running at peak performance in a safe way is key to a successful operation. RigScan from Epiroc is an audit service that offers you a real-time, non-intrusive look at equipment running condition and performance. By diagnosing failures before they happen, RigScan lets you schedule maintenance and repairs. The more you can predict and plan, the better your operation will run.
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News RSHQ recommends risk assessment after incident Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) has recommended senior site executives ensure repetitive and routine tasks are the subject of comprehensive risk assessments to identify and control hazards, including identifying and maintaining appropriate exclusion zones, after a coal mine worker was injured by a moving plant. According to the RSHQ report, a worker suffered life-threatening injuries in an incident that occurred during a routine wash down of a rear dump truck being undertaken by four coal mine workers. The incident occurred when a rear dump truck was parked on the workshop wash down pad, and the workers conducted a job safety analysis for using “live testing protocols” during the wash down task. Spray from a water cannon
Repetitive and routine tasks to be the subject of risk assessments.
being operated by the injured coal mine worker hit an E-Stop on the position-two wheel side of the engine bay, shutting the engine down. The worker stopped the water cannon and entered the space between the position-two wheel and the engine to reset the E-Stop. It appears neither the truck operator nor other workers were aware of the location of the injured worker, and the truck operator was directed by one of the other workers to turn the front wheels to the left, which
resulted in the injured worker being pinned between the tyre and a ladder, causing multiple injuries to his upper body. The RSHQ report stated the key issues involved in the incident were that the protocols under the mine’s safety and health management system allowed work to be conducted inside an exclusion zone, and that energy was available to turn the front wheels, even when the engine was shut down, meaning the injured worker was exposed to this hazard when in the area.
Earpiece pilot program set to improve on-site health and safety Australian technology innovator Canaria Technologies has partnered with Embley Contracting to roll out its ground-breaking predictive biometric technology at Rio Tinto’s Western Cape York operations in Queensland. This technology will break significant ground in workplace health and safety management and mark a critical turning point in Canaria Technologies’ growth beyond the development stage. The Canaria-V Earpiece is a medicalgrade wearable technology that utilises artificial intelligence (AI) to predict heat exhaustion, cognitive fatigue and mandown events in real-time. It is set to transform the way people and companies work through real-time
health management, saving lives and increasing productivity by predicting serious medical incidents in users before they happen. “The Canaria-V Earpiece software allows for the constant evolution of protocols and safety management to set a new standard in workplace health and safety mandates which have not seen substantial progression in decades,” Canaria Technologies managing director Theodora Le Souquet said. In Australia alone, cognitive fatigue currently accounts for two thirds of all industrial accidents and costs the country $61.8 billion in safety-related work injuries.
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“Our partnership with Embley Contracting will assist Canaria Technologies in becoming a recognised leader in predictive biometrics on the global stage, pioneering the next generation of industrial safety and positioning us for international growth with some of world’s largest mining companies,” she said. “The success of this pilot program, as well as a previous project undertaken at Rio Tinto’s joint venture Resolution Copper Mine in Arizona earlier this year, has positioned Canaria Technologies at the forefront of workplace health and safety “innovation.”
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News Thiess updates drone tech to heighten site safety Thiess has introduced the M300 RTK multi-rotor drone across Australian operations for increased efficiency, safety and availability on site. Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as its primary image capture tool, Thiess is removing surveyors from active mining areas to improve overall safety at operations including Mt Arthur in New South Wales. “The M300 is larger and easier to see in the sky and also able to fly higher with increased CASA approvals meaning we can capture imagery of our entire operations faster,” Mt Arthur surveyor Elliott Gyler said. “It’s also able to operate in more extreme weather conditions taking on winds 20 kilometres stronger than our previous drone and higher operating temperatures.” The M300 has increased safety
Drones to increase safety on-site.
features, including a dual-battery operating system, meaning if one battery fails, the second battery takes over, preventing a falling hazard. It also includes an ADSB receiver, notifying the pilot if other manned aircrafts are operating in the same airspace to avoid collisions. “With increased drone availability onsite, we can get the information we need to do our jobs faster, develop our 3D mining models
sooner and ultimately deliver greater value for our clients,” Thiess UAV senior surveyor and chief controller Tim Mulcahy said. The M300 will eventually replace the Phantom 4 RTK’s across Thiess’ Australian and Indonesian projects, as it has a longer battery life, can capture 210 hectares of imagery in 40 minutes and can penetrate vegetation to support rehabilitation monitoring with its additional multispectrum camera.
Cat highlights the importance of the Connected Worker Caterpillar is set to launch its Connected Worker system that combines smart wearable technology with the power of analytics, to deliver an added layer of protection against a variety of safety risks on site. Connected Worker is a Guardhatdeveloped safety and productivity solution for surface mining operations, scalable to accommodate both small and large operations. The system improves safety by alerting all connected workers of hazardous situations in real-time, delivering up to a 50 per cent reduction in lost-time reportable incidents. Connected Worker tracks worker location and has enhanced communications through audio, video and image transmission.
The worker safety system consists of three major components including wearable hardware, software that captures and reports data, and the Internet of Things platform that receives reports from the field and pushes out potential safety risks to workers. Connected Worker helps detect and report hazardous areas at the mine, unsafe exposure to environmental elements and communicates alerts to affected workers. The system communicates evacuation orders, fall detections, SOS signals and geofence violations. The HC1 Hardhat is one of three wearable options available to communicate with workers, which delivers real-time positions through an embedded global navigation
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satellite systems (GNSS) chip. The hardhat uses Ultra-Wideband to increase situational awareness indoors by offering 3D-tracking – longitude, latitude and elevation – helping to quickly locate a worker in an emergency. The second option is the TA1 wearable tag that delivers tracking GNSS and Bluetooth tracking outdoors. It provides SOS, evacuation and social distancing alerts as well as notifies workers of geofence breaches. The third option is the smartphone app for Android devices that offers a solution for managing and monitoring team members in an outdoor environment. Connected Worker will be available in the first quarter of 2022.
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News Remote operations can save lives A first-of-its-kind review into Australia’s remote operations capability has found it can help reduce workplace accidents and improve employee diversity. The year-long review by the Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) consortium, with support from National Energy Resources Australia, also found that the use of remote operations is more pervasive than may be widely understood. The review showed that the majority of industries surveyed had implemented remote operations because it made the workplace safer. “Removing people from potentially high-risk environments such as offshore facilities, maintenance vessels, or mine sites means less workplace accidents or incidents,”
AROSE chief executive officer Leanne Cunnold said. “Industries that are using remote operations told the review authors that the key priority for them was about improving safety, followed by increasing productivity and greater sustainability. “Operating remote equipment from cities or regional centres also provides more opportunities for employees with family commitments or who are differently-abled to join a workforce that has traditionally been male-dominated.” The review highlighted challenges including a lack of awareness about enabling technologies, filling skilled positions and the need for greater standards and regulation. “This review has highlighted Australia’s world-leading capabilities, but there is still a great deal of work to be done
Using remote operations will result in less workplace accidents.
with industry, government and academia to strengthen our national economy and to continue developing a highly specialised, coordinated technology ecosystem,” Cunnold said. Australia’s expertise at managing multiple assets across long distances has been recognised by NASA, which reached an agreement in October for Australia to build a semi-autonomous rover to collect lunar soil.
EPA investigates blast fumes at Maules Creek Whitehaven Coal has received a prevention notice from the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in relation to blasting activities and the risk of blast fumes at its Maules Creek mine. The notice prevents unrestricted blasting activity at the site pending an investigation by an independent expert and the implementation of corrective actions to minimise the risk of blast fume. The independent expert has been appointed and commenced work. Maules Creek is permitted to continue blasting activity on an interim basis in accordance with the recommendations of the independent
expert as approved by the EPA. The notice is in response to an increase in fume events at Maules Creek since October 1, 2021, when Whitehaven changed its explosives supplier. According to Whitehaven, there is no suggestion the fume events in question resulted in harm to human safety. “Whitehaven has been working closely with its new supplier on a blasting procedure and design improvement plan for a number of weeks,” the company stated. The notice acknowledges there have been very few visible blast fume events from the many hundreds of blasts conducted at the site since it began operating in 2014.
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“Whitehaven will continue to cooperate fully with the EPA on this matter, sharing detailed information on technical aspects and mitigation measures,” the company said in a statement. The company confirms production guidance at Maules Creek for the 2022 financial year is unchanged. At the Maules Creek coal mine, Whitehaven recently achieved a fullyear record of 12.7 million tonnes of run-of-mine production – well above original targets of 11.3 – 12 million tonnes. Maules Creek produces some of the highest quality high energy thermal coal in Australia and has been in operation since 2015.
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News Successful battery test has potential for mine sites Australian Vanadium (AVL) subsidiary VSUN Energy has undertaken a successful test of an electric vehicle battery charge using renewable energy, provided via a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), with the potential of installing the system at mining sites. The project opens the way for vanadium battery-based standalone electric vehicle (EV) charging stations anywhere in Australia. VSUN Energy partnered with EV charging hardware and software provider Gemtek Group for the test. “Developing expertise in integrated renewable energy EV charging solutions to suit Australian requirements for mining, agricultural and regional applications has been a key focus for Gemtek,” Gemtek Group commercial manager Florian Popp said.
“The VSUN Energy storage system’s unique capabilities and operating life provide a substantial advantage in high temperature and remote environments.” VSUN Energy is currently installing VRFBs into agricultural, commercial, mining and rural residential sites, and is working to develop an urban residential battery for construction in Australia. AVL is developing the Australian Vanadium Project south of Meekatharra in the Mid-West region of Western Australia. The Australian Vanadium Project is part of an integrated vanadium value chain, spanning mining, manufacturing and downstream processing. “The intent is for AVL to not just sell vanadium into the metals sector internationally, but to be fully
Electric vehicles on mine sites could charge using renewable energy.
vertically integrated onshore here in Australia,” AVL managing director Vincent Algar said. “In doing so, we are able to reduce the cost of these batteries while adding local value, content and job creation.” The mining and processing project will enter its development phase next year, while a vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility will be built in parallel near Kwinana in WA.
DMIRS release mine closure completion guide The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) has released a new Mine Closure Completion Guideline to clarify evidence tenement holders should provide to show they have met all the agreed closure outcomes and rehabilitation criteria as outlined in their mine closure plan (MCP). If DMIRS accepts that the completion criteria from the MCP have been achieved, the corresponding mining activities will be considered to be concluded. The DMIRS will then issue formal written acknowledgement, remove the relevant tenement conditions related to submission of annual environmental reports and MCPs, and initiate a
review of any relevant unconditional performance bonds held for compliance with tenement conditions related to the rehabilitation that has been completed. DMIRS Resource and Environmental Compliance assistant executive director Dan Endacott said a key theme arising from the feedback received was clarifying how the Mine Closure Completion Report fits into the mine closure planning process. “The Guideline has been updated to include a diagram outlining how this document fits into the life of mine process,” he said. “DMIRS considers it important that the requirements under the Mining Act are clearly articulated, as this will inform
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broader work across government on mine closure and relinquishment.” Prior to submitting a Mine Closure Completion Report, it is recommended that tenement holders contact DMIRS to confirm they meet the requirements. The reports can be completed and submitted to DMIRS in a staged approach as portions of mine disturbances are rehabilitated, or for the entirety of a mine. The Mine Closure Completion Report should contain corporate endorsement, project overview, stakeholder engagement, post-mining land use, closure outcomes and completion criteria, determination of post-closure risks and any supporting evidence.
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News CME and major miners help RFDS take flight Emergency response to mine sites in Western Australia will be improved after the Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations (RFDS) unveiled the latest addition to its fleet. The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) and 22 Western Australian resource and primary industry companies provided critical funding to the RFDS at the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, with more than $5 million raised to purchase the Pilatus PC12 aeromedical aircraft. The Australian Government also provided funding for the aircraft to boost the pandemic response capability of the RFDS. CME chief executive Paul Everingham said the WA mining and resources sector was delighted to give back to the communities in which it operates. “The health, safety and wellbeing of people is always our sector’s number
Major mining companies have helped the RFDS add to its fleet.
one priority – and that commitment extends to communities right around WA,” Everingham said. “CME and those member companies are delighted to be part of the maiden journey of this new plane, which will deliver much-needed and timecritical medical services to regional areas of WA, including mining and resources operations.” “As we all continue to prepare for the evolving challenges of COVID-19, having additional capability to meet
the increasingly diverse needs in regional Western Australia is of upmost importance,” RFDS Western Operations chief executive officer Rebecca Tomkinson said. “We sincerely thank The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA, and the 22 Western Australian companies including BHP, FMG, Roy Hill and Rio Tinto who generously contributed.” The RFDS Pilatus PC12 began its new life with a ‘thank you’ tour of Pilbara mine sites.
