THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY
ISSUE 9 - SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020
Managing dust Stopping respirable dangers
Environment
Mental health
Technology
Mining equipment
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Comment How respirable threats can bite the dust THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY BE THE MOST IMMEDIATE SAFETY FOCUS IN 2020, BUT WORK TO SUPRESS DUST AT MINE SITES CONTINUES BEHIND THE SCENES.
BEN CREAGH
D
espite the distractions of 2020, the mining industry’s focus on limiting workers’ exposure to dust-borne diseases remains a top priority. As we saw in August, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) is still prevalent after a new case emerged in New South Wales. It reinforced the need for mining companies to take precautions that help protect workers from respirable threats in the workplace. While a dated statistic, the Australian Cancer Council found that 587,000 Australian workers were exposed to silica dust in 2011. The council estimates that almost 10 per cent are at risk of developing lung cancer in the future due to this exposure. The diagnosis of CWP in 21 Queensland coal workers last decade caused the Queensland Government to launch an inquiry into the reidentification of the disease in 2017. The response to this reemergence in respirable disease has been swift cross Australia. Safe Work Australia last
NICKOLAS ZAKHARIA Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: nickolas.zakharia@primecreative.com.au
PUBLISHER CHRISTINE CLANCY MANAGING EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALISTS SALOMAE HASELGROVE Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: salomae.haselgrove@primecreative.com.au
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year developed new Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants (WESFAC) to protect workers across the mining, quarrying, construction and masonry industries from airborne contaminants. The body recommended that the WESFAC be reduced by half, from the eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre (mg/m3) to 0.05 mg/m3 under the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011. The Australian Government also established a National Dust Disease Taskforce in 2019 to investigate the trend of new cases of respirable crystalline silica in workers. It committed $5 million to support the taskforce and related measures, including the establishment of a National Dust Diseases Register, and research to support comprehension, prevention and treatment of occupational dust diseases. While respirable diseases are believed to have affected mine workers since the 17th century, the industry is better placed than
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SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 3 SEP-OCT 2020
ever to prevent them. This edition highlights new dust suppression methods and technologies that are being applied in the mining industry to protect workers. They demonstrate a renewed focus on stopping the re-emergence of respirable diseases, hopefully making them a safety concern the industry can finally leave behind. Ben Creagh Managing Editor
FRONT COVER Dust management remains a key safety focus in mining. Image: Global Road Technology.
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
38
12 Looking after mental health
aking care of FIFO workers facing T COVID-19 changes
15 Combining mines and communities
Envirosuite uses data for operational and social outcomes
18
Cleanest place on a mine site
22
Pit-to-port dust suppression
Bat Booth 2.0 provides a multi-faceted innovation for mine sites
34
Dust-A-Side takes consultative approach to dust management
Boss of mine blasting
27 Cost-effective solution for
36 Life for Australian
Global Road Technology emerges as a market leader
Nivek Industries supports manufacturing and jobs
30
38 Battle for better mental
dust control
OSIsoft looks at the potential of wearable devices
Training for the unexpected
environments
Pacific Ears supports one of the most vital senses
MCA backs modern initiatives
40 Locally available self-
MineARC, DEZEGA bolster underground emergency procedures
48
From fatal to treatable
CoolVest innovation reverses heatstroke within hours
contained self-rescuers
Hummingbird reduces noise pollution
44
Flexibladder aids in fire containment
46 Protecting hearing in noisy
health
32 Re-discovering the sound of silence
No bending to fire’s will
Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College equips workers
manufacturing
Safety at technology’s core
42
BME introduces the AXXIS TITANIUM range
50 An achievable, healthy lifestyle
Nutritional medicine practitioner outlines easy principles
52 Celebrating industry
champions
Hail Women in Industry Awards winners
56 FLIR Systems lays bridge to the ‘new normal’
Twofold benefits of thermal imaging cameras
42
REGULARS
6 NEWS
10 PRODUCTS
58 EVENTS
SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 4 SEP-OCT 2020
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News Hitachi advances development of autonomous excavators Hitachi Construction Machinery will roll out verification tests to develop autonomous ultra-large hydraulic excavators in Australia next year. The remote excavators are set to improve mine site safety and
productivity by improving the working environment and preventing operators from entering dangerous areas. They will feature operator support systems, which include a collision A Hitachi EX3600-7 excavator.
avoidance system, vehicle stability monitoring systems, and integration with dump truck autonomous haulage system (AHS) to enhance the machine’s safety measures. Part of the excavation and loading operations will use automation to allow multiple ultra-large hydraulic excavators to be operated by a single operator following the initial development. The company’s EX-7 series of ultralarge hydraulic excavators will have the ability to be retrofitted with the remote control system, driving the support system for manned and autonomous operation features. Hitachi will deploy the autonomous operation for ultra-large hydraulic excavators as a standalone system or as a fleet management system (FMS), which includes the Fleet Control from Hitachi subsidiary, Wenco International Mining Systems.
Grosvenor mine to resume operations in 2021 Anglo American is anticipating a safe restart of the Grosvenor coal mine in Queensland in the second half of next year. The mine has remained shut since a methane ignition accident occurred in May. Anglo American Metallurgical Coal business chief executive officer Tyler Mitchelson said the company was taking its time to restart operations to ensure the restart was safe, while also assessing technology options. “We have made the decision to permanently seal the part of the longwall panel where the methane
ignition incident occurred in May,” Mitchelson said in August. “Permanent sealing provides the greatest level of safety, and will help facilitate works to prepare Grosvenor mine for a safe restart of operations, which is likely to be in the second half of 2021.” Anglo American has installed three temporary seals in the longwall area, which has allowed the company to isolate the area of the mine where heating occurred and stabilise the environment prior to the permanent sealing work commencing, according to Mitchelson.
SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 6 SEP-OCT 2020
The company also plans to purchase new longwall equipment and further expedite its automation and technology journey at Grosvenor. Mitchelson said Anglo American was reviewing controls that could prevent another methane ignition. “The pilot study to assess the use of pressure sensors to cut power to the longwall at Moranbah North is under way and we will be reviewing all technology options to improve our controls at Grosvenor. This work will continue as more information becomes available from investigations,” he said.
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News BHP to recycle tyres from coal sites BHP is set to partner with Novum Energy to recycle mining truck tyres in Australia for the first time. The major miner will supply used earth moving tyres from all seven BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMC) and BHP Mitsui Coal (BMC) sites to Novum for conversion into heavy and light oils, carbon black, syngas and steel. Novum Energy Australia managing director Rowan Kendall said the company’s target was to process 19,000 tonnes of rubber per annum. This would produce approximately
operations, reduce emissions and contribute to regional communities, and this new BHP-led initiative does just that,” BMA asset president James Palmer added. “New technology means rather than storing old tyres, which weigh around 4.9 tonnes each, they can now be recycled and turned into new products. “This helps us create a circular economy in the region by repurposing waste locally and creating activity in the region.”
nine million litres of fuel oil, 4500 tonnes of recycled carbon black, 2500 tonnes of waste steel and excess syngas for electricity generation. It will take place at a processing plant that is being built in Nebo in the Isaac region of Queensland, creating up to 30 new roles in the Bowen Basin. Kendall said this was an effective way to ensure used tyres were being reclaimed in a safe and sustainable manner. “We are constantly looking for ways to increase the sustainability of our
Sandvik to improve safety with employee training Representatives from Ai Group, TAFE Queensland and Sandvik.
Sandvik employees have signed up for a vocational training course to boost their digital and networking skills to enhance safety across manufacturing and engineering. More than 20 Sandvik staff across four Australian states enrolled for the Diploma of Applied Technologies course to brace for the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0. The areas of training include cyber-
physical systems, digital control systems and digital networks. Sandvik business line manager for service Nathan Cunningham said embracing new opportunities and skills was an excellent way of enhancing workplace safety. As a leading provider of autonomous underground mining equipment and mining control systems, Sandvik had a natural choice to be
involved in the upskilling initiative, Cunningham added. “One of the benefits with what’s happening with technology is that we’re able to do things more safely by removing people from harm’s way,” he said. “But in order for this to work, the technology needs to work properly. And that’s where training like this has an important role.”
SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 8 SEP-OCT 2020
Dust Control Solutions FOR:
• Haul Roads • Drill & Blast • The ROM, Crushing, Processing & Conveyors • Underground Mining • Stockpiles
• Certified ISO 9001 System • Vendor Approved www.globalroadtechnology.com
Products SAFETY ON THE MOVE WITH MINEARC The MineARC MineSAFE Ambulance provides a unique solution to safe and secure patient extraction from underground environments. Built on Astec Australia’s Mine Runner utility vehicle platform, the modern transport vehicle is engineered specifically for off-road mining environments, giving paramedics the flexibility to safely transport injured personnel to the surface. The rear cabin features space for two medics, as well as room for a stretcher and first aid equipment. Unlike other emergency transport, the MineSAFE Ambulance has been designed for the harsh conditions of underground mining, with a reinforced exterior making it perfect for fast and effective patient extraction. The base vehicle boasts more power, less maintenance and a lower emissions footprint. Advanced braking and hydraulic wheel drive (HWD) ensure that the vehicle will perform in any tough condition. Medical grade oxygen with therapy masks allows paramedics to administer oxygen during the process of transporting injured personnel to the surface. A fire suppression system and an external storage compartment are also standard features. minearc.com
HUMMINGBIRD ENSURES MINES ARE CORRECTLY ISOLATED Hummingbird is safe proofing the process of isolating mine site machinery with its Isolation Verification Control devices. These devices eliminate the risk of human or mechanical error, providing digital notification that the piece of machinery is fully isolated and it is safe to begin work on. Hummingbird’s Isolation Verification Control devices also allow workers to monitor the machine’s status throughout the entire maintenance process. The Isolation Verification Control devices also sound a loud warning if the battery is about to fail during maintenance, giving workers time to clear the area or fix the issue beforehand. hmbe.com.au
PACIFIC EARS PROTECTS WORKER HEARING Pacific Ears specialises in custom soft silicone moulded hearing protection as per the Australian, New Zealand and/or European safety standards. Any workplace with average noise exposure above 85 decibels requires hearing protection for employees and Pacific Ears’ products are a cost-effective solution, averaging at other $75 per person per year. Pacific Ears, through its subsidiary ACS Custom is developing its own range of hearing protection filters, developing one-off items which are completely unique to each customer. Pacific Ears’ protective filters are not only comfortable, they also offer the best protection, a perfect seal, are discreet and help workers to keep their spatial awareness while protecting their ears.
pacificears.com.au
SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 10 SEP-OCT 2020
BOLLÉ SAFETY EXPANDS TRYON RANGE WITH POLARISED SPEC TRYON Polarised offers a good balance of style and performance with anti-scratch coating for the polycarbonate lens, co-injected Flex160° technology for the temple arms, and a non-slip adjustable nose bridge. Although the sun might be less visible in winter, it is still present and is no less harmful. Excessive amounts of UV radiation can cause different health problems, with eyesight conditions being among the most common. Not only this, those outdoor employees that work close to reflective surfaces are also exposed to glare. Glare is a UV radiation that bounces off water, sand and other reflectors, then enters the eyes. These rays intensify the impact on the ocular system, which may in turn produce a permanent loss of vision and other serious effects. Workers at open cut mines can experience long-term damage due to UV radiation, but are also at a high risk of suffering blunt trauma to the eye.
bollesafety.com.au
DIACON GUARDS MINERS FROM CONVEYOR DANGERS Diacon Australia is guarding mine workers from being injured by conveyors on site with its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic guards. Diacon’s guards are made of a high-quality material to a specialised design to avoid accidents on and around conveyors. Plastic guards are more lightweight than conventionally used steel guards and are also corrosion free. They are available in a distinct yellow colour for safety that doesn’t wear off, meaning the guards do not need to be removed for repainting. Diacon guards are custom built to fit sites, with the flexible Diacon design team adapting them to fit on or around existing structures at the mine site. The guards can also be hung on the rail edge of the conveyor, removing them as a potential trip hazard, which is a common complaint for conveyor guards.
diaconaustralia.com.au
CATERPILLAR ROLLS OUT REPLACEABLE SHOVEL BUCKET Caterpillar has unveiled a two-piece bucket for its hydraulic mining shovels, enabling safer and more efficient rebuilds compared with traditional buckets. This model features a removable basket, enabling the machine to be fitted with several baskets during its lifespan, making it safer and easier to remove and replace. Made from a single piece of structural steel with no liner or wear plates, the two-piece bucket is lighter than conventional buckets but boasts a high wear resistance. Caterpillar stated that this basket design allowed it to evolve with mine site conditions, preventing unplanned downtime and optimising capacity. cat.com
SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 11 SEP-OCT 2020
Mental health
‘Back to basics’ key to caring for FIFO mental health
Coronavirus restrictions have made FIFO conditions even more difficult for workers mentally.
