Features

16 Removing workers from the crush zone

Nivek Industries’ new, larger and more potent tracked elevating device – Big TED – is an essential piece of safety gear for maintenance personnel working on suspended load hazards.

18 To the rescue

The Victorian Mine Rescue Competition is an important opportunity for teams to sharpen their emergency response skills.

22 Avoiding the line of fire

SafeGauge

26 Maintaining the Pit Viper is a team effort

Epiroc’s drill rig is reinforced by a team-based approach to maintenance that embraces safety while achieving reductions in downtime.

28 Remote workers are guarded by an Angel Guardian Angel Safety delivers reliable integrated end-to-end network, hardware and safety-monitoring solutions for the protection of isolated workers.

32 Going isocyanate-free to improve maintenance

A&I Coatings’ tough-wearing topcoat is an indispensable solution that improves safety for heavy machinery maintenance.

34 Your winners for the 2022 Prospect Awards

Safety was a key theme at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards.

38 Work hard and breathe easy

The protection of on-site workers is in Honeywell’s DNA, and the company has created solutions to safeguard lives in the mining and construction industries.

40 Regulations around the country

Australia’s success in mining is underpinned by low rates of injury and loss of life, due in large part to the efforts of the various state and territory industry regulators.

United. Inspired.

Avoid unplanned maintenance with RigScan from Epiroc

Working hard in tough environments requires strength and endurance to keep your equipment running at peak performance in a safe way is key to a successful operation. RigScan is an advanced audit service product that gives you a real time, non-intrusive look at your equipment’s running condition and performance from the inside.

BHP workers safe following earthquake near Nickel West

All BHP employees were safe after the miner temporarily lost communication with its underground workers at a mine site near Leinster, WA, following an earthquake.

Geoscience Australia reported a magnitude four seismic event struck near the Nickel West mine at a depth of 5km in the Goldfields’ region on November 23 2022.

A BHP spokeswoman said the earthquake resulted in a power outage and subsequent loss of communication with members of the Nickel West Leinster site underground team.

“All team members are safe, uninjured and accounted for,” she said. “The safety of our people and operations is underpinned by our strong operating systems, technical monitoring procedures and the diligence and hard work of our teams.

“There is nothing more important than the safety of our people. In line with our usual processes, operations will resume once safety tests have been completed.”

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) urged WorkSafe and the company to release more details about the incident.

“BHP needs to give us the full story. What happened? Will this happen again? Is it preventable?” Australian Workers Union state branch secretary,

Brad Gandy said according to Seven West Media. “Companies should be talking to us, talking to the relevant bodies – not closing ranks and bunkering down.”

Nickel West is a fully integrated mine-to-market business operating in various locations across WA.

The integrated business adds value throughout the nickel supply chain, with the majority of Nickel West’s current production sold as powder and briquettes.

Attempt to activate dozer’s fire suppression system fails

Inspectors from the New South Wales Resources Regulator recently investigated an incident and made a series of key safety recommendations when a dozer operator at an opencut mine unsuccessfully attempted to activate the machine’s fire suppression system.

The operator witnessed smoke and flames and tried to activate the fire suppression system, but the valve and panel cover separated from the mounting bracket when trying to withdraw the safety pin.

Unaware if the system could still be activated, the operator reversed a short distance, lowered the access ladder, and pressed the red emergency button. With flames licking up through gaps around the deck plate, the operator exited the cabin via the left-hand door and jumped from the deck about 3m to the ground.

The operator was not injured and went to the rear of the machine to shut down the engine down. The fire suppression system then activated automatically. Following the incident, an assessment of the dozer was conducted by Resources Regulator inspectors, an industry safety and health representative and mine site representatives.

Where mines have rotary-style fire suppression system actuators, mine operators should undertake the following safety recommendations: develop a site standard for actuator panel configuration; conduct an audit of plant to check all relevant fire suppression system panels are compliant; review the various types of fire suppression systems of activation to ensure all relevant personnel are trained; review instructional labels to ensure the information is correct; ensure that change-management processes identify appropriate actions; note differences between new plant systems and existing plant; review second egress methods and regularly train workers in their location and use; and report failures of safety critical systems to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure they can address emerging issues with their designs.