BHP Olympic Dam responsible production win with Copper BHP’s Olympic Dam mine in South Australia has become the first Australian site to be awarded the Copper Mark, an accreditation that assesses participants in 32 critical areas including environment, community, human rights and governance issues for mining, smelting and refining operations. The Copper Mark was initiated by the International Copper Association in December 2019, as an independent entity and has committed to including the perspectives of its impacted stakeholders in the governance structure. The accreditation is an assurance framework specific to the copper industry, developed to ensure that companies demonstrate best practices
in responsible production and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. “Copper Mark is a step forward in developing an industry-wide approach to transparency and standards for the copper value chain and reinforces the value BHP places on responsible, sustainable production,” BHP Mineral Americas president Rag Udd said. “Copper is a future-facing commodity and our operations have an important role to play in providing high quality and sustainable copper that is essential to the energy transition. “It is important to our customers, investors, employees, communities and governments to ascertain the ethical and sustainable production of
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copper along the value chain.” BHP’s Chilean operations Escondida and Spence were also awarded the Copper Mark. “We are delighted to welcome Escondida, Spence and Olympic Dam among the recipients of the Copper Mark,” Copper Mark executive director Michèle Brülhart said. “We are particularly pleased to see the first Australian site to receive the Copper Mark with Olympic Dam while we continue to grow our footprint in the world’s main copper-producing country, Chile.” BHP submitted letters of commitment to the Copper Mark Responsible Production Framework on 31 October 2020.
2021
AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS
E L A S N O W O N S R G E I T M NIN E E R I P K M ’S HE C A I I T TRAL FOR T S TRY AUS ARDS ERAL NDUS AW D MIN ING I m. au AN CESS a r d s .co O R P p ec t aw pr
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Products ALEMLUBE HOSE REELS PRESENT A SAFER OPTION Alemlube has launched its HR90000 series, providing a more durable and functional hose reel for mine sites. Designed and manufactured with an extremely sturdy and practical drum, Alemlube’s latest range has been built with strength and stability in mind. Stiffening ribs allow for product longevity while flanged edges consolidate the sturdiness and versatility of the hose reel. Safety is a big consideration when it comes to Alemlube’s EL series. Each reel features a protective outer shroud reducing accidental injury, while 50 per cent less rewind speed facilitates greater control and enhances hose longevity. An innovative latching solution enables the hose to be stopped in multiple positions as required while effortless, smooth hose extraction and retrieval further improves ease of operation and operator safety.
alemlube.com.au
CUT THROUGH THE CONFUSION WITH SHOWA Showa has responded to updates in international standards for protective gear, backed by 70 years of unrivalled protection and innovation. The equipment manufacturer has cut through the confusion as outdated standards ask the industry to step up its game as soon as possible. Showa’s gloves are resistant to nicks, cuts, burns and liquids, allowing users to get the job done with the protection they need. The gloves are available worldwide in a range of resistance levels, all in line with the refreshed industry standards. Showa’s range of gloves use materials such as polyurethane, foamed nitrile, stainless steel, aramid, spandex and latex to ensure it has a glove ready for any heavy industrial application.
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BOLLÉ STREAMLINING SAFETY Being safe doesn’t need to break the bank, and with Bollé Safety it provides a cost-effective eye-safety solution with its Komet range. Komet maintains many of the features of its more premium siblings and is consistent with the design of the range. Its ultra-wrap-around design offers a high level of protection and comfort to the wearer and provides a stylish appearance, for which Bollé Safety eyewear is well known. Despite being the more budget-friendly option, Komet is available with high clarity polarised, smoke or red flash lenses. The linear design of the temple arms ensures wearer comfort, and an optional strap can be used for an even greater fit. In support of the Bollé Go Green strategy, Komet is made using Hot Runner Mold Technology, which results in less material wastage, carbon saving, and reduced carbon emissions.
bollesafety.com.au
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SLIDE SLEDGE IMPROVES SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY Improving safety is critical for mining companies. However, there is also demand for increasing productivity and maximising efficiency. The Slide Sledge Multi-Head Hammer Repair Tool covers both requirements. One operator can safely and easily manoeuvre the Slide Sledge into hardto-reach places, simplifying repairs while reducing effort and injury. Slide Sledge is powered by sliding the steel drive bar back and forth, allowing the operator to deliver a precise impact when and where it’s needed. This eliminates inaccurate sledgehammer swings and damage to machinery. The linear motion of Slide Sledge focusses power for precision impact without the worry of dangerous sledgehammer misses and glancing blows. With its power and accuracy, driving pins and other tough maintenance jobs are safer, faster and easier.
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MAKITA REDEFINING POWER TOOL SAFETY Makita’s XGT 40-volt Max range has the mining industry’s endorsement to prove the company is a big-time player in an ever-advancing sector. Using battery power tools as a substitute for alternating current (AC) tools provides major safety assurances on mine sites, removing the workplace hazards associated with electrical leads. Corded tools present trip hazards, entanglement risks as well as the potential for electric shocks. Makita’s XGT 40-volt Max range provides a proven alternative to AC power tools, exemplified by its TW001GZ ¾” Drive Impact Wrench and GA013GZ 125-millimetre Angle Grinder. The Japanese power tool innovator is built on the back of its core philosophy of “Listen, Act & Deliver”. It’s the company’s progressive approach to development that’s seen it develop products for all settings.
makita.com.au
MINEARC BRINGS INCLUSIVITY UNDERGROUND MineARC’s EnviroLAV toilet, facilitates improved accessibility for one of life’s inevitabilities. With female accessibility an ongoing issue in the mining industry, the availability of suitable amenities can often stand in the way of female participation in the sector. Not to mention, ill-maintained toilets can pose safety risks in underground mining operations. Underground spaces can be contaminated if toilets haven’t been tended to and overflow, something further exacerbated by the inherent poor air quality of these working basements. Equally important is the wellbeing of workers, and this is where MineARC’s EnviroLAV toilet comes to the fore. The EnviroLAV can operate for extended periods of time without being emptied, as it is constantly working and continually managing its sewerage on the go.
minearc.com/products/hygiene-solutions/underground-toiletenvirolav/
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Safety Research
ECU doing the research to keep miners safe MAINTAINING THE SAFETY OF WORKERS IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ON A MINE SITE, AND HAVING THE RIGHT PROCEDURES, SOFTWARE AND EDUCATION IS CRUCIAL IN ENSURING EVERY WORKER GOES HOME SAFELY.
Sitepass is a single platform to manage contractors, employees, volunteers and visitors.
E
dith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia was established in 1991, and not only is it a renowned university known for its industryrelevant teaching, but it also conducts world-class research focusing on its WA communities, businesses and government organisations. ECU has recently conducted a
number of research projects exploring key issues in safety in the mining and resources sector, including sleep deprivation for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers and workplace fatalities on mine sites. FIFO is incredibly common in the mining industry as it is often more convenient to have someone fly to a remote job site to complete their work
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than for them to relocate. In addition to that, with mining operations running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, FIFO rostered shifts are often disruptive and make it near impossible to have healthy sleeping patterns. ECU adjunct associate professor Ian Dunican holds a PhD in sleep and performance and has spent many years working with elite athletes to optimise
their sleep, recovery and performance. Dunican conducted an ECU study that looked at how FIFO roster design impacts the sleep of workers, that is the biggest study in the world looking at FIFO sleep habits, the prevalence of sleep disorders, and is the first study that has looked at biomathematical modelling to work out the risks. “They were undertaking a roster of two weeks on, one week off, commonly known as a ‘two and one’ roster, which is seven day shifts, followed by seven night shifts, and a period of seven days off,” Dunican tells Safe to Work. The worker’s sleep was tracked with wearable Actigraphy technology throughout the duration of the study, and information was collected, using the Berlin Questionnaire for Sleep Apnoea, on the prevalence of potential sleep disorders, such as obstructed sleep apnoea (OSA), shift work disorder and insomnia. “What we found in this study is that regardless of days on, night shift or days off, the people in this study weren’t achieving the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep,” Dunican says. “We found that the least amount of sleep people were getting was on night shift with an average of five and a half hours of sleep after working a 12-hour night shift, six and a half hours after working day shift and a little under seven hours on their days off.” The prevalence of sleep disorders reported was extremely high; it was a lot higher than the general population. Sixty per cent of the FIFO workers in the study were highlighted as potentially having a sleep disorder. However, it also found that for every one-year increase in age, the odds ratio for OSA increased by 6 per cent, and for every unit increase in BMI, the odds risk for OSA increased by 19 per cent. The research recommended key improvements be considered; changing roster design, allowing more sleep
opportunities for the workers, providing them with risk activity monitors to help measure their own sleep, and providing education around fatigue management. For Dunican, the first step for mining organisations should be to put together a risk reduction plan within the organisation, focussing on shifting roster design, sleep disorders, attention to commuting and so on. “Lots of improvements have happened in the area of fatigue risk management in the last 20 years; we now have lots of technologies available, we know more about sleep disorders, we have people flying in from different states, we’ve got a changing demographic, and we just know a lot more now than we did back then,” Dunican says. “I think it’s time for a bit of revision to provide people with a risk management framework in line with how occupational health and safety is going as opposed to a set of guidelines or rules.” INX Software is a trusted leader of environment, health and safety solutions driving the creation of safer, smarter and sustainable workplaces across highrisk and complex operations including mining, utilities and oil & gas. INX Software enables health, safety and environmental professionals to manage risk, achieve compliance and enhance operational efficiencies across workforce mobilisation and travel logistics, workplace health and safety, environmental and statutory compliance, training and competency management. InFlight by INX Software is a bespoke FIFO travel and accommodation management system, that can be adapted to a company’s needs. “If the company decides to change the roster, and not to do a two and one roster and go for something that is more flexible then we can add that to that as well,” INX Software marketing manager Celine Ronce says. “To make sure the workers can access
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Dunican has worked with elite athletes to optimise sleep, recovery and performance.
a normal life, there’s a lot of possibilities to adapt. Our software is here to help the companies to adjust to the changing environment and to make sure that they can provide for their workers in the best way possible.” Another study recently conducted at ECU looking at fatality risk management in WA’s mining industry was conducted by Tanya Jenke, who is currently pursuing her PhD research in the field of Occupational Health and Safety at ECU. The study was conducted in two phases; the first phase was a questionnaire that asked participants to write their organisations effectiveness at fatality prevention, and the second phase was an analysis of the DMIRS fatality register over the past 17 years. The research utilised Professor Michael Quinlan’s 2014 book Ten Pathways to Death and Disaster, which identified a series of ten common catastrophic incident risk factors contributing to major incidents in mining and other high hazard industries. “Our aim for the mining industry was to prioritise or really highlight where there might be some deficiencies within a mining organisation when looking at ways to prevent fatalities utilising the Quinlan study,” Jenke tells Safe to Work. “Once we could identify some of the commonalities that contributed to fatalities, then we can potentially stop fatalities from happening, given fatalities are still occurring in the mining industry
Safety Research “To make sure the workers can access a normal life, there’s a lot of possibilities to adapt. Our software is here to help the companies to adjust to the changing environment and to make sure that they can provide for their workers in the best way possible.” and they are still occurring generally in the workforce.” Jenke recommends that the Quinlan questionnaire be provided as a benchmarking tool for organisations to audit their own systems to find out how they are doing in regard to the Quinlan pathways. Two of the co-authors of the study work at the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS), an example of collaboration between academia and industry and government regulators. “It’s an opportunity for us to all work together to see what we can collectively do - not just as organisations or not just as advisors, but to make sure that we’re setting organisations up for the most amount of success when it comes to fatality prevention,” Jenke says. Being able to manage the safety of workers to prevent fatalities is of utmost importance and there are lots of new technologies coming out that assist mining organisations in controlling those risks. Sitepass by INX Software is a single platform to manage contractors, employees, volunteers and visitors, with
complete transparency over workplace risk, safety and compliance. “Sitepass main activity is to make sure the company knows who is coming on-site, if they need any accreditations or any requirements to go on-site, and also to make sure that they can inform everybody about emergencies, rules or any information related to the site,” Ronce says. Everybody who is using Sitepass has their own profile, with pictures and all their documentation, and the leadership team has access to the information. “If you need to apply for different sites, you can do that through Sitepass,” Ronce says. “Let’s say today you are going to Rio Tinto, you can apply for that through Sitepass, and tomorrow if you go to BHP, you can do that as well.” INX Software has another health and safety product called InControl, which is designed to make sure that everybody is kept safe on-site. “With InControl you can inform your managers about any safety risk. You can take a photo with your phone and send the issue to the right person to make sure that it is taken
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Jenke has over 15 years’ experience in the safety space.
care of,” Ronce tells Safe to Work. “If there is an incident on-site, you can report it with InControl and it will be escalated to the safety advisor, so they can take the right step to mitigate the risk and improve the safety processes to make sure that the same issue does not happen again.” Both Jenke and Dunican have new studies in the pipeline that are continuing to look at workplace safety on mine sites. Jenke’s next study will look at the impacts of COVID-19 on safety performance, for which she is currently looking for participants to complete a survey. Dunican is currently writing up his next paper for publication, which is a randomised control trial on the back of his FIFO sleep study, where they have tested three different interventions to provide solutions. The first is providing sleep education to shift workers, the second is providing wrist actigraphy technology, that will give the worker biological feedback via the app, and the third is a combination of both. Edith Cowan University continues to conduct important research on the mining industry that is aiming to create a safer working environment and prevent workplace fatalities and health risks.