WITH LONG, SOMETIMES INCONSISTENT ROSTERS FAR AWAY FROM HOME, THE FLY-IN FLY-OUT LIFESTYLE HAS NEVER BEEN FOR THE FAINT HEARTED. SAFE TO WORK SPEAKS WITH CURTIN UNIVERSITY ABOUT THE IMPACT THIS LIFESTYLE CAN HAVE ON MENTAL HEALTH.
W
hat was already a tough gig for mental health and family relationships has now become even more difficult, with many companies making the difficult decision to extend fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) rosters as the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia. The Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University has spent two years studying the impacts of a FIFO lifestyle on mental health, surveying more than 3000 workers in 2018 and 275 since the coronavirus pandemic hit. Conducted by Prof. Sharon Parker and Dr Jess Gilbert from the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University and Dr Laura Fruhen from the University of Western Australia, the study has uncovered that 33 per cent of FIFO workers feel high or very high levels of psychological distress. Concerningly, this figure rose by 7 per cent as the pandemic affected Australia and FIFO working
conditions changed. Gilbert says the already shaky continuity of settling in a home community has been further shaken as many FIFO workers transitioned to rosters that meant less time at home with their families and in some cases, quarantining in complete isolation during off weeks. “The unusual lifestyle of FIFO workers being away from home for extended periods of time and not having ongoing continuity of being in their home community and social networks makes for quite a challenging lifestyle,” Gilbert tells Safe to Work. “We have never experienced anything like the coronavirus pandemic before and the situation is constantly changing so it has been a real challenge for companies and workers at the moment.” This has given companies and their workers the task of balancing what is safest regarding inter-region or state travel during the pandemic, versus
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the mental toll a change in rosters has on workers. “If you looked at it from purely a protocol and compliance level, it would be safest for everyone to stay on site until the pandemic is over,” Gilbert says. “But that is not at all practical and it’s not in the best interest of the workers in terms of their wellbeing, family relationships or mental health. “Something else to consider, of course, is the self-isolation some workers are needing to undertake as to whether or not its paid or unpaid, who pays for the accommodation, whether workers have some rest and relaxation close to site, it is impossible to generalise what every FIFO site worker is experiencing. “Add this in with the general feeling of people being very concerned about the pandemic, job security and feeling more disconnected from home communities, FIFO workers are feeling much lonelier and statistically we have seen this rise in their
described it as having a second community or family to rely on.” With these advantages of FIFO life, building a culture that is supportive and open about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health is about building a culture of learning rather than fear. Gilbert says the things that FIFO workers have appreciated from their employers during the pandemic have included them covering their selfisolation costs and keeping socialisation possible, even if it’s at a distance. “Workers really appreciate seeing their company looking after their workers and having their best interests at heart,” Gilbert says. “This includes the company covering the costs for workers self-isolating or if they need to take sick leave, as well as keeping everyone updated as to what is happening with hygiene, social distancing and travel protocols. “They also appreciated when their workplace made an effort to put on daily barbecues, walks or bike rides, for example, to keep that sense of
comradery, enabling everyone to get together despite the strict restrictions.” With FIFO workers all going through similar challenges of feeling isolated and missing their families and home communities, Gilbert believes that mining companies need to go back to basics to encourage positive mental health at work, thinking about what people need on a human level. “It’s always easiest to think about getting back to basics,” she says. “It’s easy to overcomplicate things but we are all humans, we all know what kinds of practices make us feel good, it’s having our wellbeing supported, social relatedness and feeling safe, secure and like we have a purpose to what we are doing.” The Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University is encouraging more FIFO workers to get involved with their study about the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on their lifestyle. For more information, visit transformativeworkdesign.com/ fifo-mental-health-survey.
Image credit: Shutterstock.com
psychological distress levels.” Since the pandemic hit Australia, 80 per cent of FIFO workers reported that they moved to a longer roster, with 60 per cent of workers feeling dissatisfied with their new roster and 20 per cent feeling extremely dissatisfied. This impacted their mental health, with 16 per cent reporting that they felt lonelier than usual as a direct result of the coronavirus, 25 per cent saying they had less opportunity for social interaction since restrictions were put in place, and 15 per cent responding the restrictions had a negative impact on their family or other relationships. Another concerning finding in the 2018 study was instances of bullying, with FIFO workers being more likely to suffer incidents of bullying than their non-FIFO counterparts. Despite being an environment that can breed a competitive atmosphere or the stress of being away from home, FIFO working environments can also be a positive place to discuss mental health if teams come together and are open about their feelings. As Gilbert explains, there are pros to counter the cons of a FIFO lifestyle, with more than three quarters of participants in the 2018 survey saying they felt as though they could count on their teammates to have their back and support them at work. “There are some cons to FIFO work but there are some really good pros,” she says. “Although workers are spending a lot of time together which can be difficult, it can also be really fantastic for forming meaningful, strong bonds and having a sense of comradery and mateship at work. “Being in the middle of nowhere doing a really tough job, having a group of people who understand your experience because you’re experiencing it as well can be really helpful. “A lot of FIFO workers have
FIFO workers are more likely to suffer from mental health issues than other workers, according to Curtin University.
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Environment
Balancing operational objectives with social licence ENVIROSUITE IS COMBINING ARTIFICIAL AND HUMAN INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE, USING MEANINGFUL DATA TO MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS FOR THE BEST OPERATIONAL AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES.
Envirosuite uses data to balance the objectives of a mining company and the community in which it operates.
A
ddressing environmental challenges while maintaining productivity is a continuous balancing act for mining companies around the world. Companies need to consider factors such as noise, air quality, water quality, odour management, dust and vibration monitoring, not only for their site and workers but also the environment and communities in which they are based. These factors all contribute to their social licence to operate. Envirosuite’s software helps mining companies to achieve outcomes that allow them to continue working at a sustainable level of production, while ensuring local communities are not exposed to dangerous or annoying noises, odours and contaminants in the air. As Envirosuite’s lead for mining and industrial sectors Matt Scholl explains, the key part of getting mining companies
and the communities in which they operate on the same page is having a clear understanding of the environment around them, then presenting this information in a way that is easy to comprehend. “When it comes to better understanding the environment around a mining operation, there are two main stakeholders, the mining companies themselves and the community they operate in,” Scholl tells Safe to Work. “For the community, information needs to be presented slightly differently. A large proportion of the community aren’t scientists or technologically minded, so one of the things Envirosuite helps companies do is to present their information in a way that’s relatively easy to interpret. “For example, that might be presenting risks as colour coded indicators, like a traffic light approach, where everyone understands green is fine, orange is
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caution so they might have to think about ways to improve, or red, which is a higher level of concern.” Presenting data in a way that is approachable for the community gives them a platform to discuss any issues and concerns, including within the local environment. This helps community engagement officers within mining companies, who combine this data with human intelligence to focus on community planning and communication for a mutually beneficial result. “Often community concerns are emotionally driven and just presenting them data isn’t going to resolve that emotional need,” Scholl explains. “What does resolve it is when community members see the mining operator has a person who is focussed on their needs and is using the data, they can share to inform them on how to best protect the community.” While data isn’t always the answer for communities, automating the process of gathering and presenting data gives people, such as community engagement officers the freedom to generate insights. This pushes human efforts and intelligence further up the value chain, automating tasks that are monotonous or repetitive, freeing up human intelligence to make decisions requiring a more thought out process or emotional intelligence. “It’s fair to say that connected networks providing data continuously
Environment is where computers really add value,” Scholl says. “Now that’s a task that can be automated, it means operators or technical staff can focus their energy on control strategies or informing the community of the high value activity the mine is enabling because we’ve taken the task of collecting and analysing data away, and wrapped it up efficiently in a system.” This combination of technology and human intelligence creates environmental intelligence, and a symbiotic relationship between the mining company’s productivity goals while meeting regulatory compliance according to local jurisdiction. Scholl says Envirosuite doesn’t just help companies to discuss their environmental impact but also to monitor how the environment impacts their operation. “Another way that environmental intelligence is helping miners is by assessing how external environmental factors such as severe weather may impact the mine operations,” he says. “This allows operators to consider how they can adjust their plans depending on the timing and severity of the weather, to determine which activities can continue and others that should be stopped, for example, if there is a safety issue. With forecast information, miners can plan the steps that they can take to prepare, such as protecting their workforce and equipment.” Severe weather events, such as heavy rain, extreme winds or lightning strikes not only endanger an unprepared workforce, but also reduce value from a mine, where operations may be scaled back or suspended. Using environmental intelligence, mines can make educated decisions on how to optimise ongoing operations and use unplanned downtime, like weather shutdowns valuably. “Heavy rain, for example, can
cause haul roads to become far too slippery to be using a haul truck, so with environmental intelligence a mine planner can consider where to distribute a workforce and heavy machinery during a heavy downpour and the time required afterwards for safe work conditions to return,” Scholl explains. “You don’t want people and equipment stranded in the pit, you want them to be accessible and somewhere they can be redirected to other value adding activities, like training in the case of people and maintenance for equipment.” To showcase this value, Envirosuite hosted an environmental intelligence webinar in August, outlining how environmental managers take on the future of this balancing act between mining companies and local communities. Envirosuite solution design engineer, North America Andres Quijano says the company’s three objectives for creating environmentally intelligent strategies are: supporting your decision-making process, planning in real-time and enabling rapid, informed responses to community complaints. “Connecting data with modern information technology enables operations to move forward and helps communities to thrive and coexist. In a way, we are all part of one group, not just industries operating in communities,” Quijano says. However, the role of mining environmental managers is becoming more challenging, as many of the plans put in place are obsolete by the time they come into fruition due to evolving technology. Contending with government regulations is another factor of reaching sustainable operations, Quijano adds. “One of the key challenges for miners is that government regulations are becoming tighter as countries commit globally to improving their air quality and pollution levels on the framework
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Matt Scholl is Envirosuite lead for mining and industrial sectors.
of improving health and responses to climate change,” he says. “Driving that is pressure from communities, who are becoming more aware of what is going on in their environment. The solution for companies depends on how we use that awareness to work profitably with communities in this space.” To work together, Quijano says it is important to engage with communities to prove how important the operation is to them and the reasons it exists. He says sharing data is a way to achieve this. “Environmental plans should never be a pain to operational efficiency,” Quijano says. “It needs to be the opposite and it’s only by bringing a cohesive approach that helps us all move forward that we will be able to achieve that.” By sharing meaningful and relevant data, mining operations can gain the trust of local communities and collaborate with them to have a social licence to operate. At the simplest level, Quijano describes this environmental intelligence as the ability to act fast now to make problems in the future disappear. “To comply to social operating licenses, mining operations need to live and coexist with their local community and ultimately they need to be able to optimise this data to meet their key performance indicators and local regulations,” he concludes.
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Dust suppression
Mideco fends off secondary dust exposure, COVID-19 DUST CONTROL ENGINEERING SPECIALIST MIDECO COMBATS TWO CENTRAL PROBLEMS FOR MINE OPERATORS – DUST EXPOSURE AND BODY TEMPERATURE SPIKES – WITH A SINGLE SOLUTION: BAT BOOTH 2.0.