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Health and Wellbeing
Golden opportunity or a cage with gold bars? AFTER ALMOST TWO YEARS OF WORKPLACES OPERATING DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THE GOLD INDUSTRY GROUP’S GREAT DIVERSITY DEBATE TACKLES THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF WORKING FROM HOME.
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s vaccination rates increase and Australia moves closer to opening its borders following the COVID-19 outbreak, the concept of working from home will become less of a necessity and more of an option to many in the workplace. Remote operations have allowed the nation’s mining sector to continue operating and provide a muchneeded economic boost throughout the global pandemic. While some people have welcomed the change from day-to-day office life, others have found it restrictive and lacking in social interaction. In November, the Gold Industry Group’s Great Diversity Debate resumed after its successful national tour in 2019 to focus on one of the hottest topics to hit the workplace since the pandemic. IS WORKING FROM HOME A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY OR A CAGE WITH GOLD BARS? In conjunction with Women in Mining and Resources WA, the annual debate dissects and promotes diversity, challenges perceptions, and opens new doors in its unique and thoughtprovoking format. Gold Industry Group chairperson and Gold Fields legal and compliance vice president Kelly Carter, who returns as adjudicator for the latest debate, says the success of the diversity debate over
Rebecca Johnston, Lisa Rowden, Cliff McKinley, Holly Keenan, Jeff Dang and Kelly Carter.
the past three years is a testament to the importance of the issues tabled and also the unique perspectives of the gold industry speakers. Bellevue Gold principal mining engineer Jeff Dang opens the debate for the affirmative, with the goal of persuading the audience that working from home, a hybrid model, or type of flexible working arrangement is a golden opportunity, not just for the employee but also the employer. “Any employer that doesn’t offer flexible working from home arrangements is detached from reality and will find themselves not competitive in a post-COVID world,” Dang says. “Surveys show that 70-80 per cent of respondents prefer some form of hybrid working from home arrangements.”
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Dang says there are three main reasons why employers should offer flexible work arrangements. “Number-one is eliminating the everincreasing commute time,” he says. “According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian workers in major cities spend on average 67 minutes per day commuting, time that could be better spent doing anything at all. “Number two is increasing productivity where days working from home are for concentration and days in the office for collaboration. Dang says the third reason is increasing the worker’s ability to balance time spent at work and at home. “A truly flexible work arrangement, where people work the hours that complement their lives, allows them
to prioritise what is important to them,” he says. “The benefits are so great that many of the respondents said they are willing to change jobs or take a lower wage to continue having their flexible working from home arrangements.” Dang says he was fortunate to have the luxury of a true flexible work arrangement with his previous employer prior to the pandemic. “I continue to have this golden opportunity with Bellevue Gold which is a massive promoter of flexible working conditions, which has allowed me to participate in events with my children such as coaching sports and school drop-offs and pick-ups that I would have previously missed out on,” he says. Ramelius Resources human resources, risk and sustainability manager Lisa Rowden points to
Cliff McKinley says there is a bond that co-workers build together over time.
the debate itself as an example of the importance of keeping people socially connected and not in a cage with gold bars. “Isn’t there something special and magical in experiencing a night like this,
amongst our colleagues and across our industry,” she says. “Now I want you to imagine missing out on all of this because this was just another webinar.” Rowden says working from home
Health and Wellbeing
Jeff Dang opens the debate for the affirmative.
Holly Keenan says flexible work arrangements offer a golden opportunity for diversity and inclusion.
during enforced lockdowns has blurred the lines of home sanctuaries and personal lives, as well as the increased hours spent catching up on work. “It is really no surprise that burnout is at an all-time high across our world,” she says. “Isolation is not only impacting collaboration, it also impacts mental health. “Lack of physical and social interaction leads to cognitive decline, depression and sleep issues. “Wider flexibility options support employees’ core needs, but not to the detriment of workplace culture and wellbeing.” Rowden also points to the unique work demands of the mining industry, where employees need to work where the resources are found, or in this case, where the gold is. Anglogold Ashanti mining systems,
standards and technology specialist Holly Keenan, who is speaking in favour of flexible work, says everyone has different living arrangements and lifestyles, and therefore different preferences on how they prefer to work. “Flexible working hours have become an important employee incentive, so within the industry with our skills shortage, it is pretty obvious what a company should do about this,” she says. One of the arguments against working from home is isolation, and Keenan says it is important to survey each employee to understand their preferences when it comes to a hybrid work model. “It is not a one-size-fits-all, every team has different needs, and their hybrid working model will look different to ensure efficiency and optimisation of outputs,” she says.
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“It is essential that as a team, and as an individual, we have a clear set of shared goals and expectations of deliverables.” Keenan says in order to maintain good team morale and promote inclusivity, it is recommended to structure teams to work in the office on the same days for collaboration. “This way you won’t have half of the team at the office and the other half of the team dialling in from home, and the people at home won’t miss out on the post-meeting coffee which may make them feel left out,” she says. “Hybrid work is not just about the change in location of the workplace, it is the golden opportunity to change our most fundamental routines to become more efficient.” Keenan says flexible work arrangements also offer a golden opportunity for diversity and inclusion. “Working from home attracts talent that may not be available locally,” she says. “We as an industry rely on talent within Australia to run mines in Africa, South America and Kazakhstan. “If we are OK with people working remotely across different countries and continents, then I am confident we can do the same for a few days a week in our own city.” Evolution Mining people and culture manager Cliff McKinley focuses on the dangers that working from home poses to the organisation. McKinley says an organisation is a group of people, working together in pursuit of common goals or objectives. “The bricks and mortar, or cement and glass, do not in themselves make an organisation – it is the people motivated to act together in pursuit of common goals underpinned by shared beliefs and values – it is culture,” he says. “You can never underestimate the value of your organisation culture
– it is not only your tool to attract and retain staff, but it is also your operational leverage.” McKinley says there is a bond that co-workers build together over time which is stripped away by working from home. “My friends on the opposing side may argue that the daily Zoom call or the Friday Zoom cocktail catch-up will keep the culture going – it sounds cute but very naïve,” he says. “Zoom meetings in your pyjama bottoms and work tops sound fun, but Zoom fatigue has become a serious social and psychological issue.” McKinley says a recent investigation has found that employees with previously good attendance records are taking more sick days when working from home. “People who have a close friend at
Lisa Rowden highlights the unique work demands of the mining industry.
work are seven-times more likely to be engaged in their job,” he says. “That feeling of family is key to anchoring people to a company and that is done through meaningful personal connections. “While the commute time is decreased, so have the opportunities for
critical relationship building at work.” With the arguments made for both sides, the audience use their mobile phones to pick which side made the better case, with Carter declaring victory for Rowden and McKinley. Working from home is a cage with gold bars – the crowd has spoken.
Maintenance
Removing the hazard and increasing safety HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF RISK ELIMINATION, KAL TIRE’S INNOVATION CENTRE HAS RELEASED THE MAGNET CLAMP, A SOLUTION WHICH AIMS TO PROTECT TYRE OPERATORS IN THE WORKPLACE WHILE ALSO IMPROVING EFFICIENCY.
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here is an ongoing commitment to improve safety at mining operations when it comes to protecting workers around mobile equipment. Personal protective equipment gives the worker a degree of safety while administrative controls such as legislative requirements are for companies to follow and change the way people work. However, the potential for injury is still there despite these measures. The most effective way to improve safety in the workplace is to physically remove the hazard. Kal Tire Australia operations health and safety manager Scott Laurie says his company uses a guideline called the ‘hierarchy of controls’ in order to identify the best way to keep its team members and customers safe. “Controlling exposures to occupational hazards is a fundamental method of protecting workers,” Laurie says. “Traditionally, hierarchy of controls has been used as a means of determining how to implement feasible and effective solutions to control hazards and their associated risks in the workplace.” Laurie says Kal Tire uses the hierarchy of controls to ensure a continual improvement in safety for its team members when removing wheel assemblies from heavy mobile equipment.
Kal Tire’s Innovation Centre in Canada developed its latest offering, the Magnet Clamp.
“During the initial stages, Kal Tire implemented procedures which defined for the tyre technician how to conduct the task of safely removing a wheel assembly,” he says. “That involved procedures for when they got the tyre handler into position, the operator then shuts down the handler, gets out of the machine, and then the tyre technician would then enter the risk zone between the tyre handler and the actual tyre and wheel assembly. It was through these hierarchy of controls that the company’s Innovation Centre in Canada developed its latest offering, the Magnet Clamp. Laurie says the key safety benefit from this device is it actually eliminates risk to team members by removing them directly from the risk zone.
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“The removal of wheel assemblies is one of the key tasks that Kal Tire technicians carry out within the business, and safety is paramount for those individuals,” he says. “Part of that process is changing out the tyre and wheel assemblies from heavy mobile equipment and what was normally required in our business was for our tyre service personnel to actually get between the tyre handler and the actual tyre that they are changing.” Laurie says the original procedure outlined that all the lug nuts are removed except the remaining ones at the three o’clock and nine o’clock positions in order to prevent the wheel from shifting and potentially injuring an team member. “One of the risks of getting into that zone is obviously the tyre moving and
crushing the tyre technician between the handler and the tyre itself,” he says. “What has now been accomplished through the Kal Tire Innovation Centre is that we have eliminated the risk associated with this task by the introduction of the Magnet Clamp.” Laurie says the invention of the Magnet Clamp has changed the way this removal process is done. “Now what we do is we get the technician to actually remove the lug nuts at the three o’clock and nine o’clock position first without the tyre handler being in place,” he says. “They then attach the Magnet Clamp to the actual wheel assembly. “Using a remote control, the Magnet Clamp actually secures the tyre in place, they then go around and remove the rest of the lug nuts from the assembly, the technician removes themselves from the risk zone, the tyre handler then comes into position and grabs the tyre, which keeps the operator away from the risk zone.” Not only does this method work for removing the tyre assembly, but it can
also be used to install a new tyre onto the wheel assembly. Laurie says this is one example of how through innovation Kal Tire is able to make continuous improvement towards safety for its team members and customers, and remove hazards altogether. At Kal Tire’s Innovation Centre, a team designs and develops tyre management tools and technology that reduce common risks and injuries, while also improving efficiency and productivity. “We strive to make our work safer in every way possible and it is really part of our journey to zero, which is to ensure our team members go home safely every day,” Laurie says. “It is all about our culture and our mindset, it is about each team member being able to work in a safe environment, and in turn be responsible for our own safety as well as our customers.” Laurie says due to the nature of its business, there is always a degree of risk involved in working with the mining and resources sector. However, he believes the elimination
Kal Tire uses the hierarchy of controls as a safety guideline.
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of any risk or hazard in the workplace is the most important part of safety. “Unfortunately, working with tyre and wheel assemblies is recognised as one of the higher-risk activities that occurs on a mine site,” he says. “We obviously have procedures in place to prevent workplace accidents from occurring but if we are able to completely eliminate the potential risk to our workers then that is the best form of safety control.” Laurie says one of the major purposes of the Innovation Centre is to create innovation that makes it safer for the company’s team members and people in the industry in general. “Our innovation comes from our people on the ground, they are the ones that are dealing with the daily challenges and they are the ones that are seeing new ideas and continue to drive our improvements in terms of safety”, he says. “That is why I believe it is important that you communicate with your people to make sure you create a culture of supporting these ideas.”
Maintenance
Increasing hydraulic uptime for the mining industry WITH A LONG HISTORY SPANNING THREE GENERATIONS, BOA HYDRAULICS HAS TRANSFORMED AND EVOLVED TO BECOME ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING HYDRAULIC COMPANIES, PROVIDING A TURN-KEY HYDRAULIC HOSE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE SOLUTION TO THOSE WORKING AROUND HEAVY MACHINERY.
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aintenance is an important part of working with machinery, particularly in the mining and resources industry. When a hydraulic hose bursts onsite, the compounding expenses to a mining operation is extreme, not just in terms of fixing the broken part, but the cost of machine downtime can be severe, especially when it is a frontline machine. On-site maintenance is the most practical solution and enables a company to minimise downtime, through using existing clients already on-site working on their machinery to add hydraulic hose repairs to their service. This allows diesel fitters to drastically reduce downtime for their clients, becoming the one-stop-shop for their machinery. BOA Hydraulics has spent many years listening to its customers and from this have developed an onsite mobile hydraulic hose repair solution that eliminates hydraulic downtime and dramatically increases productivity and profitability. BOA Hydraulics chief executive officer and co-founder Simon Boakes says the aim of the company is to serve its customers and to be recognised in the hydraulics market for giving businesses back their control and autonomy. “The problem we are trying to solve at BOA is that 37 per cent of unscheduled downtime for a hydraulic machine is due
BOA Hydraulics produced the BOApod Hydraulic Hose Repair unit.
to hydraulic hose failure in the mining sector,” Boakes says. “This is nearly every second time a machine is down it is due to a hydraulic hose failure. “The downtime isn’t just the time for the machine to be fixed, it’s the waiting time for the hydraulic hose technician to get to site, or a heavy diesel fitter to travel literally hours to get a replacement hose from town.” Boakes says there is a large amount of associated costs with downtime when a hydraulic hose breaks. There is both the labour cost for the mining company and for the heavy diesel fitter who doesn’t get paid to travel into town to get a hose made. “There is also the cost of the machine. A frontline machine costs thousands an hour if stopped and the line-up of machines reliant on the frontline machine also stop, causing a large accumulation of costs - and the crazy thing is it isn’t fully recognised,” Boakes says. As part of its commitment to making
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the lives of its customers easier, BOA Hydraulics produced the BOApod Hydraulic Hose Repair unit, which is an integral part of the BOA Onsite Hydraulic Hose Solution. This all-weather, allterrain mobile unit enables the user to assemble hydraulic hoses following the same principles used in original manufacturing facilities, out there in the field. Another key pillar that makes up the BOA Solution is the BOAhub – an innovative inventory management and reordering app. Tightly integrated with the BOApod, the BOAhub’s scanto-reorder function makes inventory ordering a breeze onsite. Boakes says the company works with its customers to make sure they get the best support and assistance available. “We train and BOA-certify our customers, and we offer re-training at any time,” Boakes says. “We provide sales support, marketing support including customerbranded brochures, business cards, cab
stickers, and marketing advice, and we also offer technical product support. Access to quality hose and matched fittings with cost-plus pricing completes the full 360-degree solution for fitters in the mining industry. “We believe it isn’t complicated to make a hydraulic hose with the right tools and skills. “Our people, training and support is critical to the success of our solution. “As a family-owned business, with three generations, we believe in win-win situations.” Boakes says the customer feedback the company has received, especially regarding the downtime saved for their labour force, has been overwhelming. Dan Davis from Madd Industries says he was onsite during a scheduled major blast, but when they were evacuating the pit in preparation, one of the frontline drill rigs blew a hose so they weren’t able to move it. Previously they would have had to cancel the blast because they couldn’t go ahead with a multimillion dollar machine right in the pit. However, thanks to BOA Hydraulics, Davis was able to efficiently carry out a hose replacement and allow the machine to be moved. “It is the ease of the one-stop shop,” Davis says. “We can be out on a job and we have
The BOAhub’s scan-to-reorder function makes inventory ordering a breeze onsite.
the all the equipment, tooling, hosing and parts to do it immediately. “There is no need to wait on a hose guy to turn up, allowing us to get the machine back up and running for the customer as quick as possible. “ Davis says with the previous methods of hose replacement, he would have a fitter and operator standing around waiting for a hose, which isn’t a good look for his company. “It just eliminates machine and labour downtime,” Davis says. “Labour downtime isn’t something tracked like machine downtime, but people are beginning to realise it is a big issue we need to eliminate. “Being the one-stop-shop, it means just one phone call to get the job done.”
Boakes believes there is a better way to do things and encourages businesses working with heavy machinery to challenge themselves on the way they repair and maintain their hydraulic hoses. “The hydraulic hose is the vein of hydraulic machine, yet they are largely poorly managed and the cause of this is an accumulation of costs to the mining industry,” Boakes says. “With a well-thought-out hydraulic hose repair solution, the savings can be drastic. “With a mobile, on-site solution, we are giving those servicing heavy machinery back control and autonomy when it comes to hydraulic hose repairs.”
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Maintenance
State-of-the-art condition monitoring solutions for brakes in mines BRAKE SYSTEMS ARE MADE UP OF A BASIC BRAKE WITH ADDITIONAL MODULES LIKE HYDRAULIC POWER, CONTROL AND MONITORING UNITS. DELLNER BUBENZER GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART SOLUTIONS THE COMPANY OFFERS TO MONITOR SUCH A SYSTEM.
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rakes in mining applications are of essential importance. They are holding and stopping loads even under the worst conditions. Typical applications are belt conveyors, ship-loaders, mine hoists, stackers, reclaimers, AG, SAG and ball mills as well as all kind of winches. Modern industrial brakes are opening and closing, and many applications require “intelligent brakes” that can supply exactly the required brake torque depending on the load. The demand for monitoring capabilities has grown with the increasing digitisation of the industry. Basic functions like brake open/close, wear of linings and air gap are normally checked by limit (proximity) switches that are hardwired to the control system. In case customers want to monitor additional brake parameters DELLNER BUBENZER is offering its VSR3 system (Visual Status Reading Third generation). The sensor data is collected in one device and customers can read out relevant information on a display. The VSR3 system can also visualise brake pad temperature, analogue stroke sensor and a wear sensor that is integrated in the lining carrier so that customers have all relevant information at a glance. In addition, an alarm buzzer or light
through a 10-amp dry contact alerts of possible over-range conditions at one or more sensors. DELLNER BUBENZER mining worldwide sales director Arno Weil says this warning feature helps get important information about the brake early, so customers are able to act before it is too late. If the environment is more complex or maybe unmanned, sensor data and parameter must be automatically transferred to the “brain” of the plant. Communication is often realised via fieldbus protocols like PROFIBUS, a standard for fieldbus communication in automation technology, or PROFINET, an industry technical standard for data communication over industrial ethernet. The DELLNER BUBENZER CMB3 (Computer Monitored Brake Third generation) monitoring unit provides the PROFIBUS and PROFINET feature. Furthermore, the CMB3 measures the contact force of the brake. Brake force data acquisition is based on strain gauges that are integrated in the force flow of the brake. Contact force measurement is not only available for thruster disc brakes but also for huge hydraulically released, spring applied disc brakes with contact forces up to 510 kilonewtons (kN). The CMB4 system is finally completing the DELLNER BUBENZER
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product range of monitoring units and is part of the smart hydraulic power unit series. CMB4 checks parameters including oil temperature, oil level, pressure, moisture content and contamination of the oil. The HPU sensors are connected to an electronic box that is hosting the required hardware and software. A 4.3-inch TFT color display is also part of the setup. Information can be read out at site as well as by remote access.
The CMB3 measures the contact force of the brake.
The VSR3 system can also visualise brake pad temperature.
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Maintenance
A Titan of tyre maintenance WHILE MANY COMPANIES CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE DURING THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC, NORDIC MINESTEEL TECHNOLOGIES’ SUBSIDIARY SPECIALIZED MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT (SME), HAS USED THIS TIME TO BOOST ITS SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS USING REMOTE ACCESS.
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ith borders closed during the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult for companies with international customers to complete the training and maintenance assistance that comes with providing a product. While some industries have shutdown completely, and endured lockdowns with its employees working from home, the mining and resources sector continued to operate. The combination of remote operations with its importance to the world’s economy meant that regular production continued, which caused challenges for some suppliers of specialised equipment. Specialized Maintenance Equipment (SME), a subsidiary of Nordic Minesteel Technologies, instead used this time as an opportunity to improve its customer service with the development of supporting software upgrades and diagnostics through remote access. SME is the producer of a remoteoperated, battery-powered truck jacking system called the Titan220e that can lift and secure the complete front or rear axle of the world’s largest haul trucks. Titan220e incorporates an all-inone truck jack, safety stand and work platform that can be used for a wide range of haul trucks. Nordic Minesteel Technologies business development specialist Heather Johnston says the company has also been adapting to the pandemic by developing an extensive digital library of operator training videos which can help
customers understand the equipment anywhere around the world. “It has been a wonderful tool for us,” Johnston says. “We have been able to remote dial-in to machines in Chile, Peru and Brazil, which gives us the ability to understand and investigate any problems with the machine.” In order to alleviate some of the operator errors, the company has created a digital library of training videos and made them accessible to customers and distributors. “Because we can’t physically be there to do the training we would traditionally do, it has been a great tool and, moving forward, it will also be able to save both time and money for customers,” Johnston explains. “Even when the world opens up again post-COVID, we can do our training and commissioning straight from our head office in North Bay, Canada, especially if there is a rapid solution required which exceeds travel time needed to get to the sites.” The training videos have also proven helpful due to the high levels of staff turnover in the mining sector, as new employees are able to conduct the training without the need to send an instructor to site. The Titan220e has been specifically designed with safety in mind. The jack’s use of battery power provides greater worker health and environmental benefits to a mine operation, as it can be used in workshops without emitting fumes like diesel-powered equipment. It also allows employees to work
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in an environment with noise levels far below the harmful decibel level as that of a diesel jack, protecting employees’ hearing. The remote-control capabilities of the Titan220e mean workers are removed from the line of fire and protected from the high risks of getting sprains, strains or pinched from using traditional jacks and safety stands. It is also equipped with mechanical locking arms so technicians can visually confirm that the Titan220e is locked in place and the truck is supported, instead of relying on clumsy internal locking features. In 2017, two diesel prototypes were developed and sent to be tested at mine sites in the high-altitude mountains of Latin America, where they are still operating today. Johnston says there were some valuable lessons learned from the original machines, which led to the design of the current Titan220e. “Our customers wanted a cleaner solution so they could operate the machines in their shops, which they couldn’t do with the diesel model, but they could with a battery,” she says. “There are also the operating costs to consider as there are more moving parts in a diesel-operated machine compared to using a battery. We use dry cell batteries which are maintenance free, you can get around 12 lifts per charge. “We do recommend that customers give the machine one full charge per week, but you can also do opportunity charging as needed while it is
supporting the truck and you are using it to change tyres. “We also made the battery model smaller, so it is compatible with most 250 to 400 ton ultra class haul trucks” Johnston adds. The company was able to take the Titan220e to the Komatsu proofing grounds in Tucson, Arizona and tested it on all the haul trucks Komatsu had at the facility. “We can lift as low as the 830 Komatsu truck and up all the way to the 980,” Johnston says. “Trucks are all a little different so it was important to be able to create a product that would fit between the rear tyres as well as under the front bumper. In order to fit a greater variety of trucks we have developed a variety of adaptors which can be switched out to accommodate mixed fleets. “The development of a distribution
network has supported our “boots on the ground” sales and service in countries that we can’t travel to due to the pandemic. We have already established distributors in Peru, Chile and Australia, with more in various stages of development.” Johnston explains that the companies have already received positive feedback from mine sites and contractors interested in the benefits of the Titan220e. “A lot of our customers are excited to receive a battery powered, remoteoperated solution with safety you can see that lets them keep up with maintenance demands of larger haul trucks,” she says. One of the key design elements of the Titan220e is that anyone can operate the machine. “While the internal mechanics of the Titan220e could be considered
The Titan220e has been specifically designed with safety in mind.