A
fter speaking at the Smart Mining conference in Denver, Colorado, in 2019, Mideco director Melton White heard an intriguing presentation on incidents in American mines arising from heat stress affecting workers. White, who developed the Bat Booth personnel de-dusting system recognised by BHP as the Best Innovative Safety Product of 2016, sought out the presenter. Their conversation opened his eyes to the potential of an extra safety function – a temperature check that could detect possible viral infections as well as heat stress. “I’ve not spoken to this woman again since, but everything she said made sense and planted a seed in
my head,” White says. The Melbourne-based dust-control expert was already familiar with the dangers of very high temperatures at Australian mine sites. “When our body temperature elevates, we lose many cognitive abilities even though we may not be sick,“ he tells Safe to Work. “That means when a driver is operating a loader or forklift under extreme temperatures, he or she is no longer driving that machine safely.” The enhanced Bat Booth 2.0 has a speedy intelligent function, so a mine’s first responders can act before a heat-affected employee’s condition became critical. Within 15 seconds of an individual entering the de-dusting booth, the system automatically
The Bat Booth outlet is easily the cleanest place in an entire mine site.
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The Bat Station facial recognition function captures body temperature.
measures their body temperature and reports the result in real-time to managers at any location. Ironically, although White was aware of the potential of temperature checks to guard against the spread of viral infections at work sites, the development of Bat Booth 2.0 was in train long before the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic. “We were well and truly under way through the design phase for Bat Booth 2.0 months before the pandemic hit,” White says. “In fact, if it weren’t for COVID-19, Bat Booth 2.0 would have been launched sooner.” Among the hurdles was the search for an appropriately sensitive infrared sensor. Commonly used heat measuring
Keeping mine workers, families and communities safe.
Dust suppression guns are designed to measure temperatures ranging from 0 to 400 degrees Celsius and are not calibrated for the human body. “You will most likely miss the temperature spike you’re looking for,” White says. “They’re usually two to three degrees out. So we had a problem finding an infrared sensor that can accurately measure body temperature.” The plug-and-play Bat Booth 2.0 is designed to drastically reduce secondary exposure to dust coming off workers’ apparel. According to White, over 80 per cent of the dust that clings to clothing can become airborne, affecting the individual and people around them and increasing health risks such as silicosis, black lung and lung cancer. “When a person takes a break or finishes his shift, the first thing they do is to take off their personal protective equipment, go to the lunchroom and expose their mates to dangerous respirable dust,” White says. “You can’t see any of that happening, but that really strikes a chord with us.” According to an analysis by Queensland’s Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station (SIMTARS), the Bat Booth can reduce an employee’s respirable dust exposure by up to 88 per cent. The dust collector fan inside the Bat Booth 2.0 draws in clean air through louvers mounted on the side panels. At the same time, low-pressure air jets blow dust off clothing as the individual turns around. The liberated dust is fanned off the floor as soon as the system is activated. The low-pressure air and dust are carried to the dust collector, with the negative-pressure environment ensuring that the dust is contained and captured by HEPA grade filters. “The air we blow back into the atmosphere is as clean as the air they
The Bat Booth 2.0 captures up to 88 per cent of respirable dust.
blow into a birthing suite,” White says. “So, really, the place with the cleanest air on a mine site would be the outlet of the Bat Booth.” To date, around 60 units of the original Bat Booth are in operation in almost every state in Australia. They are also used in the United States, Canada and Chile. Mideco has also developed the Bat Station, a companion device with a facial recognition function that automatically captures an employee’s body temperature in half a second. “When a truck driver looks at the Bat Station, it will recognise his face and measure his temperature. If he’s fine, the Bat Station will give him a green light, allowing him to get on
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with his work,” White says. If the temperature reading is too high, the Bat Station sends a text message to the first responders. “Someone may just be asked to go into an air-conditioned room and have a glass of water,” White explains. “However, the reading could be a warning sign that the employee should be checked for a viral infection, such as influenza or the COVID-19 virus.” Mideco emphasises that both Bat Booth 2.0 and Bat Station can be used flexibly for dust control, temperature monitoring and health and safety management of any scale. The company is happy to arrange demonstrations of Bat Booth and Bat Station on sites around Australia.
Dust suppression
Sweeping Dust-A-Side from pit to port THE MINING INDUSTRY IS WORKING HARD TO MEET EVER TIGHTENING STANDARDS ON DUST SUPPRESSION, WHICH CAN BE A PROBLEM ACROSS MINE SITES FROM PROCESSING PLANTS TO HAUL ROADS. DUST-A-SIDE DISCUSSES ITS RANGE OF DUST SUPPRESSION SOLUTIONS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE MINE SITE.
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ust particles may be small, but they can mean big problems for mining operations. Prolonged exposure to dust generated from pit, haul roads and processing may cause potential long-term health issues such as silicosis or black lung disease. With the risk of lung and airway damage to workers exposed to dust, industry bodies in each state are setting regulations and striving to meet new respiratory levels recommended by Safe Work Australia. New South Wales is moving to meet
new respiratory dust occupational exposure limit (OEL) levels of 1.5 milligrams per cubic metre from Safe Work Australia, while Queensland has moved to halve its silica dust exposure from a standard of 0.1 milligram per cubic metre to 0.05 milligrams per cubic metre. Regardless of which jurisdiction a mining operation is in, effective dust control requires expert service and quality products, which is something Dust-A-Side offers the industry. Dust-A-Side national sales and marketing manager Vaughan Gray
Dust-A-Side is helping mining operations with dust suppression from pit to port.
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says the company offers a versatile range of dust suppression solutions and management services, for around the pit, along mine road networks, in processing and throughout transport modes to port, which all experience problematic areas for issues related to dust. What sets Dust-A-Side apart from the rest is its global dust control experience in the mining space and its diagnostic and monitoring capabilities to demonstrate real improvement. “Having a dust suppression product that is going to work is only half the battle,” Gray tells Safe to Work.
“What is critical with dust control across the supply chain is that you need a solution that is not just applied, but driven by a well managed maintenance program. “When putting dust suppression products on roads, for example, we take a very consultative approach with our clients to not only ensure the appropriate product is used, but that we work in our client’s existing operational capability to deliver a maintenance program that achieves ongoing results.” By working with clients to build a dust control program to suit their site, Dust-A-Side not only reduces the dust, but also reduces maintenance costs for haul roads. Many mining operations use water to control dust on haul roads, which can cause significant wear and tear to the roads, causing long-term damage and
Dust-A-Side helps mining operators to build long-term dust management and maintenance plans.
only a short-term solution for the dust. Not only can this cause corrugation and deterioration of haul roads, making them more dangerous for haul truck drivers, but it also increases mining companies’ water usage, which is both costly and in the case of mine sites in
dry regions, constitutes heavy usage of a scarce resource. While water alone is often the easy, accessible solution for dust control, it is not an effective and sustainable option. Using dust binders and agents makes a significant difference.
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Dust suppression Dust can cause long-term health issues for workers, including black lung and silicosis.
“Dust-A-Side provides a range of products including bitumen emulsions, surfactants, organic and synthetic polymers,” Gray explains. “We go through the process of assessing the right type of suppression for the applications and conditions. For example, road use and type (heavy or light vehicles, permanent or dynamic roads), haul fleet size, available material on the roads or the climate (tropical or arid) will all play a part in appropriate product selection. “Clients often look for the cheapest self-managed solution, but without guidance on the right product or application methods they can quickly come to the conclusion nothing works. “Binding agents, emulsions and polymers all behave differently, and it is important to understand these variables before just throwing a chemical down.” Once the appropriate product is recommended for a particular mine site’s requirements, Dust-A-Side then continues its advisory role with
the mine to imbed the dust control solution on site and ensure the ongoing maintenance is effective. Gray says having Dust-A-Side’s team on site to advise clients is just as important as the dust suppression solutions themselves, as the team has expert knowledge of its products and how they work best in all situations. Dust-A-Side will complete technical site inspections and assessments, which can take between an hour or two to a couple of weeks depending on the frequency and complexity of the dust problems on site. Dust-A-Side will discuss the dust issues and recommended solutions with the production and maintenance teams to best understand how the solution should be implemented. “Our clients want us driving optimal results with no detrimental impact to production,” Gray says. “It is important we understand our clients’ expectations. The conversation generally begins with controlling dust and often what follows from that is the
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realisation of other environmental and economic benefits from conserving water to realising maintenance cost savings by reducing watercart and grader activity.” Showing their clients exactly how the solutions make a positive impact is also vital to the Dust-A-Side approach. “We work constantly with production, HSE and business improvement stakeholders to collect and monitor dust levels, measure road conditions and analyse watercart and grader availability to demonstrate dust reduction and deliver positive ROIs on the dust control investment,” Gray says. Dust-A-Side has helped many of its clients in dry and arid regions reduce their road operating costs while decreasing their water consumption by 50 to 60 per cent – in some cases by over 80 per cent with full service packages through the introduction of alternative dust suppression technologies. “The common feedback we get is that their road quality is better, it is much safer for their haul trucks to operate and there are less interruptions to production,” Gray adds. By reducing dust issues on haul roads, in processing plants, stockpile management and conveyor points, Dust-A-Side is helping to improve the health of mine site workers, to ensure they are happy and healthy for the entirety of their working life. “Mining companies have a duty of care to their workers and contractors to protect them from dust related health issues, which often don’t manifest until years later in a miner’s life,” Gray says. “Mine operators are well aware of their duty of care to ensure their workers are not exposed to the danger of emissions and also to contain dust to keep their social license to operate, and Dust-A-Side has a solution for all dust generators on site.”
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Dust suppression
An economic perspective of dust suppression technology GLOBAL ROAD TECHNOLOGY HAS PRODUCED WHAT IT CALLS THE MOST COST-EFFICIENT DUST SUPPRESSION PRODUCT FOR MINE HAUL ROADS. SAFE TO WORK TAKES A LOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY – THE GRT: HAUL-LOC.
GRT is an Australian company that takes pride in its team of civil and geotechnical engineers.
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ustralia is becoming well known for its increasingly stringent regulations over workplace exposure to dust. As a country with an economy that relies heavily on the mining and resources industry, workers who depend on the sector for their livelihood need to be shielded from the irreversible implications of dust exposure. Coal dust or silica aren’t the only respirable dangers that pose risks to the health of workers – other non-toxic dusts must also be considered. Unlike ingesting food into the digestive system, there is physically no way out for respirable dust that has entered human lungs. Dust also lowers visibility on mine
site haul roads and creates the potential for vehicle collisions or rollovers. A lack of dust control also causes premature wear and tear on fixed and mobile plants, increasing the risk of safety incidents. When put into perspective, the economic impact on operations and workforce health and safety is significant. “If you’re suspending a mine operation for a day due to an incident, that will pay for just any dust suppression system for a year due to the sheer scale of volume that gets lost in production,” Global Road Technology (GRT) general manager Daniel Grundy tells Safe to Work. Dust suppression is a commercial
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challenge at any mine site, competing with the many economic battles that mining companies face, such as the coronavirus pandemic and low commodity prices. GRT refuses to be a silver bullet company by claiming the universality of a single product over different applications. Instead, the company takes a holistic approach to dust suppression on mine sites. The GRT: Activate technology, for example, is a dust control solution for underground mining and ore processing. The GRT: Wet-Loc product is applicable to logistics areas and other places with heavy traffic, with its effect lasting for up to 12 months. “We’ve seen mines that were
Dust suppression
The GRT: Haul-Loc delivers efficiency in truck usage and fuel and water consumption.
flooded and needed to get rid of water. We’ve seen others that needed to save massively on water,” Grundy says. “So, we tailor our solutions to the mine infrastructure and what the mine site truly needs. It comes down to understanding the operation. “That’s how we prove our industry experience. Our team is built by civil and geotechnical engineers that have worked in the mining industry, come out with knowledge of the field and use that to develop solutions to the problems we knew we had.” GRT has ultimately become the company that produced the most cost-effective product to manage dust suppression in the market – the GRT: Haul-Loc. The highly concentrated additive reduces water usage associated with dust control, while providing greater dust suppression. GRT has benchmarked the Haul-Loc against all other available products in the market, including its own. “Its effectiveness comes down to how well it works and how low the on the ground price is,” Grundy, a chartered engineer, who has spent his career in civil construction and the dust and erosion control industry, says.