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complicated, the operational side of the machine is very straight forward,” Johnson explains. “It also promotes equal opportunity because no matter your size, age or physical ability, you can use the remote control to operate the system and perform your job.” The team that developed the Titan220e have been in the mining industry, both underground and open pit, for more than 30 years. Their whole career has been built on finding solutions to the mining industry with a focus on safety and time saving. Johnston refers to the design team as “challenge junkies”, which means if a customer has problem, the team will want to fix it, keeping safety in mind. “We understand the importance of keeping the workforce safe which is a key part of the Titan220e’s design,” she says.
Technology
Taking flight with Erizon Aerial Solutions TECHNOLOGY IS PROVIDING COMPANIES WITH MORE AND MORE OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING THEIR WORKFORCE AND CUSTOMERS SAFE. ERIZON DRONE PILOT ALEKSEI TATARNIKOV EXPLAINS HOW DRONES HAVE ALSO ADDED EFFICIENCY TO THAT EQUATION FOR HIS COMPANY.
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he uses of drone technology have increased in recent years with many in the mining and resources sector adopting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Companies such as Rio Tinto, BHP, Anglo American, South32 and Alcoa were quick to lead the trend by adopting the technology, mainly to inspect mining equipment, which is an expensive and time-consuming process, requiring a highly-skilled workforce, according to GlobalData in its report ‘Drones in Mining – Thematic Research’. Mine sites are often located in remote areas with machinery and equipment
that is controlled by operators that can be thousands of kilometres away. In contrast, it is still common for operators to be working onsite despite the need to access hard to reach spaces – making the potential for hazardous activity even higher. A drone’s versatility is allowing companies to carry out a plethora of activities that humans cannot while maintaining the required level of safety. According to dust suppression and environmental expert Erizon, it is this focus on safety that led the company to begin looking at the possibilities of drone technology to develop its Erizon Aerial
Solutions which includes aerial spraying, seeding and dust suppression. “With a focus on safety and innovation at the heart of our company, we’re committed to finding new and improved ways to keep our staff and customers safe while on site,” Erizon marketing manager Aleksei Tatarnikov tells Safe To Work. “Drones achieve ease of access unmatched by personnel, with the ability to get into unstable, hazardous, and hostile areas onsite, minimising and often eliminating many safety risks, while providing increased accuracy with reporting.
Vision Zero is part of Erizon’s mission to ensure its team is protected at all times.
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Aerial spraying can treat an area up to 40 times faster than manual spraying.
“The rapid advancement of drone automation has provided the ability for us to invest in the latest technology to cooperate with the framework of our safety operations policy ‘Vision Zero’.” Vision Zero is part of Erizon’s mission to ensure that its team, including clients, visitors, and contractors, are protected at all times. Combined with mapping, multirotor drone sprayers can be utilised to target specific areas. The combination of speed and power means that areas can be treated up to 40 times faster than manual spraying operations. Intelligent flight control allows the drone to scan the area below, providing real-time data, and adjust to keep a constant and accurate height above the vegetation. Each spray nozzle is placed directly below a motor, ensuring that the downward airflow generated by the octocopters propellers accelerates the spray, increasing its reach. Fitted with Artificial Intelligence, the drone records its current position, remembering its past coordinates so that flight can easily be resumed after refilling or battery changes. That makes multi-hour or even multi-day drone missions possible. AERIAL SPRAYING Targeting specific areas where treatment of fertiliser and soil ameliorants is crucial to the plants’ health. Aerial spraying can
treat an area up to 40 times faster than manual spraying operations, reducing disease and increasing efficiency. For projects that require extended flight times, hybrid drones that utilise an onboard generator can be deployed. “Latest drone technology allows us to apply fertiliser, trace elements and soil probiotics 4-8 weeks after seeding application to ensure ongoing project success,” Tatarnikov says. AERIAL SEEDING According to Erizon, drone seeding is an extremely cost-effective solution for aerial seeding. “The manoeuvrability of the UAV allows our pilot to service isolated or difficult access areas and sites which require rehabilitation and/or stabilisation,” Tatarnikov says. “Combined with Aerial Survey, our drones can be utilised to service broadacre or specific areas where treatment is necessary.” As part of the company’s Aerial Survey service, a 3D mapping is undertaken to create a virtual copy of the area with a high degree of detail. Combined with a Real-time kinematic positioning (RTK) station running, drone surveying can achieve the same 1.5cm level of accuracy that a ground station can. Monitoring drones fitted with the latest scanning and imaging technology and sensors make sure the project is going as planned.
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AERIAL DUST SUPPRESSION Consistently achieving significantly better dust control results, Erizon’s nontoxic dust control and soil stabilisation materials have been engineered and rigorously tested in some of the harshest conditions Australia wide. Tatarnikov says with unmatched efficiency, drone application of dust suppression is extremely suited for remote sites with steep or rugged terrain, limited vehicle access and where safety concerns are paramount. “For large scale dust suppression projects, hybrid or tethered drone options can be considered, to increase both flying time and access to our product,” Tatarnikov says. Mine site rehabilitation refers to the remediation of the negative effects sustained by the site and its surrounding environment during mining operations. It is often a legal requirement that mine sites must integrate environmental and social considerations throughout all phases of production. Revegetating with healthy, sustainable plant species that support existing ecosystems is the most efficient and effective way to meet remediation requirements. Erizon’s approach to mine site rehabilitation takes into consideration the climate, the size of the site, the soil or rock condition and the chemical properties to prepare an appropriate remediation plan aimed at erosion control, dust suppression and successful revegetation of even the most damaged and degraded soils. “With a comprehensive range of drone solutions available, we can provide options for your site, and back it up with our ‘Supply, Apply, Guarantee’ outcome,” Tatarnikov says. “By not relying on third-party operators or products, we can ensure the best results every time.”
Technology
Charging towards better battery operations WITH A GLOBAL SHIFT TOWARDS DECARBONISATION, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER EPIROC IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF PROVIDING BATTERY ELECTRIC SOLUTIONS FOR THE MINING AND RESOURCES INDUSTRY.
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he Western Australian Government has released the state’s first-ever environment, social and governance (ESG) information pack, which includes Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) challenges as an essential component to achieving the outcomes. The MRIWA has two challenges that appear in the ESG information pack, including the Net Zero Emission Mining challenge which aims to reduce the carbon footprint, lower overall energy costs and improve the energy efficiency of the WA mining sector through harnessing collective efforts and enabling decarbonisation to become an opportunity for the sector rather than a cost.
One of the keys to reducing the carbon footprint in the resources sector is the adoption of battery electric machinery and equipment. Global original equipment manufacturer Epiroc has recently bolstered its support for battery electric vehicles with a range of charging products for mining equipment, both fixed and mobile, with remote monitoring capabilities. Epiroc Australia and Asia-Pacific electrified solutions product and sales support lead. Brett Kenley says the company has made massive strides when it comes to its battery electric offering. “Our first battery equipment that we released goes back to about 2013, which was a little ST7 loader and a matching
Epiroc’s ST14 uses four battery sub-packs.
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20-tonne truck,” he says. “That was more to prove the concept that we could use battery equipment underground and it certainly proved that concept. “However, our first generation didn’t have any on-board cooling, so we now have a thermal management system onboard. Kenley says with Epiroc’s first generation battery system, in order to run one machine, the company needed three batteries - one on-board, one on the charge and then one cooling. “What we have now is our secondgeneration batteries, which are provided by Northvolt, and that has an on-board cooling system, also known as our thermal managing system,” he says. “So while it is on the charge it is
Epiroc says there has been increased demand for battery solutions over the past 12-18 months.
actually cooling which keeps them at an optimum temperature. “What that enables you to do is charging on-board, so you don’t have to remove the battery. “Or you can do a battery swap where one battery comes of the charge, into the machine and away you go.” Kenley says while the uptake of the company’s battery solutions has been steady, there has been increased demand over the past 12-18 months. “At our last results we had a total of 48 sold machines around different parts of the globe,” he says. “Diesel equipment has been operating for a significant period of time, so for the electrified equipment it is going to take a little bit of time to establish some key metrics. “A lot of companies are just sitting and waiting to see what happens in that space, but early signs are very promising.” Epiroc uses a modular design, so its batteries are scalable. In its drill rigs the company runs two sub-packs which is in a main battery pack. That battery pack fills the spot where the diesel engine would fit. “For our ST14 loader we have four sub-packs, so as you increase in size you are able to increase the kilowatt hours of usable energy that you can operate that piece of machinery on,” Kenley says. “For Epiroc it is a good system where
you can easily increase the kilowatt hours depending on which piece of machinery it is going into.” Epiroc has also been able to install its scalable system into other OEM equipment and machinery. Kenley says it is important to be able to assist other OEMs that may not have the funding or technology available. “There are certainly OEMs out there that don’t have the research or development areas where they can invest into battery alone,” he says. “To me, if we are truly going to halve the emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050, there is no doubt there are going to be some mining company suppliers that need some sort of solution. “I think it is important that we have that kind of product that we can offer to other OEMs so they can move into that space.” Epiroc’s partnership with Kempower is one way in which the company collaborates to develop fast-charging solutions for electric vehicles. Another Epiroc development was the recent acquisition of Meglab, adding inhouse innovation for efficient electrical infrastructure including chargers. Epiroc’s acquisition of FVT Research in September rounded out the company’s electric vehicle offering, as it can now offer battery conversion kits to allow mining companies to transition at their own pace to full electrification.
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“What we are seeing is that the battery technology is advancing quite rapidly and in the mining industry there are many people moving in that direction,” Kenley says. “It is difficult to see exactly where it will end up, it might be something along the lines of a solid-state battery, but there are certainly different areas that we are looking at, particularly with our haul trucks. “Haul trucks place a heavy demand on the battery, depending on the battery chemistry, but what we are seeing is that there needs to be a supplement there.” Kenley says customer feedback from the people operating Epiroc’s machines has been that they don’t want to go back to operating the diesel equipment, in some cases just on the vibration and noise alone. “If we can make a comfortable work environment for the people working on the ground, then that is a good result for everyone,” he says. “We all realise the importance of safety and part of that safety is wearing ear protection. “The difference in the noise alone between the diesel and battery equipment is incredible and the uptake of batteries will have a huge benefit on health and safety in terms of hearing.” Kenley says the company recognises the safety benefits of battery electric equipment. “I think it is important that we want to make the mines safer by having electrified equipment and then moving into the automation space as well,” he says. “To have an automated battery piece of equipment means we are getting feet off the ground in regard to danger areas and we are lowering emissions. “We are also reducing vibrations in the machines which has real benefits for operators who are working in the equipment for a long period of time.”
Materials Handling
Diacon advancing safety in 2022 DIACON AUSTRALIA IS REVOLUTIONISING THE CONVEYOR GUARD INDUSTRY, WITH ITS PLASTIC MESH CONVEYOR GUARDING PROVIDING A SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO STEEL GUARDING THAT WILL OUTLAST AND OUTPERFORM.
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iacon Australia has its priorities in check, with its main goal to eliminate conveyor belt injuries on mine sites. Where there are conveyor belts, there must be safety guarding for those belts, and traditionally the industry has opted for steel guarding fabricated on-site out of steel mesh. Diacon established its plastic guarding as an alternative to steel, originating from the sugar industry in Diacon’s hometown of Mackay in Queensland. “The big thing about our Diacon guarding - it’s lightweight, it’s durable, it’s corrosion-free and it’s safe. It stops people from being able to access a belt and either be pulled into or be hurt by that belt,” Diacon Australia general manager Matt Kennett says. “Sugar is an extremely corrosive substance, so we wanted to come up with a system that could outlast the steel guarding, which we have.” The plastic guarding has moved far beyond its original use in Mackay’s sugar industry, with Diacon servicing mine sites across every state in Australia, in Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. With safety at the forefront of Diacon Australia’s ethos, its plastic guarding hits the mark, with its lightweight design suitable for a one-man job and a system customised to fit the exact belt it is being used on.
Diacon conveyor guards are designed and manufactured in Australia.