“We just had some interesting discussions with some of the mine sites in Australia and their feedback was that they were finally getting the dust suppression results they were after. “Mine haul roads chop and change a fair bit. They’re very, very heavily trafficked. So operators can invest in road stabilisation to the point that they over-invest in it. “What you need is something safe that stops the dust and facilitates getting your ore out of the ground to the processing area. This is where the Haul-Loc comes in.” Unlike salt or bitumen-based technologies that introduce environmental or other health and safety hazards, or surfactants that contribute to road damage when the rain falls, the GRT: Haul-Loc doesn’t introduce other hazards as it delivers dust control on site. It allows mine operators to drive big cost-efficiency gains across mine operations, including water, truck usage, manpower and fuel. “We’re finding that mine companies realise efficiency gains of several hundred per cent, so using the product saves them money,” Grundy says. “Running water trucks, and putting
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a driver in a truck, every single day of the year is worth millions of dollars in investment. A standard water truck would burn 75 litres of diesel in an hour. These are massive capital and operational outlays. “Now they don’t need to stretch out the use of their water truck like there is too much bread without enough butter – areas of a mine site that cannot be covered with available resources. Now they’ve got dust suppression coverage where they need it.” The Haul-Loc technology is being used across mining and quarrying operations and civil projects in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and the Middle East. It also boasts ease of use especially when paired with GRT’s automated dosing units. These are standalone, solar-powered units that inject the correct dose of dust suppression products into water trucks, no matter the size of the trucks. The dosing rate is calibrated to the flow of water at the standpipe. GRT is proudly an Australianowned company and like all of GRT’s mining products, the dosing units were developed by the company’s in-house research and development team, in partnership with other Australian companies. “The automated dosing units provide the best and safest way to use a dust suppression product, particularly for large mining operations,” Grundy says. “The units work all year round in the harshest mining conditions.” While dust suppression may have been considered an extra overhead cost years ago, mining companies now understand the risks of dust exposure and recognise it as a significant hazard to workers. “They say that mining and construction are just dusty industries, but they certainly don’t have to be,” Grundy concludes.
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Technology
Wearable technology emerges as a safety device MINING OPERATORS ARE INCREASINGLY DRAWING ON CRITICAL INFORMATION FROM WEARABLE DEVICES TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT THEIR SITES. OSISOFT PAINTS THE SCENARIO.
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he COVID-19 pandemic has challenged how things are normally done even in the largest of companies. BHP’s teams based in Western Australia are using wearable technology to navigate and overcome travel restrictions that have been enforced because of the pandemic. When undertaking complex tasks, the teams can assist auto-electricians and mechanical fitters who are at mine sites 1300 kilometres away. Such is the advancement of wearable technology that Microsoft’s HoloLens, for example, incorporates mixed reality so technicians receive step-by-step guidance from afar. According to BHP Minerals Australia vice president of technology, Pat Bourke, remote work using technology has always been an option for the company. “… however, COVID-19 has pushed us to really harness innovative technology and we will only continue to improve our productivity as we make it widely available and perfect its use,” he says. The pandemic has not only changed the way day-to-day activities at mining operations are undertaken. Canadabased OSIsoft industry principal, mining, metals and materials Martin Provencher explains how he accepted
his temperature before taken before going into a dental clinic. “They were monitoring my personal information, and I accepted that. Before COVID-19, who would’ve said yes? If I don’t follow the procedures, I wouldn’t have been able to go to the dentist,” Provencher tells Safe to Work. “Things are changing now. Working schedules in the mining sector have changed and expanded. Some mining companies that do fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) have extended the duration of workers’ rosters so people stay longer on site and are isolated to minimise risks. “These workers also accepted that they were coming for work for a longer period and that their employer was monitoring their health. “These are drastic changes that we see in the world, where we start talking about using your personal, real-time data just to improve everybody’s health.”
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Readily available wearable devices can be systems that help mining companies improve safety today. But unfortunately, research by GlobalData indicates that they are not one of the top 10 trending technologies that global metals and mining companies are considering. Wearable technology can be as simple as a smart watch, or an iPhone and Android mobile phone, all of which have mainstream popularity. “If you start combining information from an employee – an asset – and external authorities, you will be able to monitor employees’ location and the different health events happening to them,” Provencher says. “This will allow you to notify them when they’re facing a potential and previously unknown risk to themselves and their health, or when they’re posing risks to their colleagues.”
OSIsoft’s real-time data application, PI System, can collect information from all mining assets. For example, Syncrude Canada, one of the largest operators in Canada’s growing oil sands industry, presented in OSIsoft’s real-time data application, PI System, can collect information from all mining assets.
2016 that it was collecting operational data from its haul trucks and shovels to monitor their asset health in real-time. The same data was also used for safety purposes. In addition to saving $C20 million ($21.2 million) in operating cost in one year for avoiding potential future failures, monitoring dumping procedures also improved the company’s compliance and reduced non-procedural operator dumping incidents by 85 per cent. As another example, Glencoreacquired multinational mining company Xstrata presented in 2010 that it was already providing employees with information on gas levels and air quality of the underground mines in real-time using the PI System. Provencher says in most places around the world, mine operators are required to monitor air qualities in certain parts of the mine, but not
everyone puts this information at their employees’ disposal. The employees can, therefore, check gas levels before entering a specific location, while operators analyse how that interacts with the number of people in a place, location and time. With wearable devices, mining operators can also start to access realtime operational data collected by PI System, including the amount of oxygen in a room – a critical piece of information that can identify a gas leak. They can then immediately alert operators on their mobile device or smart watch. In the same way, the PI System is used to draw valuable safety information, such as an employee’s breathing patterns, temperature, pulse or oxygen saturation. When paired with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines about temperature and oxygen saturation levels, it can indicate people who are suffering from COVID-19. “Companies want to improve safety, but we should all start thinking outside the box about what else we can do to improve safety results,” Provencher says. “Most mining companies have looked at proximity detection systems, fatigue detection systems and employee behavioural programs, but according to our survey last year, 98 per cent of global mining executives still consider safety as one of their top challenges.
“Wearable devices are part of the solution. Combining its use with realtime operational data provides critical information, so we know if we need to shut down an area due to a gas leak or high temperature, and we can identify a wrongful movement performed by an employee that can lead to a risk to his own safety or many others.” Provencher believes there are opportunities presented by wearable devices that will not breach confidentiality. Further, there are readily available technologies that ensure data security is no longer an issue. According to Provencher, several mining companies have started their journey towards collecting real-time operation data using wearable devices, including in Australia. There are others that are still investigating. “There is a research study called DETECT (Digital Engagement & Tracking for Early Control & Treatment) that is led by California’s Scripps Research Translational Institute that combines patients’ symptom reports with their heart rate, activity and sleep data collected through Fitbits, Apple watches, Garmins and other wearable devices as part of a COVID-19 study. This is just the beginning,” he says. “COVID-19 has brought to everybody’s attention that technology can not only help in facilitating meetings, but also in improving safety.”
Syncrude Canada has used OSIsoft’s PI System to reduce dumping incidents by 85 per cent.
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Technology
Round-the-clock sounds fall silent HUMMINGBIRD PROVES THAT BEING SERIOUS ABOUT SAFETY DOESN’T MEAN MAKING NOISE ABOUT IT. THE SILENT HORN REPLACES THE BLARING NOISE OF MINING VEHICLES.
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he Hunter Valley region in New South Wales is not only known for its concentration of mining projects. It also has a vast spread of lush wineries, animal farms and townships. This is the backdrop for mining activities that operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day all-year round to produce coal. It has also become the area that has experienced the largest uptake of Hummingbird’s Silent Horn, with Queensland’s Bowen Basin following closely behind. As urban populations and mine sites move closer to each other and further away from established settlements, the pressure on mining companies to become good neighbours and reduce the problems commonly associated with noise pollution increases. A Hunter Valley mine has enabled Hummingbird to develop a simple way to install a reliable silent horn system for trucks, diggers and loaders. Loud horn blasts no longer need to be a way of communication among machine operators. With a simple press of a button, truck drivers receive a visual and audio alert within their cabin. They are able to identify which machine is contacting them – all without any external noise. The silent horn system uses wireless GPS and radio frequency (RF) technologies to allow vehicles that are
Only vehicles that are located within pre-set perimeters or paired with each other can receive the horn signals.
only paired with each other, or located within pre-set perimeters, to receive the horn signals. The silent horn system can connect up to 20 satellites at one time, making its positioning very accurate. “One part of the silent horn system goes into the excavator, and the other goes into the haul trucks. It automatically detects the closest truck by GPS location so it only communicates with trucks that are in proximity,” Hummingbird mining and industrial sales manager Scott Montgomery tells Safe to Work. “Operators receive both audio and
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visual signals inside the cabin. This gives you an indication on the screen, and a buzzer that would go off. “Haul trucks can drive away when it’s alright to go, but it’ll only go off in the first driver’s cabin.” This reduces operator distraction when they also have to respond to reverse alarms and collision avoidance signals. Operators can grow more sensitive to other alarms, creating safer work sites. “We have enabled mining operators to continue with their night time activities, in particular. It allows them to work day and night with less
restriction,” Montgomery says. “We see mine sites expanding, and their extensions are coming closer to the mine camps, not just the city or residential areas. “When that happens, they are also disturbing their shift workers. Big horns affect everybody, not just the mine site. So we’ve got a system that counters that issue.” Hummingbird’s silent horn helps to ensure that mining operators comply with the state’s environmental regulations. By planning to keep their noise level under certain decibels, a mining company can show state authorities that they’re taking measures to reduce noise pollution prior to mining commencement. “A typical mine site would have one to four excavators and an additional
Silent Horn enables vehicles to communicate without sounding loud horns.
10 to 40 trucks. With the silent horn system, you’ll have loads of equipment not blaring horns at each other,” Montgomery says. Hummingbird has improved the
unit’s durability to harsh mining environments since it was introduced five years ago. In fact, the silent horn incorporates fewer mechanical components than other similar systems. It was already a ‘bulletproof system’ and not many changes were required. This contrasts with air horns or electric air horns that can be much more prone to damage due to their exposure to water or rocks, making them expensive to replace. “The silent horn is also very easy to install and configure. Its features help enhance positive communication between digger machines and trucks,” Montgomery says. As if that’s not enough, operators can view incline roll and speed on the silent horn’s display, improving the stability awareness of workers.
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Innovation BME is responsible for some of the world’s largest electronic detonator blasts on a mine site.
AXXIS TITANIUM delivers blasts with a bang AS A PIONEER OF BLASTING TECHNOLOGY, BME HAS LIVED UP TO THIS REPUTATION WITH ITS LATEST RELEASE. THE AXXIS TITANIUM ELECTRONIC INITIATION SYSTEM MAKES BLASTING SAFER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN BEFORE.
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ME continues to capture the attention of the Australian mining sector. When the company broke the world record for the largest electronic detonator blast in 2016, it proved that the AXXIS system was a frontrunner of electronic initiation systems. Then, just two years later it surpassed its own record, when 7350 AXXIS detonators were fired in a single pattern, 1.7 kilometres long in a Central Queensland coal mine. The accomplishment was unique as the technology was safely executed only by mine staff without direct AXXIS technical support. The blasts were also delivered with millisecond accuracy even with the very long delays that were needed for such large blasts. Indeed, the AXXIS system is known for its safety focus, a highly desired attribute in the Australian market. BME’s newly released AXXIS
TITANIUM digital initiation system has added a double safety system featuring dual capacitors and dual voltage. This positions AXXIS TITANIUM as the only system in the world to include both safety features. “Dual voltage effectively means that you can communicate directly with the detonator, write any desired firing times and log positions from your device to the detonator and do all that at a safe, lower voltage even with explosives loaded in the hole,” BME global product manager for AXXIS Tinus Brits says. “So even if a detonator is damaged in some way, there is no risk of initiating its fuse head because the communication voltage is below the voltage needed to fire the fuse head. That’s the benefit of a dual voltage system.” Dual capacitors, on the other hand, are comprised of a logic capacitor and separate firing capacitor.
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The logic – or lower voltage – capacitor is used as an energy source to power the microprocessor, allowing communication with the detonator. It has a small capacity that is insufficient to fire the fuse head. The firing – or higher voltage – capacitor in each detonator is only charged by a specific command during blasting time, when the pit is cleared and immediately before the countdown for the shot is started. The firing capacitor releases its energy to fire the detonator on command. This creates two separate and independent methods of communication that makes it inherently safe to log, test and fire detonators while also providing increased flexibility in safe testing. This is a huge leap from what is already a leading electronic detonator, the AXXIS GII. The AXXIS TITANIUM predecessor does not allow for detonator programming and testing to
BME global product manager for AXXIS Tinus Brits.
happen concurrently during logging. “That’s why the stability of the AXXIS TITANIUM unit is a big win for us. It is a major improvement in reliability, performance, safety and quality for our clients,” Brits says. Still, BME takes safety to another level. The company has put multiple safety barriers inside AXXIS TITANIUM to ensure that each detonator is immune to stray currents and most lightning strikes. This prevents high energy electrostatic discharges from reaching the sensitive fuse head. Importantly, blast operators can count on reliable and safe firing every time. AXXIS TITANIUM’S applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC) design features a triple redundant firing switch that is extremely reliable for preventing misfires or uncommanded initiations. Given the sometimes-complex environment of a blasting operation, AXXIS TITANIUM has been designed to withstand high dynamic pressure in holes with multiple charge decks. “As a blast is fired, shock waves are generated from each exploding hole into the surrounding rock, creating very high pressure waves that can crush and damage the electronic components in unfired detonators, thus leading to misfires,” Brits says.
BME marketing manager Michelle Fedder.
“With the higher strength shells and protection of the electronic components by encapsulation, AXXIS TITANIUM detonators are more resistant to dynamic pressure waves. “Encapsulation also protects against the unlikely possibility of components heating up from external energy.” Standing on the strength of BME’s significant research and development program, AXXIS TITANIUM has been tested in South African vanadium, coal and chrome mines. A vanadium mine, for example, contains high iron content that can interfere with the communication between controller and blaster boxes, and between blasters and detonators. But AXXIS TITANIUM has overcome this problem, the system is proven to retain its wireless communication range despite different commodities being mined. When it comes to safety, there are no compromises. AXXIS TITANIUM fires the blasts with exceptional time accuracy, even at the extreme firing times of 35,000 milliseconds. Mine workers can monitor every stage of the blasting process in real time. BME’s paper-free blast management system, XPLOLOG, captures and stores block activities
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BME technical services manager Tom Dermody.
in the cloud, allowing operators to also evaluate blast records for future improvements. “Mine employees can monitor their blasting operation and have a live feed of how it is progressing using Wi-Fi or GSM connectivity on site,” BME technical services manager Tom Dermody says. “XPLOLOG has delivered efficiencies where the whole process of quality assurance and quality control are digitalised.” BME has developed a complementary Blasting Guide application that is downloadable from the Google Play Store. The app is useful for a rapid calculation and checking of blast designs, applicable to a greenfield site. It includes advanced calculators, surface blast design rules of thumb, environmental guidelines and a BME contact director for every country. “It replaces what used to be in a paper booklet and becomes a digital guide in the field,” BME marketing manager Michelle Fedder says. These innovations demonstrate that BME has truly harnessed the power of digital technology in the blasting industry. By doing so, the company gives operators a world-class blasting experience.
Mining equipment
Nivek supports local businesses during tough times THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY HAS HELPED TO KEEP MANY JOBS AFLOAT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. NIVEK INDUSTRIES SPEAKS WITH SAFE TO WORK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FORMING STRONG AND MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURERS.
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ince 2011, Nivek Industries has been safeguarding mine workers from the dangers of the job with its Tracked Elevating Device, affectionately known by the company and its users as TED. A key part of getting TED into the market was forming meaningful relationships with other local original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
Nivek Industries aims to support other local businesses.
and businesses. Since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down industries such as hospitality, tourism and retail, mining has played a key role in keeping the Australian economy afloat. Companies like Nivek Industries have also been key in keeping Australian businesses operating and workers in jobs. Nivek Industries general manager Derrick Cant says local manufacturers are a form of life support to the nation as it continues to experience uncertainty created by the pandemic. “Nivek Industries is 100 per cent Australian owned, not just the sales but also the manufacturing,” Cant tells Safe to Work. “Being a small, local business and having that quality relationship with our clients is one of the biggest things for us. “We’re an Australian business so we like supporting Australian manufacturing, selling Australian products and keeping jobs here.” Nivek Industries’ relationships are not limited to fellow companies, but also its customers, which provide valuable feedback that helps the company develop new products or improve existing ones to suit client needs. “Through our partners and clients, we get a lot of feedback and we’re
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always looking to build new products so we take that information and try to develop a solution which will enhance our business and keep people in difficult or dangerous roles safe on the floor,” Cant says. By gathering this feedback directly from the mining industry, Nivek Industries adapts its products and techniques to keep ahead of trends. This gives its clients exactly what they need, boosting its business, their clients’ operations and Australian business as a whole. In addition to adapting existing products, this allows Nivek Industries’ clients to be involved in the process of creating new products, supporting the growth of the business and the wider safety and manufacturing industries. “We’re growing our business and have some exciting new products in development based on valuable feedback from our customers,” Cant says. “We are more than happy to listen to our customers’ concerns about safety issues on their sites and create niche products to counter these issues. “One of the advantages of being a smaller company is we have the capacity and flexibility to create more personalised solutions.” With feedback available in a range
of formats, including on social media platforms, via in-person or digital feedback forms and during traditional client meetings, Nivek Industries has kept its customers close, even when contending against COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and travel bans. Nivek Industries also has a dedicated team to respond to phone and email enquiries, responding to all customer requests on a same-day basis, ensuring they are never left waiting for quotes, repairs or advice. “We build our machines to help people in the workplace and therefore they need to be introduced to site seamlessly and remain operational,” Cant says. “The last thing we want is to have our products out of service. It’s not good for our customers and it’s not good for us as a supplier.” Nivek Industries prides itself on being a local business that prioritises safety, keeping locals in the Singleton, New South Wales area employed during the pandemic. At the same time, Nivek Industries has the reach of a large, national company, keeping workers safe at mine sites across Australia. This includes servicing mining
Nivek Industries’ products are 100 per cent Australian owned and made.
companies from small, local businesses like itself, right up to Tier 1 mining clients with international operations. Regardless of who is using Nivek Industries’ products, the company aims to not only keep eliminating dangers across Australian mine sites, but to keep growing its own business by supporting other locals in the industry. “As an Australian business, we like supporting other Australian manufacturers and keeping manufacturing jobs here in Australia. We are proud of our products and are proud to sell a 100 per cent Australian owned and manufactured range,” Cant concludes.
Nivek’s TED has saved lives at mine sites across Australia.
Mental health
Corporate support for stronger mental health
WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR MINING WORKERS INCREASING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE INDUSTRY HAS STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT FOR ITS WORKFORCE.
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he number one focus of Australia’s mining industry is for employees to go home safely at the end of each day. This doesn’t just mean that workers are physically safe – mental health is also crucial to workforce wellbeing. While the focus on employee wellbeing has strengthened in recent years, the coronavirus pandemic has introduced fresh challenges for workforce mental health. For example, some miners are on longer rosters and have been separated from their family and support networks due to travel restrictions. The mining industry recognises that the pandemic, which has required companies to relocate employees, minimise the number of workers on site and institute longer shift cycles, has placed pressure on relationships and mental health.
During this stressful period, MATES in Mining encouraged mine workers to reach out to Connectors, who had been trained in their workplace to help keep colleagues safe. The MATES in Mining program trains employees to assist colleagues affected by personal and work challenges. The Connector model involves workers on site volunteering to help someone in crisis by connecting them to professional help. MATES in Mining has also kept its helpline open 24/7 without interruption to provide case management support. The charity organisation, supported by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), has run its volunteer program at more than 15 mine sites across New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. Pilot programs were initially launched at Glencore’s Clermont and Glendell
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mines in Queensland and New South Wales, respectively, and have since been expanded to additional mine sites. The initiative aims to raise awareness about suicide and issues that could cause suicidal thoughts, reducing barriers to help workers or friends going through a hard time by offering appropriate and accessible help for workers in need. This model has proven to lower suicide rates in the construction industry. According to the MCA, New Hope Group is another company to introduce a peer support program to support employees going through personal and work difficulties. MCA chief executive Tania Constable says the success of the MATES in Mining pilots has resulted in a national rollout of the initiative, adding that workplace mental health programs are a sound investment in workforce wellbeing that
Photo credit: Newcrest Mining / MCA MATES in Mining has rolled out its mental health program across mine sites nationally.
minerals industry. “This reinforces the importance of existing industry initiatives to preserve mental health, including the MCA’s leading Blueprint for Mental Health and Wellbeing Industry guide. “Mining employers are also recommended to increase their capacity in identifying and responding to mental health issues in the workplace by understanding the supportive role of peers, workplace and culture.” The Australian Bureau of Statistics last year revealed that in 2017-18, 4.8 million Australians had a mental or behavioural condition, an increase from
MATES in Mining pilot programs were initially launched at Glencore’s Clermont coal mine in Queensland. Photo credit: Glencore, Sumitomo Corporation, J-Power Australia and J.C.D. Australia / MCA
delivers significant return. This includes improvements in staff engagement and workplace morale, reduction in suicide and improved productivity, and employee mental health and wellbeing. “Mental health programs can also improve organisational adaptability, general health and safety and reduce staff turnover,” Constable said. “MCA encourages top-to-bottom leadership to create and maintain a mentally healthy workplace. “Management should promote the importance of mental health and wellbeing to all workers in the
around four million in 2014-2015. At Rio Tinto, a peer support program has been in place at its iron ore operations since 2012. The company provides mental health training for leaders, giving them the skills to recognise and refer employees for assistance as required. Taurai Gusha, a Rio Tinto mobile mining equipment fitter at the Yandicoogina iron ore mine in Western Australia, is a peer supporter within the business. Gusha says a healthy mind is important at work because it is also a safe and productive mind. “(It’s) a mind that is able to identify hazards, and support other people around them,” Gusha says. “It’s good to have a healthy mindset when we go home to our loved ones at the end of our roster. The healthier you are mentally, the better you are for yourself, your family and your team.” Mental health is also a big focus at BHP, which focusses on reducing stigma associated with mental illness and raising awareness of mental health conditions. According to the MCA, BHP implemented a program to grow the confidence of its leaders to initiate a conversation and advise on support. Companies can also help by ensuring linkages with existing health, welfare and community services to support early access to assistance for mental health problems and promote recovery through return to work.
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Emergency response
Self-rescuers within a local grasp
MINEARC SYSTEMS HAS PARTNERED WITH DEZEGA TO PROTECT MINERS WHEN NOTHING ELSE CAN ENSURE THEIR SAFETY. SAFE TO WORK LOOKS INTO THE COLLABORATION AND WHAT IT WILL BRING TO THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY.