“That’s probably one of the biggest things Diacon has got too, we’re pretty much a one-stop shop from design, to manufacture, to install,” Kennett tells Safe to Work. “When we’re asked by a mine, we go and have a look at their conveyor systems, we scan their belts with 3D scanning, and then we design our system around their belt. “Then we will manufacture the guarding, and we will go out with a team to do the site install.” Steel guarding created on-site out of steel mesh is heavy and bulky, which creates several safety issues. It takes two to three people to take it down when you need to do maintenance on the conveyor, whereas with Diacon, one person can lift the guarding by themselves. “All our guarding hangs on handrails, it’s all safely hung, so there’s no issue of anything being able to fall over or taking
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up area on the walkways, and it’s also a lot lighter,” Kennett says. “A standard steel mesh guard could be 30+ kilograms, whereas one of our biggest guards might be a maximum of 16 kilograms.” Diacon Australia is positive for the year ahead, with an even stronger push for safety and innovation on the cards for 2022. The company is well and truly spreading globally, with further plans to grow across the world. However, Diacon stresses the importance of supporting Australian businesses in the wake of the pandemic as life returns to somewhat normal. “I think it’s extremely important to support local, we are proudly Australian owned and operated,” Kennett says. “You’ve got to look after your own backyard and that’s what we want to do.” Not only will 2022 see a growth with Diacon’s existing products; the Diacon
Conveyor Guard, the Diacon Hungry Board and the Diacon Safety Panel, but there is also a new product set for release in the first quarter of the year. The new range of guarding is currently in the trial phase at a mine site in the Bowen Basin, and in a sugar mill in Mackay. The new product will keep the same lightweight design that Diacon plastic conveyor guards are famous for but will increase the visibility of the guarding. “It will be just as robust, and it’s coming from listening to what our customers want and working with our customers to come up with some new solutions for them,” Kennett says. “That’s one great thing about Diacon - how adaptive we are to our
customers’ needs. “All of our guarding is customised because no two conveyor belts are the same, and we understand that, and that’s what we do.” The more and more guarding that Diacon is getting out into mine sites, the more people are realising that there is an alternative to steel mesh guarding that is safer because it’s lightweight, easy to use, and it’s tailored to suit site-specific situations and applications. Diacon Australia has also put in the hard yards to refine their processes and improve the plastic quality to be able to last in the varied environments of the mine sites. “Out in the Bowen Basin you get such harsh environments from 50+
degrees in summertime down to well in the negatives, so you’ve got to have a product that can withstand all those temperatures,” Kennett says. Kennett praises his team at Diacon for how they’ve fared throughout the pandemic, and for how resilient they have become as a company, saying 2022 is onwards and upwards for them as they continue to help keep mine sites and workers safe. “The number one goal is to make sure workers are going home to their families at night-time,” Kennett says. “When they’re doing maintenance on the conveyor itself, there’s no room for them to hurt themselves with our guarding. “Our aim is to build long-term
Diacon’s plastic guarding is lightweight, durable, corrosion-free and safe.
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Risk management
What does chronic unease look like in practice? ACCIDENTS DON’T JUST HAPPEN WHEN THINGS ARE GOING BADLY; THEY OFTEN HAPPEN WHEN THINGS APPEAR TO BE GOING WELL. JODI GOODALL, OF BRADY HEYWOOD, EXPLAINS THE CONCEPT OF CHRONIC UNEASE IN HIGH HAZARD INDUSTRIES LIKE MINING AND QUARRYING, AND HOW IT CAN BE APPLIED IN PRACTICE.
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ollowing a serious accident in his workshop, where one of his most experienced maintenance team members had both of his legs crushed, the workshop manager confided to me that it felt “out of the blue”. His workshop had an excellent safety reputation. The event occurred during a crane lift of a large steel pipe. The pipe dislodged, knocked a nearby team member to the floor and rolled onto his legs. He would never walk again. Afterwards, when the investigation was complete, what frustrated the workshop manager most was that he already knew most of these issues. Similar incidents had happened, but with no bad outcome … They had a PO in the system to get the right lifting equipment ... He himself, had observed that as they
got busier there were too many jobs going on with too little space … The end of month bonus did encourage the team to take shortcuts to complete the jobs on time … The list went on. Investigations are helpful for bringing out vital learnings from incidents. But in my experience investigations also cause good business leaders anguish over actions not taken in hindsight – not to mention the devastating impacts of the incidents themselves. So rather than waiting for people in our group to suffer before we take stock and act, we can instead understand the techniques that best-in-class businesses use to prevent serious accidents altogether. There are organisations out there that manage to maintain near-accidentfree performance over many decades, despite operating in high hazard and
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complex environments. They are called High Reliability Organisations (HROs). One of the five characteristics that helps them to achieve this feat is called chronic unease, or a preoccupation with failure. CHRONIC UNEASE How long has it been since a major accident or failure in your business? Long periods of success can result in us taking our eye off the ball – we might even start celebrating our success. What we know about major accidents is that when organisations are in this mindset, they are often drifting towards failure. Accidents don’t just happen when things are going badly; they often happen when things appear to be going well. Chronic unease is a strategy to combat this. It’s a psychological state where individuals at all levels of an
Risk competence is improved by a combination of technical knowledge and experience, gathered from a wide range of sources.
organisation feel a sense of constant discomfort and healthy scepticism about how risks are being managed. This leads them to relentlessly hunt for warning signs of potential failure. Then the trick is to make those warning signs more vivid, and act on them to prevent those failures occurring. In September this year, I delivered a webinar discussing chronic unease and how it can be applied in practice. There was a lot of interest in the topic; a lot of people are keen to incorporate chronic
unease in their organisations. A common misconception is that chronic unease is just about combatting complacency at the frontline. But exhibiting chronic unease isn’t the responsibility of one group. And in practice, chronic unease is only able to flourish in organisations in the long run when environmental factors are structured to support its presence. There are four areas that are essential for an organisation to work on to create chronic unease
The four essential areas for an organisation to create and sustain chronic unease.
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and sustain it (see Figure 1): 1. A questioning attitude. 2. Psychological safety. 3. Risk competence. 4. Systems to detect and capture warning signs. 1. ADOPTING A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE A questioning attitude is a curiosity about the signs in front of you and a commitment to looking deeper. It helps you explore risks, uncover warning signs,
Risk management controlled, and the more easily that warning signs can be noticed.
Jodi Goodall is Head of Organisational Reliability at Brady Heywood.
and understand what those warning signs might mean. It provides a clearer picture of what your organisation’s real performance is and where the real issues are. You should question your assumptions, any unintended outcomes (positive or negative) and anomalies. Ask questions like: • Do we understand why we got that result? • What could be the worst outcome? • How could that control fail? • What is our backup plan if it does? 2. CREATING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY Psychological safety is a cultural environment where people feel like they will not be personally judged or punished for speaking up about warning signs or issues – especially by their seniors in the organisation. Psychological safety is important if you want to make sure you have a chance of receiving the benefit of everyone’s observations. You don’t want anything left unsaid, such as: • People’s own mistakes and errors. • Near misses. • Things that look strange or different. Ever heard the phrase “that’s career limiting”? If your people feel they could be personally judged or punished for reporting incidents, making mistakes, or
challenging decisions or directions they perceive as unsafe (especially to more senior people), they may choose not to raise issues – and rarely is it obvious if people are holding back. Psychological safety is cultivated when leaders reward and recognise those who speak up, even if it turns out to be nothing, or even incorrect. Punitive approaches often discourage speaking up. 3. IMPROVING RISK COMPETENCE Everyone from the board to the frontline needs to have a clear understanding of the hazards and how they are managed – in other words, a high level of risk competence. If we can’t visualise what could go wrong, or if we don’t have a clear picture of what our hazards look like when they’re being well controlled, then it’s easy to assume that things are going well. I’m not talking about classroom training in risk management. Risk competence is improved by a combination of technical knowledge and experience, gathered from a wide range of sources. The more risk competence your organisation possesses, the more understanding there will be about any weaknesses in how the risks are
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4. CAPTURING WARNING SIGNS Our systems for detecting and capturing warning signs may include: • Systems to monitor physical risk such as strata, dust or gas monitoring systems. • Reliability systems such as maintenance and inspection systems. • Reporting systems for your people to tell you when unexpected things happen. These systems should support the process of capturing, analysing and taking action on our warning signs. Even if we collect a lot of data, if the data isn’t turned into meaningful information or doesn’t reach the right people, it can’t inform our decision-making. 5. CREATING CHRONIC UNEASE Practical ways to create chronic unease include: • Storytelling. Storytelling is hands down one of the best ways to create chronic unease. People are more likely to retain information if they hear it as part of a story. Also, as big failures don’t happen very often, storytelling is the best way to recreate an experience for people that they can learn from and relate the details to their own situation. You can use stories or findings from your industry or other industries, use your own stories, or invite your technical experts to share theirs. • Technical experts taking a teaching role. Invite your experts (internal and external) to share their technical knowledge about a particular aspect of a risk or a control. You could have regular 15-minute presentations from these people instead of a toolbox talk. • Exploring your data. Take time in groups to explore your data (maintenance, incident, quality, production) with fresh eyes. Get
“Leaders must address the organisational factors that suppress chronic unease, and build practical influences into their organisation to encourage its continued presence at all levels. ” “fidelity” on the numbers by reading incident descriptions and asking experts. For example, start with your hazard reports. Get a deep understanding of the types of reports you are getting. For example, are they all related to one type of hazard? Are there blind spots elsewhere? Do all the reports come from one team? • Leaders spending time in the field. Field time is all about learning for everyone involved. Listen to those doing the work about what makes it successful and what makes it challenging. Take an expert or a set of fresh eyes with you (not a pack of people). • Using LEAN continuous improvement techniques to explore successful work. For example, “learning teams” and Kaizen approaches. Leaders can use the knowledge discovered through these techniques to increase learning. • Using bowtie diagrams as shared risk knowledge. Organisations need a clear picture of their major hazards and something to anchor conversations to. Bowties enable everyone to speak the same language and to have a common understanding of hazards and controls – from the board room, to the planning team, to front-line workers.
FINAL THOUGHTS There are many factors working against us practicing chronic unease. That is why telling people to “report more”, “notice more”, “care more” or to “have more chronic ease” doesn’t work. Without the right organisational environment, chronic unease cannot survive the long haul. Leaders must address the organisational factors that suppress chronic unease, and build practical influences into their organisation to encourage its continued presence at all levels. Organisations must ensure they are set up to incentivise wanted behaviours through their actions as well as their words. The way we message, measure and reward within our organisations, the level of our understanding of hazards and controls, and the systems we put in place to capture information all have a
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profound effect on whether warning signs can rise to the surface, receive attention, and be acted upon. Chronic unease takes effort to build into your organisation so that it sticks and becomes chronic. It’s worth it. In the end it’s all about finding multiple ways to amplify your warning signs and make them more vivid, so you can act on them before they lead to failure.
Jodi Goodall is Head of Organisational Reliability at Brady Heywood, Brisbane, Queensland. Brady Heywood has also developed the Queensland mining and quarrying podcast series “Rethinking Safety” as part of the Brady Review. This podcast contains interviews with key industry leaders, the regulator and union about key challenges faced by the industry. Visit bradyheywood.com.au/podcasts Sean Brady and Jodi Goodall’s thoughts about serious accidents, mine safety and High Reliability Organisations can also be found at bradyheywood.com. au/insights
Check out the recording of the webinar “What does chronic unease look like in practice?” on the Brady Heywood YouTube channel, where Jodi digs deeper into practices for risk competence and systems that capture warning signs.
Risk Management
MikroPul dusting off for safety NEDERMAN MIKROPUL IS A LEADER IN THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL INDUSTRY, WITH ITS BROAD RANGE OF DUST COLLECTION SYSTEMS AND FILTRATION SOLUTIONS LAUNCHING IT AS A GLOBAL POWERHOUSE.
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ith a mission to protect people, the planet and products from the harmful effects of industrial processes, Nederman MikroPul contributes to efficient production, environmental benefits and a safer workplace. MikroPul is the inventor of the famous pulse jet dust collector, which keeps mine sites safe from harmful dust, smoke and fumes that are an unavoidable element of an industrial environment. Dust collectors have been used in some form or another for well over 100 years, initially to address concerns over the effects exposure to certain dusts had on workers in heavy process industries, including mining, manufacturing and welding. Effective dust management on-site is required as concern over how these dusts are affecting workers remains. “A lot of these dusts can be toxic - think of coal dust as one example of where you are breathing in a lot of that, and it can have detrimental effects,” Nederman MikroPul aftermarket manager Dennis Kovacevic says. Implementing the correct dust management systems is crucial, and Nederman MikroPul is at the forefront of assisting mining companies to understand the right system for them. “What we do is we come in and review the processes for collecting dust and fumes, and we look at ways we can extract it from areas to keep staff safe through filtering it out and
MikroPul contributes to environmental benefits and a safer workplace.
disposing of the material in a safe way,” Kovacevic says. Nederman MikroPul dust collectors are used in many different mining operations across the world, with Rio Tinto utilising dozens in its operations alone. Over the lifetime of the dust collector, its capacity stretches with new features and capabilities added, and if it’s not
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engineered correctly this can result in a loss of suction in existing areas, exposing employees and the environment to the adverse effects of the dust. “The immediate impact is obviously people inhaling and breathing it in, but secondary to that is it getting into the air and then doing untold damage and reducing the air quality in general,” Kovacevic says.