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ineARC Systems has shown an unrelenting ambition to secure the health and safety of mine workers in even greater numbers. Now, the refuge chamber specialist has partnered with European company DEZEGA to distribute self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs) and self-contained breathing-apparatus (SCBAs) worldwide. SCSRs are mandatory in underground mines, but are not manufactured in Australia. The collaboration between DEZEGA and MineARC is expected to bring the supply of SCSRs closer to Australian mines where local stock has not
previously been available. “DEZEGA is unique in that it not only has bespoke self-rescuer products, but it also manufactures closed-circuit breathing apparatus,” MineARC chief innovation officer Brent Pearce tells Safe to Work. “The company has 60 years of pedigree in respiratory protective equipment, and to date there are over 500,000 DEZEGA self-rescuers standing by, ready to protect miners worldwide. “Our distributorship means that we can provide this very critical piece of equipment in a much shorter lead time when they’re needed urgently, as we can offer local stock.”
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Not only will MineARC be a distributor of DEZEGA products, it will also make services, including maintenance and inspections available. This is backed up by the geographical strength of MineARC, whose offices are spread across six locations outside of Australia: in South Africa, Chile, Mexico China, Europe and the United States. “We will be supporting our partnership with DEZEGA locally by having stock and 24/7 support services available. We’ll also provide local training for the use of SCSRs, which is very important,” Pearce says. “That’s industry standard and part of our arrangement with DEZEGA.
DEZEGA self-contained self-rescuers can be worn on a waist belt.
MineARC has partnered with DEZEGA to heighten workers and emergency responders’ protection during an emergency.
This is the level of support and service we’re bringing to the table with the distributorship, in ways that have never been done in the past.” Like rescue life jackets on aircrafts, it is hoped that SCSRs will never be needed, but they do require training as it is difficult to predict employee behaviour during an emergency. This training is, therefore, aimed at developing learned behaviour to maximise their chance of survival. This by no means speaks of the efficiency of DEZEGA SCSRs, which triumph with the addition of an automatic self-starter. As soon as a user cracks the lid, the starter device will provide breathable gas amid irrespirable atmospheres that may pose an immediate danger to life and health. It takes less than 15 seconds to
put on a DEZEGA SCSR, an industry best practice time compared with the 30 seconds it takes to put on other conventional self-rescuers. “Normally, users need to deeply breathe into the system, but imagine how challenging that must be in a hazardous or smoky environment,” Pearce says. “With the DEZEGA self-rescuers, that’s already done for you. You can simply put it on and make your way to the refuge chamber. “DEZEGA self-rescuers have proven time and time again that they’re the best units when they need to operate. “When we talk about the wear, the ease of use, the reliability and the lower temperature you breathe in, there is evidence of DEZEGA’s track record after producing seven million selfrescuers since 1966.” Through this partnership and service, MineARC helps to ensure that underground personnel are not only sheltered and protected during an emergency, but they can also get to the refuge chamber safely. This also applies to the emergency response team members during a rescue mission. “The DEZEGA distributorship and partnership effectively brackets the
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two key stages in a mine emergency response, with the refuge chambers being the centrepiece of that,” Pearce says. “Our role is to support personnel underground in any way possible so they can be kept safe.” Another thing in common between MineARC and DEZEGA is their focus on research and development (R&D). DEZEGA prides itself on having a modern R&D centre that develops the experience of the All-Union Research & Development Institute of Mine Rescue “Respirator” and engineering departments of the plants. While the mining industry has advanced notably in digitalisation and automation over the years, SCSRs have progressed at a slower pace, despite working to facilitate escape for miners, workers and other civilians in lifethreatening situations. “These units are only used in the worst of circumstances where the atmosphere is non-breathable,” says MineARC business development manager for emergency response products, Leon Mussell, who is also a 15-year veteran in mine rescue. “Making rapid change in that area takes a lot of time and research as you have many certification requirements to adhere to.” Nevertheless, like MineARC, DEZEGA invests heavily in R&D. Pearce says the partnership will lead to the supply of safety and environmentally friendly products down the track, ultimately making underground work safer. It throws an extra lifeline to miners when situations are far from within their control.
Emergency response
Flexibladder fetches firefighting facilities for site FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS, LABARONNE CITAF HAS DESIGNED AND BUILT FLEXIBLE BLADDER TANKS FOR LIQUID STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION. SAFE TO WORK SPEAKS WITH FLEXIBLADDER ABOUT ITS FIREFIGHTING APPLICATIONS FOR MINE SITES.
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lexibladder was dreamed up by Andre Labaronne in 1958 when he noticed productivity gains could be made in transport and storage using his invention over conventional methods. From there, the idea was formed to develop a flexible bladder that could be folded up and stored for transport, then rolled out and used on the return trip so trucks transporting goods in one direction could utilise the empty truck for liquid on the return journey. No more wasting a trip. Fast forward 62 years and Flexibladder is used across a range of
industries, including mining; agriculture and viticulture for liquid fertiliser, water, potable water, leachate, fuel and dairy effluent storage irrigation and in the case of the Oaky Creek coal mine in Queensland, firefighting. At remote mine sites like Oaky Creek, it can be difficult to get firefighting equipment onto location at the time of an emergency and often by the time an emergency crew with a firefighting appliance arrives, it is too late. Flexibladder has installed a 300,000-litre tank at the Central Queensland site, giving Oaky Creek water at the location as a short-term
Flexibladder’s storage tanks are durable enough to withstand Australia’s hot and arid conditions.
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solution while long-term permanent infrastructure is installed. Further, Flexibladder can also integrate long-term fire safety plans, as its 10-year warranty and 20-year plus life expectancy against heat and sun means it has the durability to reliably perform over many years. Australian director David Bennett says Flexibladder tanks combine strength and flexibility, making them tough enough to withstand harsh mining conditions, while being flexible enough to be used across a range of applications. “Flexibadder tanks are extremely
Flexibladder Australian director David Bennett.
tough and very strong. Flexibility is our strength,” Bennett tells Safe to Work. To install the Oaky Creek tank, the civil engineering team first built a pad area in the chosen location and levelled it to ensure the tank was on a level surface as per the manufacturers’ pad preparation requirements. Another advantage of Flexibladder’s tanks is they can be installed within hours of arriving at a site and the mine can start using them straight away. In the summer of 2019-20, Australia saw first-hand how important it is to have a solid supply of water and firefighting solutions, experiencing bushfire equal to some of the worst in our history. With the 300,000-litre tank, Oaky Creek can now use it to store water for firefighting purposes, giving the mine site the capability to start fighting fires before emergency services arrive. With minutes often being the difference between substantial and devastating fire damage, Flexibladder tanks are a fantastic solution for operations located at a distance from emergency services. Once emergency services arrive on site, the Flexibladder tanks also give them a large on-site supply of water, meaning trucks do not have to make as
many trips to and from the site when battling a larger blaze like a bushfire. “Flexibladder tanks allow you to pump water and start fighting the fire direct from the tank as a standalone mass storage resource connected directly to a firefighting system if town water is not available or has been cut off due to infrastructure damage,” Bennett says. “The other aspect where our tanks are helpful is actually delivering water to the fire. It is all well and good to have the truck there doing the firefighting, but when it runs out of water, you need to send the truck away for more water. “While waiting for the main tanker to arrive there’s all this extra downtime, which, if you have a Flexibladder tank strategically located, the main tanker can unload large volumes then head off to get another load while the smaller firefighting appliances come and refill from the continuous flow of the bladder.”
all solutions in Australia. “Flexibladder tanks are manufactured at our state-of-the-art facility in France using the highest quality fabrics that are treated for high ultra-violet (UV) factor and heat resistance,” Bennett explains. “Our tanks are being used by operations in some of the worst deserts in the world, including the Desert of Oman, which is up there with the worst conditions in the world. “Australia with its remote, hot destinations like the Pilbara is up there, so our Australian customers are guaranteed to be fitted with a solution that will last in their harsh environment.” In preparation for the 2020-21 summer, Flexibladder is working with consultants designing Flexibladder firefighting infrastructure across airports and air bases, as well as farms, other horticultural operations, and mine sites
Flexibladder has installed a 300,000-litre tank at the Oaky Down mine in Queensland.
With its products being distributed to many hot and dry destinations, Flexibladder mainly focusses on manufacturing larger sized tanks – tanks that can store anything from 1000 litres for the smaller models, right up to the giant two million litre or 2000 cubic metre models, which only Flexibladder has the technology to manufacture. While Flexibladder’s tanks are designed in France, they are created to withstand the harshest conditions in the world, and Flexibladder manufactures the most durable flexible tank storage of
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like Oaky Creek. With the huge storage capacity and ease and speed of installation of Flexibladder tanks, they are bringing the ease of on-site firefighting to mines and other rural operations Australia wide. “When it comes to fire safety, it’s all about management,” Bennett says. “It’s about preparing and planning for the worst case and hoping that you never have to use your Flexibladder tank, but if you do need it, it’s there. It’s better being a year too early than a day too late with fire management.”
Training & Education
Prepare for the unexpected with tailored emergency response training courses BEING PREPARED FOR POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS IS A VITAL SKILL FOR MINERS WHEN WORKING AT HEIGHTS, UNDERGROUND OR WITH CHEMICALS AND EXPLOSIVES. AUSTRALASIA FIRE & EMERGENCY RESPONSE COLLEGE IS TRAINING WORKERS TO DEAL WITH A RANGE OF COMMON MINE ACCIDENTS AND DANGERS. The Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College provides trainees with a life-like environment to refine fire and emergency rescue skills.
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ustralasia Fire & Emergency Response College trains Australian workers to safely and competently respond to mine fires, hazardous material incidents, vertical rescues, confined space rescues and even road crash incidents. The organisation offers a nationally accredited Emergency Response & Rescue Training (up to and including the Certificate III Emergency Response and Rescue qualification) to prepare them for these events. Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College tailors the learnings to their specific commodities, mine types and even a worker’s own mine site, offering a personalised learning experience for every situation. Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College prepares workers in mining and the oil and gas industry to deal with fires, respond safely to hazardous materials incidents, perform confined space rescue, and work and rescue from heights. Safe to Work discusses the learnings on offer under the Certificate III qualification with Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College, college
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manager Jason Humphries. “We prepare emergency responders to deal with any scenario possible when an incident occurs at their site,” Humphries says. “The Certificate III provides students with the knowledge and skills to deal with an incident to the best of their ability, with qualifications specific to both underground and surface mining operations. “We offer different training in respect to the various breathing apparatuses each mining operation uses and the incidents that are more likely to occur.” For example, underground mining emergency response teams require more knowledge of using long duration breathing apparatuses in poor ventilation, while surface coal miners require familiarity with fires more than miners of other commodities. To provide a more life-like experience, the Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College team incorporates live fire gas props and virtual reality systems into its training. Humphries says realistic scenarios are incorporated into the training to provide students with knowledge and
experience in reacting to modern-day incidents. “We use high flowing gas for live fire training and specialised hazmat suits and gas detection training simulators,” Humphries says. “Instead of using a normal gas detector, we use a training simulator detector that tells the students at which level they should evacuate, for example.”
rescue practice. The Certificate III course components are run both at Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College’s campus and on actual mine sites, allowing workers to become familiar with the risks and facilities within their own workplace. With the mining industry constantly developing and introducing new technology, Australasia Fire &
Mine workers can complete qualifications up to and including the Certificate III in Emergency Response and Rescue.