Regular maintenance on a dust collection system is fundamental in ensuring that it is operating as intended and keeping the work areas clear of dust. Ad hoc maintenance is the bare minimum that is required and is usually triggered by the underperformance of the dust collection system. The trigger point prompts the company to seek advice on repairs, which could be a noticeable loss of suction or an obvious dust coating on the floor and equipment. However, for it to become noticeable in this way, the dust collector has most likely been underperforming for some time, and exposure to the dust could have been there for weeks or months before someone noticed the issue. Gauging the benefits of a proper maintenance program is difficult for some businesses, as there is often the assumption that if the collector is operating, there is not a problem, however, if it stops due to a mechanical failure, production then stops, and then that piece of equipment is costing money until it can be repaired. A proper maintenance program is designed to avoid unplanned stoppages by finding and repairing any faults before they break down. Nederman MikroPul customers in the mining sector are often on ongoing scheduled preventative maintenance programs, meaning MikroPul conducts regular inspections and assessments of the equipment and parts, to ensure it doesn’t have any unplanned, costly downtime. ‘Clean Air as a Service’ is a program where MikroPul takes on the responsibility for the dust collector infrastructure and set out a clear maintenance program over three or five years at a fixed cost. This covers all parts and labour and gives the clients access to expert technicians who regularly attend the
MikroPul is the inventor of the famous pulse jet dust collector.
site and check over the condition of the equipment and change anything that could fail unexpectedly. “We work with mines to say, ‘we’ll take responsibility for making sure that your dust collector or your equipment is maintained as it should and to suit your requirements’,” Kovacevic tells Safe to Work. “It obviously depends on usage, so if a mine runs for eight hours a day, five days a week, it’s going to be a different maintenance program to a mine that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.” This then ties in with its next level of maintenance support, the remote monitoring system MikroPul-Assist, which gives real-time feedback to a computer or mobile device on the performance of the dust collector and flags issues that may need attention before a catastrophic failure can occur. “What it does is; report that there’s an issue and you need to get out and fix it because it’s not operating as it should be,” Kovacevic adds. “It’ll flag a number of issues that are
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going to have an impact on what the collector is supposed to do, and it can actually get maintenance teams out there before it becomes a major issue and start to repair things.” The benefit of bringing in external contractors to conduct maintenance activities on dust collection equipment is often overlooked as the mining companies already have general maintenance staff on-site, however, only years of experience working on this type of equipment can help identify seemingly minor issues. This marriage of remote monitoring and external expertise makes everybody better informed. Mine sites are notoriously hard on equipment. However, with maintenance, you can extend the life of a lot of parts longer than it would be possible without it. Nederman MikroPul is an industry professional that helps its customers gain the benefit of working with air quality professionals who understand the process and can help a mine site be as safe as it possibly can be.
Risk Management
Mining’s criminal curveball WHILE THEY MAKE UP A SMALL PROPORTION OF MINE SITE INCIDENTS, DELIBERATELY LIT FIRES ARE JUST AS DEADLY AS ANY OTHER SAFETY INCURSION AND MUST BE MET WITH THE SAME URGENCY.
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ining fires predominantly occur haphazardly, with flammable liquids igniting with a fuel source to spark combustion. Fires can be created from fixed and mobile plant malfunctions or maintenance tasks that involve hot work and hot metal or slag kindling with a source. Conveyor belts can also cause fires, whereby excessive friction on pulleys and rollers can create an ignition. There’s also the potential for fires to be deliberately lit. An arsonist caused the 2014 Hazelwood coal mine fire in Victoria. The fire commenced inside an open cut mine and burned for 45 days, clouding Morwell in smoke and forcing the town’s residents to evacuate. Fire Forensics senior fire investigator Keith Murray says deliberately lit fires bear unique characteristics from accidental ignitions. “There’s evidence and trails that you can recognise. The one I can think
Thievery can play a big part in deliberately lit mining fires.
of, just a couple of months ago that I attended, was the fire destroyed an excavator,” Murray says. “From the external scene examination, there was debris lying to the side. One part of the debris was the cab door. Analysing the door frame, there was a small dent in the metalwork to the top of the door. “Placing the door back onto the excavator, you could see there was a gouge mark between the top of the door
Deliberately lit fires are just as deadly as any other mining safety incursion.
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and the actual door frame. So, someone had tried to prise the door open. That was the first tell-tale sign or indicator for me of a deliberate act.” Murray says the location of the remains can also indicate the sequence of events and paint a picture of how the fire developed. “The second was the debris within the cab. If you break toughened glass, the glass will fragment into small pieces and fall onto the cab’s floor and outside the excavator. Once the fire is set, the fire destroys the cab’s contents and falls on top of the glass,” he says. “The glass then actually protects the floor, creating protection marks on the floor, in addition, the glass is also clean on both sides with no smoke staining. “You can observe this when you scrape the top debris away to reveal glass away. The cub floor underneath is clean, having been protected from the glass particles. So, if the fire started in the excavator, you would have a lot of smoke, a lot of soot, a lot of
burning debris on the floor. “However, the glass was there before the debris, which indicated to me that there was malicious intent.” Other deliberate fire indicators can include the use of accelerant or ignitable liquids. This can be evidenced by laboratory analysis – from the samples taken from the scene of a fire – to confirm their presence. Modern technology now offers mining companies a real-time understanding of how their machinery operates. The use of telematics provides accurate data to facilitate proactive measures such as operations of the machinery and preventative maintenance. Telematics has also advanced the investigation of deliberately lit mining fires. The data capture enables fire investigators to understand the chronology and location of certain criminal behaviours. “You can get the telematics from the manufacturer for that specific machinery on the permission of the owner to understand how it was operating at the time of the fire,” Murray says. “The telematics records display a variety of information from; its location, how long it was used for, the time, when someone was sitting on the seat, if the ignition was on or off, the fuel used, the temperature etc. “In this case, they couldn’t start the excavator, so the next thing is the battery terminal display on the telematics displays no battery which indicates to us that something has happened to the battery, i.e. this is when the fire attacked the battery, in this case.” Murray says there are a few prevailing rationales behind deliberately lit fires, and thievery can play a big part in these incidents. “There are probably two main motives for fires in machinery. Stealing parts off the machinery; I’ve also come across fires where the arsonist has been stealing diesel from the actual
Telematics has advanced the investigation of deliberately lit mining fires.
vehicles itself,” Murray says. “They could also be trying to steal the excavator to take it away and sell it on. But again, you might be able to do that with an older system, but the newer systems that they’ve got in these excavators are probably nigh-onimpossible to get away with now unless you know what you’re doing.” Hailing from Scotland, Murray has recently joined Fire Forensics as a senior fire investigator where he will be heading up the company’s new Western Australia office. He brings more than 30 years in the Fire and Rescue Service and more than 15 years of experience in fire and explosions investigation. He has scrutinised fires in locations such as Texas, Mississippi, Poland, Scotland, England, Wales, France and Ireland. “Fire Forensics is looking to expand its presence; with a strong foothold in the eastern states, the company has identified the mining-rich Western Australia as a particular priority,” he says. “The company wanted to expand to
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Perth, so Jim Munday (Fire Forensics founder and senior fire investigator) moved to the Perth area, but he only wanted to do part-time,” Keith says. “So, I’ve come in to support Jim and now we want to expand to Western Australia and the Northern Territory in the next year or two and build up the client base that Fire Forensics has already got in Victoria and New South Wales. “We’re going to build a small team in Perth initially … and then see how we go and will hopefully increase our team to cover Western and the Northern Territory of Australia and potentially into Asia in the near future.” Keith expects that a proportion of his time will be spent on Western Australia mine sites, familiarising himself with the industry and understanding the safety risks unique to the Pilbara, Mid-West, Goldfields and beyond. Whether he’s faced with a deliberately lit fire or not, Keith has a vital role to play in consolidating the safety standards of one of the world’s most proliferate mining jurisdictions.
Workforce management
Shining a light on the FIFO industry A WESTERN AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO SEXUAL HARASSMENT AGAINST WOMEN IN THE FIFO MINING INDUSTRY AIMS TO IMPLEMENT POSITIVE CHANGES IN THE STATE’S RESOURCES SECTOR.
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he mining sector takes great pride in its safety record. While accidents can and do happen, as a general rule the number of incidents has decreased significantly over the past two decades. Mining companies often release updated injury frequency rates as part of their yearly reports with most highlighting significant improvements in workplace injuries and incidents. However, recent media reports have shone a spotlight on one critical area of workplace safety that appears to have increased – sexual harassment and assaults, particularly in the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) sector. Last year due to the allegations of these media reports, chair of the WA Parliamentary Community Development and Justice Standing Committee Libby Mettam, who is also the State Liberal Party deputy leader and Member for Vasse, called for a parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry. “These reports were obviously very distressing, and I felt that there was a good opportunity to invest parliamentary resources in undertaking an inquiry into this challenging issue,” Mettam says. “One of the values of parliamentary committees is that you can look into some of the more challenging policy areas and make recommendations to government.
The FIFO industry is the focus of the parliamentary inquiry.
“I also appreciate that there is a finite period where you are a member of parliament, so I am very much focussed that the time I spend in parliament is as relevant and as productive as possible.” Mettam says while she understands that the WA mining sector is particularly unique, and underpins the Western Australian economy, she feels it was important to address the issues as a way to highlight the safety of the workforce. “My electorate of Vasse is one of the largest FIFO bases in the state,” she says. “I felt I had a responsibility to these constituents, and to those working in the industry, to highlight these important issues and use the parliamentary resources available to hopefully make some recommendations that can lead to positive change in the industry.”
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The inquiry was called in July with submissions from the industry, as well as anonymous submissions from victims, due by mid-August. The committee consisted of Western Australian Legislative Assembly members Divina D’Anna, Mark Folkard, Kim Giddens and Jodie Hanns, with Mettam as the chair. According to the inquiry’s terms of reference, the committee was urged to consider: • Is there a clear understanding of the prevalence, nature, outcomes and reporting of sexual harassment in FIFO workplaces? • Do existing workplace characteristics and practices – including but not limited to workplace cultures, rosters, drug and alcohol policies and recruitment practices – adequately protect against sexual harassment? • Are current legislation, regulations,
WA Parliamentary Community Development and Justice Standing Committee chair Libby Mettam.
policies and practices adequate for FIFO workplaces in Western Australia? • What actions are being taken by industry and government to improve the situation and are there any examples of good practice? Mettam says the inquiry received a positive response from industry. “I also received strong support from my colleagues on the committee as well,” she says. “I was buoyed by the fact the mining industry were very supportive of this inquiry and had contacted me to illustrate as much.” Major mining companies including Fortescue Metals Group, BHP and Rio Tinto made public submissions, while the Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia (CMEWA), the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) and the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) were among the industry organisations to also make public submissions. CMEWA chief executive Paul Everingham says the sector wants to be open and transparent in its desire to improve safety for women at operations around WA. “As I’ve said previously, any instances of rape, sexual assault
and sexual harassment are totally unacceptable” Everingham says. “We apologise to anyone who has experienced this type of behaviour in our sector. To all of those who have come forward to report it, we thank you for your bravery, and to those who previously haven’t felt safe or supported enough to come forward, please know that we are committed to providing an environment in which you feel safe to do so. “Our aim is for all women to feel safe on all of our sites and facilities across WA at all times.” Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Simon Trott says his company welcomed the opportunity to participate in the inquiry and recognises the importance of shining a light on the issue of sexual harassment in the industry. “The safety of our people is our top priority,” he says. “In February, we established the Everyday Respect Taskforce to improve how we prevent and respond to disrespectful behaviours in the workplace including sexual harassment. “A critical function of the Taskforce is asking our people to share their own experiences and contribute to the solution. “We strongly believe that with the right focus from industry and a clear and consistent legislative and regulatory framework, all forms of disrespectful behaviour in the workplace, including sexual harassment, can be eliminated. We are committed to playing our part.” Mettam says since the inquiry was called, there have been a number of different policies that the mining industry has implemented. “This has involved taking different approaches or including sexual harassment in Occupational Health and Safety policies at some mines
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as opposed to the concern that this problem was being dealt with as a human resources issue,” she says. In October, Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue agreed to partner and fund learning programs as part of a continued commitment towards mining sector workplaces that are free from sexual harassment, bullying and racism. Through this partnership, the three companies will fund and contribute to the design, build and implementation of new social awareness education packages for deployment through a range of education providers such as TAFE, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), universities and high schools. Mettam says there has also been changes implemented around alcohol policies, including a maximum drink limit at some sites. “We have seen some sites spend significantly on safety measures like CCTV and security upgrades which has happened just in recent months,” she says. “I certainly think that one of the gains of the inquiry already has been shining a spotlight on these issues.” “I genuinely believe that this inquiry can be successful if we are able to take the major stakeholders in the industry along with us.” With recommendations from the inquiry to be tabled in April, Mettam believes there is an opportunity for positive change in the industry. “I do feel comfortable with the way the inquiry has gone,” Mettam says. “However, in saying that I have taken aback by some of the confidential stories or experiences that have been submitted. There will be quite a lot of work over the next few months in putting that report together, but I am confident we will be able to make positive and significant changes within the mining industry.”