As well as props, Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College also uses technology like virtual reality to create realistic training for dangerous incidents in a safe environment. “Obviously in some other scenarios we can’t capture a real-life event without putting students in danger, so for these situations we use virtual reality,” Humphries says. “This ensures the students are exposed to the different scenarios they may come across in their line of work.” At its Sunshine Coast campus, Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College has specially built shipping containers on site with a 10-metre tower for vertical rescue training and confined spaces tunnels for confined space
Emergency Response College specialises in providing further training after completing the Certificate III in Emergency Response & Rescue, so that emergency response officers continue upskilling. “Here in the Australian region we recommend mine emergency response officers continue to improve their skills and knowledge beyond their Certificate III qualification,” Humphries says. “Emergency response officers can attend our continuing professional development classes on a fortnightly or monthly basis and have this signed off in a logbook. “Students wishing to improve their knowledge for safety on their own site can instigate somebody from the
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Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College team to go out to site and oversee this professional development training for them.” Knowing how to react in an emergency is essential for mine workers, particularly following the introduction of new industrial manslaughter laws across Queensland, putting the onus on employers to ensure teams are equipped with the knowledge to keep themselves and their colleagues safe. Under these laws, employers risk fines exceeding $10 million or a jail sentence of up to 20 years if found to be negligent in an accident that causes the death or injury of a worker, which could include failing to provide correct training. “A lack of training, knowledge or skills in emergency response can be potentially life threatening or deadly,” Humphries says. “If workers do not understand the scenario or incident they find themselves in, whether it be an explosion or a fall or a fire, and they don’t have the correct training or competency, they could walk into a situation where they could get themselves or others injured or even killed.” By providing quality, nationally accredited training, Australasia Fire & Emergency Response College helps to build safer mine sites, create useful team building exercises and educate workers on how to deal with the unexpected on site to ultimately save lives. “Even (with) the best health and safety procedures and policies in place, unfortunately, incidents still do happen on mine sites,” Humphries says. “That’s why mine workers need correct and advanced training tailored specifically to their site, so they are prepared to deal with all types of situations they are likely to encounter on the job.”
PPE
Hearing protection: the most underestimated health concern ALL-ROUND HEARING PROTECTION NEEDS TO REFLECT THE DEMANDS OF EACH JOB. CUSTOM FIT EAR PLUGS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE FILTERS ARE PART OF THE MINING EQUATION.
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lawyer by trade, Terry van Dijk has acquired a hearing protection company that supplies solutions to the industrial sector, but also to Sydney Opera musicians, Victorian Police and people in the motorsports industry. The reach of the company, Pacific Ears, has grown since it came under van Dijk’s leadership in early 2018. “We’re getting ourselves known now, by increasing our presence and brand awareness, and we have answered to the concerns of hearing damage across the board,” the owner/ director tells Safe to Work. The secret lies in the composition of Pacific Ears’ hearing protectors. They are made of soft silicone custom fitted mould with replaceable filters according to the need or application. A class two or three filter may be sufficient for Sydney Opera musicians, but not for miners who regularly work in louder environments. “There is a 24-hour activity going around heavy machinery,” van Dijk says. “The exposure to that much noise will lead to hearing damage if not
The Pro series custom ear plugs are made from soft, medical grade, hypoallergenic silicone.
protected early and properly.” According to van Dijk, employers are trying to do right by their valued staff, but some simply don’t have the sufficient knowledge to be making the right decisions. This starts with them providing a higher attenuation, or sound reduction, than required. “Providing a class five product where a class three would suffice can lead to isolation and non-compliance,” van Dijk explains. “On the other hand, class five product that reduces mostly low frequencies might be insufficient in a high-frequency environment.” In response to this issue, years have been invested into developing the housing and vented filter design that underpins the current hearing protectors. Van Dijk even calls the development a “breakthrough in high-noise filtering.” Pacific Ears’ Pro series custom ear
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plugs, for example, reduce sound to safe levels without causing muffling or occlusion. As a result, the wearer can hear safely and clearly while being protected from dangerous sound levels. They are also made from a soft, medical grade, hypoallergenic silicone to ensure a safe and comfortable fit, and keep shape after years even with perspiration and rain. They can be worn for a long period of time, even throughout an entire shift. This allows people to communicate with each other, hear warning signals and back up alarms and still perform their job in comfort. “Our goal is to not only make the best possible hearing protection through a filtered system, but also to improve comfort, which will eventually lead to better compliance and therefore safety again,” van Dijk says. “And we received lots of positive feedback on our products; the user
acceptance is very high.” Beyond the open space, the Pro series ear plugs are suitable for use in confined areas. They are also a suitable double layer of protection as there is no interference with safety glasses, hats and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE). Custom fit hearing protection has gained in popularity throughout Europe and the United States. Many people in those regions have left the use of earmuffs that are still common in Australia and New Zealand’s heavy industry behind. As technology has advanced over the past decade, a shift is also taking place among employers that isn’t exclusive to larger companies, van Dijk explains. They are searching for information about sustainable and durable hearing protection. “They realised that foam plugs and earmuffs were not sufficient, and that people who wore earmuffs tended not to wear them all the time for a variety of reasons, among which are lack of comfort and feeling of isolation, making them prone to hearing damage,” he continues. “There are reports coming out stating that employers are paying $500 per staff member per year for hearing protection, foam plugs and earmuffs, and yet the damage numbers are unnecessarily this high.” According to van Dijk, noise induced hearing loss is the most commonly reported occupational disease, particularly in mining. Yet it is also the most underestimated health concern on the work floor. Anyone who is exposed to noise is potentially at risk, and the higher the noise level and the longer someone is exposed to it, the greater the risk of suffering injuries from noise, van Dijk says. “In manufacturing and mining, 40 per cent of employees experience
“In hearing protection, prevention is the only option. Hearing loss is irreversible.” significant noise levels for more than half of their working time,” he says. “By age 60, 75 per cent of miners suffer from noise induced hearing loss. Many miners will recognise symptoms such as difficulty hearing warning signals and hearing others properly; background noises that are louder than those closer to them; ringing or buzzing of the ears; headaches; fatigue; stress; and dull or muffled hearing after leaving The Pro Series are available in a pouch that includes a comfort cream.
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a noisy area. These all have to do with an overexposure to noise.” Sadly, noise pollution can adversely impact a person’s mental health. This could start with distraction and the inability to concentrate, before progressing into irritation, poor job performance and frayed temper. Numerous studies have also linked noise pollution to increased anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes, van Dijk says. “In hearing protection, prevention is the only option. Hearing Loss is irreversible. We rather prevent than try to cure the incurable,” he says. Beyond the job site, Pacific Ears has developed sleeping ear plugs to improve miners’ quality of rest. “We have developed the softest and longest lasting sleeping plugs to get those extra hours in,” van Dijk says. “A common misconception is that custom hearing protection is expensive, but if you calculate it per pair per user, it is the most economical and more environmentally friendly solution.”
Health & Wellbeing
CoolVest turns heatstroke from fatal to treatable condition WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT HEATSTROKE IS AN IMMEDIATELY TREATABLE CONDITION. HOWEVER, HEATSTROKE CAN HAVE DISASTROUS LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES ON HEALTH IF LEFT UNTREATED. SAFE TO WORK SPEAKS TO COOLVEST ABOUT ITS LIGHTWEIGHT AND PORTABLE HEATSTROKE SOLUTION. CoolVest can lower an adult’s body temperature from 42 degrees Celsius to a safe 37.5 degrees Celsius.
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rought on by a core body temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or higher, heatstroke can cause confusion, agitation, slurred speech, irritability, delirium, nausea and vomiting, flushed skin, rapid breathing, a racing heart and a headache. Considered an emergency condition, heatstroke can lead to devastating consequences such as brain, heart, kidney and muscle damage, coma, or even death if left untreated. For anyone suffering heatstroke, the recommended treatment is to immediately lower their core body temperature by placing them in a bath of iced water. However, as CoolVest founder and chief executive officer Jonathan
Weinberg explains, an iced bath of water is the last thing you’re likely to find in some work environments, such as mine sites or at an army base, where his idea for CoolVest was born. Following four unfortunate heatstroke fatalities during training, Weinberg developed a military grade heatstroke solution that could be used by the United Kingdom Special Forces. Now, the CoolVest is being deployed in other industries characterised by physical roles in typically hot conditions, such as mining.
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“Before CoolVest, the only effective way to immediately begin lowering someone’s core body temperature, which is the only way to treat potentially fatal heatstroke, was to immerse them in a bath of iced water, or try and use multiple smaller pre-cooled packs of ice (which were messy and underpowered),” Weinberg tells Safe to Work. “Obviously this isn’t something that is available on most work sites and it can take anywhere between four and eight hours for suitable treatment to arrive to mine sites in remote areas.” CoolVest fills this gap for a potentially life-saving solution, as a self-activating wearable product that does not require
power or prior refrigeration before usage. “We worked very closely with specialists to develop a device that weighs in at only three kilograms yet has the power to reduce a large person from a fatal body core temperature of 42 degrees down to a safe body core temperature of 37.5 degrees,” Weinberg explains. The vest can be deployed anywhere, at any time and can be used while transporting the patient to the next stage of medical care, even by air. To use CoolVest, the person assisting the patient needs to simply remove the vest from its container, fill the water reservoir with about three litres of water. The water can be of any quality, including rainwater and seawater. The reservoir is then connected to the vest and rolled in order to squeeze the water into the vest. The vest will instantly become cold and needs to be rotated to ensure the cooling agent is mixed adequately before being laid on the bare chest of the patient. In extreme cases, the patient can be laid onto the vest if they are unable to have it placed on their chest. Despite being known as a treatable condition, timing is essential for treating heatstroke. The sooner a patient is treated, the higher chance they have of making a full recovery without experiencing long-term health complications.
CoolVest founder and chief executive officer Jonathan Weinberg.
“This device has been a remarkable upgrade to our abilities to treat heat injuries immediately in many areas of our operations.” - Joint Special Forces surgeon commander (name classifed)
Once the vest is secured on the patient, it is recommended to leave CoolVest on them for at least 45 minutes. Weinberg designed the Coolvest to be as light and easy to transport as possible, because this is a situation where every minute counts. The aim is to have a CoolVest placed at every location where there is typically a first aid kit and/or defibrillator. “Minutes count with heatstroke and if you have CoolVest on hand in a remote mine site, treatment can begin within five minutes of identifying ongoing symptoms,” he says. “If you have to wait several hours for treatment or medical evacuation, that worker could be written off for the rest of their working life with organ failure or brain damage.” CoolVest has been tried and tested in some of the world’s most hazardous locations to decrease a patient’s core temperature from a potentially fatal 41plus degrees, back to 37.5 degrees in less than an hour. When compared with the time and costs of medically evacuating a patient, as well as the potential worker’s compensation costs down the line, CoolVest is an obvious solution for quick and safe treatment of heatstroke. Following the passing of new industrial manslaughter laws in Queensland, the onus is on mining companies to prevent work industries and injuries, including heatstroke,
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more than ever. With organisations and businesses facing penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment or fines exceeding $10 million, Weinberg says it is absolutely essential for mining companies to immediately take action and invest in proper protection for their workers. “CoolVest has already saved lives in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Middle East and we are proud and delighted to offer our capability to Australia,” he says. “Holding multiple granted patents, CoolVest is the only product on the market that ensures heatstroke goes from being a fatal condition to an immediately treatable one. “Even if you’re getting a helicopter sent in, by the time it arrives it is often too late for the patient. This can expose businesses to years of workers compensation payments or even facing the new industrial manslaughter laws.” CoolVest does not interfere with other life saving protocols such as CPR, if required, and the company provides work sites with full training upon purchase. This can be done either online or in person depending on individual requirements. Coolvest has health and safety accreditation under the CE Mark, FDA (USA) and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval rankings, making it safe for use in most jurisdictions worldwide especially AsiaPacific, Europe and the Americas.
Health & Wellbeing
Wellbeing at the tip of mine worker’s fingers NUTRITIONAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER, MICHELE CHAVELLEY HEDGE, REVEALS THE KEYS TO A GOOD LIFESTYLE. THE GOOD NEWS IS, THEY’RE NOT AS HARD AS SOME MIGHT THINK.
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taying healthy requires the same focus, on and off a mine site. Michele Chavelley Hedge, a nutritional medicine practitioner who comes from a family of blue-collar workers, says there are only three key principles to embracing a healthier lifestyle. And none of them paint an extreme scenario. “The reason a lot of people don’t embrace a healthier lifestyle is because they think it’s going to require such a big lifestyle change,” Hedge tells Safe to Work. “They think they won’t be able to have coffee, they won’t be able to have wine. That’s not the case at all. There are lots of levels to a person’s health. My philosophy is to never take an extreme approach.” Mine employees can start by focussing on the three main things. The first one involves eating real whole foods that are unpackaged and unprocessed as often as possible. Real whole foods are preferred because they’re high in vitamins, minerals and fibre – all the components that contribute to a person’s good mental and gut health.