Events
Prospect Awards finalists exhibit mining’s best FINALISTS FOR THE 2021 AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS ARE NOW LOCKED IN WITH THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST IN SAFETY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OVERALL BRILLIANCE ALL ON SHOW.
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he Prospect Awards is a mustsee event that showcases the best innovations and projects developed by mining and METS (mining equipment, technology and services) companies, ensuring outstanding individual and team performances are recognised. Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 awards show will go ahead, albeit on March 17, 2022, at The Greek Club in Brisbane. Prospect Awards events manager Lauren Winterbottom thanks each of the talented individuals and organisations that submitted an application.
COAL MINE OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY SEW-EURODRIVE A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE This award recognises a coal mine that is performing well or has carried out an innovative project or program like last year’s winners, the Moolarben operation in New South Wales. The nominations are the Kestrel coal mine, owned by Kestrel Coal Resources, and Yancoal’s Yarrabee coal mine, both in Queensland. Kestrel has been recognised for making the operation one of Australia’s highest producing underground longwall coal mines. The mine produced 3.45 million tonnes of coal for the first half of 2021 before it completed a longwall move in less than 23 days from July to August.
The awards night will be held in Brisbane.
Yancoal has been recognised for its new cultural framework. During 2020-2021, Yarrabee broke all previous monthly and quarterly records for drilling and explosives loaded. It also became the first mine in Australia to implement the new Hitachi 800 tonne excavator, the EX8000-7. CONTRACT MINER OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY EPIROC This award recognises excellence in contract mining, engineering, projects, and services. For the second year in a row, Mader Group has been nominated, alongside newcomer MEC Mining. Mader Group provides specialist maintenance support for heavy mobile equipment and fixed infrastructure in mining and civil industries. Its value on the ASX increased by more than 20 per cent in the 2021 financial year. MEC Mining’s Productive Solutions offer holistic consultation to clients whose
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challenges have been compounded by the pandemic and increasing scrutiny of environmental and safety practices. In early 2020, MEC was approached by an ASX-listed mining multi-national publicly committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. HARD ROCK MINE OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY EPIROC This award turns the focus on hard rock mining and the businesses performing well or undertaking innovation projects to better themselves and the industry. New Century Resources has been nominated for two awards this year, the first of which sees its Century zine mine up for Hard Rock Mine of the Year. Century saw teams take on initiatives in water saving through hydraulic mining, and concentrate loading in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Roy Hill iron ore mine delivered a record equivalent annual run rate of 60 million tonnes in the June quarter of 2021.
This was despite a range of restrictions, including inclement weather, COVID-19 restrictions and a skills shortage. New programs at Roy Hill included a new autonomous haulage system, a new crusher and overland conveyor system. INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT AWARD The Indigenous Engagement Award, for which nominees are selected based on significant collaboration with Aboriginalowned businesses, continues to increase in recognition. Finalists in 2021 include Atlas Iron, iCutter Industries and Sandvik. Atlas Iron attracted attention for its record-breaking contract to Indigenous business East-West Pilbara (EWP) for load and haul, and drill and blast services for the Miralga Creek mine in Western Australia. The Hancock Prospecting subsidiary saw EWP as the best choice as it is directly connected to Traditional Owners of the land on which Miralga Creek will operate, the Nyamal people. iCutter is an Australian owned and operated indigenous business in the drill and blast sector, based in Mackay, Queensland. Through BHP’s Local Buying Program, iCutter has worked with the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and takes discarded drilling tools for refurbishment. If refurbishment is not possible, iCutter repurposes or recycles the tools. Sandvik launched its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which contains almost 100 key actions across pillars of Respect, Relationships, Opportunities and Governance in working with Australia’s Indigenous communities. One action was to investigate opportunities to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders into the Sandvik supply chain and this welcome partnerships with Yakeen Safety, Geared Up Culcha and Mirri Mirri Productions.
MINE MANAGER OF THE YEAR – PROUDLY SPONSORED BY CRC This award takes a closer look at the individuals driving the success of Australia’s leading mining operations. Nominees hail from mining giants Glencore and Yancoal. Glencore mine services superintendent at the McArthur River coal mine, Carrie Heaven, has risen through the ranks since she entered the industry as a geotechnical engineer in 2011. Heaven has improved the operation’s female bathroom facilities, established a mining engineer cadetship program, and an Indigenous employment program. Yancoal’s Cris Shadbolt joined the company three years ago as the mining manager and quickly earned his way to becoming the operations manager at Yarrabee coal mine. Shadbolt has helped to implement a program at the mine called the Yarrabee Way, which looks to improve people, safety and proficiency. MINERALS PROCESSING OF THE YEAR This award recognises a mine, company, or project that has developed or carried out an innovative or unique minerals processing program. Lynas Rare Earths has been nominated for its work optimising the milling and flotation circuit at its Mt Weld site. The project differs from others due to the flotation of phosphate minerals compared with sulphide minerals in gold and base metals processing plants. New Century Resources received its second nomination in minerals processing for the commissioning of its Jameson cell at the Century mine. The company worked with Mineralis Consultants to implement the Jameson cell circuit upgrade to achieve recovery grades of 50 to 54 per cent. Metso Outotec is recognised for its work increasing gold recovery at AngloGold Ashanti’s Sunrise Dam gold mine.
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SAFETY ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR As regulations hone in on weaknesses in health and safety, this award looms as an important one to win. Boom Logistics, Fenner Dunlop, Mitchell Services, and Lyons Air Conditioning Services have been recognised for their contribution to worker health and safety. Boom Logistics is Australia’s largest national crane and lifting company and has a significant responsibility to maintain safety across the business. Thanks to its “Safe Act Observations” principle, the company more than doubled its annual safety observations from 2019 to 2021. Fenner Dunlop has implemented a list of safety initiatives in its pursuit of total safety for its employees, thanks to general manager of safety, training and technical, Vicki Wust. These included a mechanical advanced course, a collaboration with SafetyCircle, centralised training records, and a relaunch of its Trust Yet Verify program. Lyons partnered with a US-based company which set the standard on cabin filtration. Mitchell Services has implemented its frontline-driven fatal risk management initiative. By engaging with on-site operators, it has improved the operators’ understanding of critical risks on the job. In the 12 months since commencing implementation, there has been more than 1000 inspections incorporating more than 22,000 verifications of individual critical controls. Thank you to Prospect Award sponsors National Group, Liebherr, SEW-Eurodrive, Epiroc, Austmine, Flexco, CRC and Vocus for supporting the program. Tickets for the evening are now available online at www.prospectawards.com.au
Events CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@SAFETOWORK.COM.AU THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD CONFERENCE SYDNEY | FEBRUARY 10-11 The Australian Gold Conference will take place across two days in 2022 at Crown Sydney, kicking off with an ‘Introduction to Gold’ pre-event hosted by The Perth Mint on February 9. From there, a two-day symposium will be held – bringing together every aspect of the precious metals investment industry. Keynote speakers will present their investment views and look at how we can grow and protect our wealth going forward. Bullion dealers will also be on hand to help you understand how. • goldindustrygroup.com.au/events/industryevent-2021-australian-gold-conference
AUSTMINE MINING INNOVATION ROADSHOW NEWCASTLE | FEBRUARY 24 This full-day conference will focus on concepts discussed at Austmine’s biennial conference and exhibition from May 2021. Conversations surrounding sustainability and innovation will be driven by keynote speakers Mick Buffier, Glencore; Stuart Sneyd, Metso Outotec; Cam Halfpenny, Bengalla Mining Company; and Belinda Grealy, Orica. New topics will also be discussed which relate to the local mining and METS industry, including safer and more productive coal mining, opportunities for diversification into metals mining and other industries, the role of innovation in driving sustainable processes. Roundtable interactions will present an opportunity to network with senior industry leaders, researchers and delegates. • innovationroadshow.austmine.com.au
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY BRISBANE, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, ADELAIDE AND PERTH | MARCH 4-11 Returning to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in March 2022, AusIMM will present another forward-thinking event as they continue to raise the profile of women in the resources sector. As part of their 2021 International Women’s Day event series, AusIMM welcomed 1600 people from across Australia to applaud the achievements of women in the resources sector and hear from inspiring keynotes
about their own journeys on challenging bias and inequality. The series welcomed respected industry speakers such as human rights lawyer and hostage survivor Rabia Siddique, Australia’s chief scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO, South Australia’s chief scientist Prof Caroline McMillen AO, success coach Yemi Penn, and company director, author and leadership expert Dr Kirstin Ferguson across the five locations in 2021. • ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ international-womens-day
AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS BRISBANE | MARCH 17 The Australian Mining Prospect Awards return in March of 2022. Mining has always been a part of Australia’s landscape, playing a major part in the development of this nation from its early days. The sector remains vibrant and innovative, and for more than a decade the Australian Mining Prospect Awards have been the only national awards program reward those who are excelling and going above and beyond, recognising and rewarding innovation. The Australian Mining Prospect Awards were established in 2004 to recognise excellence and innovation in the Australian mining industry. • prospectawards.com.au
QUEENSLAND MINING INDUSTRY HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE GOLD COAST | AUGUST 21-24 Representing an initiative to promote health and safety in the Queensland mining industry, the conference provides attendees with the opportunity to exchange information, network and foster proactive
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health and safety management techniques. This year, the event returns with the theme “Together we collaborate, innovate and educate”. The conference will retain presentations planned for 2020. It follows a bumper year for conference attendance, with almost 1000 people joining the event when it featured seven keynote presentations, 50 concurrent presentations and 60 trade displays in 2019. Held at The Star Gold Coast this year, the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference will conclude with the Safety Innovation Health Awards and gala dinner. • qmihsconference.org.au
BULK 2022: AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING EXPO MELBOURNE | AUGUST 24-26 The Australian Bulk Handling Expo, conference and awards will take place in 2022 to bring together the bulk handling industry into a standalone exhibition that shares the same location as MEGATRANS, which integrates intrinsically with the logistics and multimodal freight sector. It is supported by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), which will host an industry conference, while the trade expo will showcase the latest in bulk materials handling equipment and technologies. Exhibitors include VEGA, SEW-Eurodrive, Mideco, Bonfiglioli, Minprovise and ESS Engineering. BULK2022 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre over a period of three days. BULK2020 and BULK2021 ticketholders will be able to use their tickets to join the rescheduled expo. • bulkhandlingexpo.com.au
THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY
ISSUE 17 - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Modern Maintenance Improving productivity and safety
OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS
Safety Research
Health & wellbeing
Technology
Risk Management
Throughout the cycles of the mining industry there is one constant for everyone involved in the industry – safety. A safe workplace is critical to the continued success of your business. Launched in 2018, Safe To Work provides a high-quality, multi-platform publication for the Australian mining sector, with safety as its key focus.
Safe To Work’s promotional features deliver a forum for organisations to showcase the role each aspect of safety plays in helping the industry achieve the industry’s No. 1 priority.
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