Michele Chavelley Hedge prescribes a no-extreme approach to a healthy diet.
“When someone’s eating real whole foods, I want them to think about having a bit of good carbs, a bit of good fat and a bit of protein,” the author of three books says. “They should start thinking about those three different components in their meals. Once people start eating like that, all of a sudden they stop becoming the sugar muncher. “They stop becoming the mad binger or mad craver because by eating real whole foods, they send chemical messages to the brain that says they’re satiated. They’re satisfied.” Hedge recognises that in the real world, people do live a busy lifestyle. The working mother of three admits she doesn’t always manage to eat real whole
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food in every meal. But one can opt for the simplicity in avoiding as much processed and packaged food as possible. The second principal to a healthy diet is to limit the amount of intake of added sugar, Hedge says. Excluding the sugar found in fruits and vegetables, snacks such as muesli bars and yoghurt disguise themselves as healthy food, but are in reality packed with an abundant amount of added sugar. “A high intake of added sugar can lead to all sorts of physical and mental health complication,” Hedge, whose recipes and wellness programs can be found on her website called ‘A Healthy View’, says.
“We know there are links among junk food, depression and mood disorders. We know now there are links between excess sugar to the damage of the hippocampus in the brain, which is key to our memory and learning capability. “Excess sugar also has an enormous effect on our sleep. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to know that if you’re sleeping poorly, you’re likely not going to be as productive or exercise the next day.” Hedge adds that many people underestimate the importance of a good sleep. In fact, she prescribes nutrition, exercise and sleep as keys to true wellbeing. “I’d in fact say that it’s the perfect trifecta, with sleep perched at the top,” she says. “In order to get a good sleep, we have to consider not just our intake of sugar, but also if we have enough protein in our diet. “Protein contains amino acid that is a precursor to our sleeping hormone, melatonin. So it helps if we eat a protein-based snack before bedtime.” The beauty in transitioning to a low-sugar way of life is that people will naturally lose weight, according to Hedge.
“Excess sugar also has an enormous effect on our sleep. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to know that if you’re sleeping poorly, you’re likely not going to be as productive or exercise the next day.” She underlines that a good diet is not about cutting down calories, but it’s about choosing the different kinds of calories – those that come in the form of good fat and good protein. “I rarely talk about weight, but rather your ability to have energy and exercise,” Hedge says. “When people are so focussed on cutting down calories and feel like they’re in depravation, they’ll eventually bounce out of that and go on a binge. But if what they’ll be eating is quite satiating, they’ll feel quite nourished. “You cannot fail at this thing called good nutrition. If you don’t have access to the freshest ingredients, you
Good nutrition, sufficient exercise and quality sleep are key to a true wellbeing.
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do the best you can and choose the lower sugar option. “If you have a processed and packaged meal, don’t beat yourself up. For the next meal you have, have some sense of what the cleanest and freshest ingredients you can be eating that are closest to real whole foods.” Hedge finally suggests that for every person to have a wellness tool kit, which may contain mindfulness apps to bring their stress level down wherever they are. Other tools that can be useful when working in a remote site are exercise apps, where people may not have access to the gym or other exercise centres. “Your wellness tool kit should be comprised of good nutrition, strategies for stress relief and things that help you get a better sleep,” Hedge says. “In times of coronavirus, there are many, many things that we cannot control. We cannot control what life is going to look like in three months, what’s happening to our finances, and how our neighbour behaves. “But what we can control is what we eat, and that has a direct effect on how we exercise and how we sleep. “Those three things underpin every single thought we have, because without being well fed, well slept or having some sort of movement or exercise, we won’t be capable of making good decisions.”
Women in Industry Awards
Women in Industry Awards recognise mining’s best
TWO OF THE MINING INDUSTRY’S BRIGHTEST STARS, SARAH WITHELL FROM WHITEHAVEN COAL AND RACHAEL ASHFIELD FROM IFM EFECTOR, HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED AT THE WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS, TAKING OUT THE EXCELLENCE IN MINING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS OF THE YEAR CATEGORIES RESPECTIVELY.
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he Women in Industry Awards aims to recognise and celebrate women in traditionally male-dominated industries, such as mining, engineering, transport and manufacturing. This year’s awards saw a 27 per cent rise in nominations compared with last year, as well as a record number of individuals, businesses and organisations represented. The Women in Industry Awards winner for Excellence in Mining this year is Whitehaven Coal executive general manager HSE, Sarah Withell. She started her mining career as a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) environmental scientist at a remote operation in the Gulf of Carpentaria in
northern Australia. From there, Withell launched a career that has since spanned two decades by expanding her knowledge to work in health, safety, environment and community roles. During the past 10 years, Withell has moved into senior leadership teams for some of Australia’s biggest coal operations. This includes being a member of the BHP Minerals Australia health and safety environment (HSE) leadership team, providing guidance and support to more than 18,000 workers. In this role, Withell partnered with senior leaders in the business to set the strategic direction and performance of two of BHP’s biggest coal assets.
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Reporting to the Minerals Australia vice president for HSE, this put Withell at two levels below BHP Minerals Australia president and three levels below BHP chief executive officer Mike Henry. Additionally, Withell is a member of the New South Wales Minerals Council’s environment and community committee, bringing industry professionals together to discuss pertinent issues and opportunities at local, regional and state levels. She is also part of the NSW Mineral Council’s HSE and community conference steering committee, with her contributions in this space resulting in program improvements for the organisation.
Whitehaven Coal executive general manager HSE, Sarah Withell.
Withell was the first female head of health safety and environment within BHP’s New South Wales business and the first female member of the New South Wales energy coal asset leadership team, which helped her to identify issues particularly relevant for women in the industry. She also started a family prior to parental leave policies being fully developed in the mining industry, so she took it upon herself to forge this new ground, allowing all women to benefit from this as well. After experiencing the difficulties of returning to work while breastfeeding, Withell was instrumental in introducing a dedicated parent’s room at the Mt Arthur coal mine in New South Wales. This allowed her and other parents to return to work while breastfeeding and have a safe, relaxing, private and hygienic space to do so. Recognised for her leadership qualities and passion for supporting women and future female leaders, Withell has spent the past four years being involved in the WIMnet New South Wales mentoring program and actively mentored within BHP. Withell has replicated her work to diversify mine sites within her own team, where she has achieved more than 40 per cent female representation, 30 per
cent female leaders and 8 per cent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation across her staff. As well as striving to hire a diverse workforce, Withell holds regular development discussions with her team members to continue work to remove barriers for female workers, promoting flexible work to all team members, both males and females, showing that this indirectly supports work for other females. With this impressive resume, Withell is a worthy winner of the Women in Industry Awards title for Excellence in Mining.
The many courses to success After sticking with the same company for almost 20 years, ifm efector marketing manager Rachael Ashfield knows a thing or two about how to grow the business. As the recipient of the Business Development Success of the Year award at the 2020 Women In Industry Awards, Ashfield has been commended for a number of innovative campaigns that have grown ifm in the food/beverage manufacturing and mining sectors. Ashfield’s role sees her develop a number of marketing and communications campaigns to expand its customer base for ifm sensor technology and equipment. ifm’s products are applicable to a number of industries and fully embrace the advantages of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) 4.0 technology through its sensors and automated technology. Ashfield’s longstanding career with ifm has resulted in developing a deep understanding towards automation technology – starting in administration and working her way up to the company’s marketing manager. Her colourful role has helped strengthen ifm’s national and international presence. Ashfield has developed relationships with publishers, trade event companies and cartage contractors, which previously she had no
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relationships with. She has also familiarised herself with a number of industries that were foreign to her prior to starting her career at ifm. Harbouring this knowledge, Ashfield has identified that a stronger presence in sector-targeted advertising and marketing was needed. Growth areas for ifm that Ashfield identified included the mining sector and food/beverage manufacturing. In the past year, Ashfield has launched two campaigns that have enhanced ifm’s visibility in the Australian market, along with being utilised by ifm’s global marketing out of Germany. One of the two campaigns was directed at mining, where Ashfield helped develop an animated marketing campaign that focusses on the safety aspects of ifm’s solutions for the mining industry. In 2019, Ashfield launched the “Still Working” campaign, with part two released this year. It is designed to show that ifm’s sensors can withstand extreme situations and conditions to highlight the robustness of the products. The “Still Working” campaign’s innovative approached followed a “mythbusters’ video format and featured
ifm efector marketing manager, Rachael Ashfield.
Women in Industry Awards ifm employees well known in industry circles, and showed the equipment was still working at the end of the harsh condition testing. The videos are designed to be fun and unique to ifm – demonstrating the company’s business model as a likeable, playful yet reliable and solid “out-of-thebox” business. Ashfield also worked alongside a web development team – stillworking. com.au – to complement the videos and to emphasise the messaging behind the campaign. The campaign has received praise from ifm’s Asia marketing them, followed by the company’s top Germany team, who have since instructed each country to replicated it for their own markets. Ashfield’s innovation behind this campaign has allowed her to achieve global-ifm status due to her ability to look outside of the box using a multifaceted approach to expanding the company’s market presence. Being the front-runners of the Women in Industry Awards does not only affect the winners themselves, or even their company and industry, but also those who have the privilege of recognising their achievements. Christine Gibbs-Stewart, a 2020 judge and recipient of an award in 2016, is humbled to be in their company. “As a judge, it was great to read each applicant’s inspirational story. Each is unique and should be told, and these awards are a great way to do that,” the Austmine chief executive says. “We have been a supporter of the WII Awards for many years as it is great to recognise the achievements of some amazing women.” The 2020 winners and nominees are regarded as “strong and influential women”, who have led positive change across Australia. “Hearing their stories is not only inspiring but shows the steps the industry is making to reach gender equality,”
judge and Tradeswomen Australia head of operations Angela Gaylard says. Another judge and National Committee for Women in Engineering 2020 chair Hayley Rohrlach says that the quality of nominees she reviewed were certainly impressive. She had a hard time splitting a number of the nominees and felt it unfair to not be able to give a full mark to each of them. This goes to show the number of high performing female engineers throughout all stages of careers. Rohrlach isn’t the only one who says it was challenging to be a judge for the 2020 awards. National Association of Women in Operations board member Melissa Donald also had a challenging time judging due to the impressive calibre of nominees. They includes mentors who are committed to developing women in the sector, industry advocates who have positively shaped the portrayal of the sector and social leaders who have influenced change across the broader community. The diversity of manufacturers that put forward nominees also creates an impression on Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre director, corporate affairs, Kelly Godeau. “We saw nominations from some of Australia’s largest businesses through to smaller companies that expressed the same (huge) pride for the work their female staff contributed,” she says.
Nominations for the Women in Industry Awards increased by 27 per cent this year compared with 2019.
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The Women in Industry Awards celebrate achievements across the mining, engineering, transport and manufacturing sectors.
“The level of commitment these nominees dedicated to their roles exceeded what would be deemed necessary. “Many sacrificed personal time to get things done to ensure a safer workplace, better policies, encouraging more women and younger girls into manufacturing, and lifted the perception of what it meant to work in Australian manufacturing.” But judge and Institute of Quarrying Australia chief executive Kylie Fahey says that one thing stood out in each application: a genuine commitment and passion to improve the industry. “The awards promote the contribution of women and support the broader agenda of diversity and inclusion,” she says. “By highlighting and celebrating the
contribution of women to the industry, we can encourage more women into careers, help increase representation in leadership roles and support change.”
Driving force behind awards Atlas Copco, a long-term supporter of the Women in Industry Awards, came back this year as the sponsor of the Rising Star of the Year award. As a global manufacturer of air compressors, vacuum pumps and industrial gas equipment, with offices in major cities across the globe, Atlas Copco has always maintained a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. Atlas Copco’s commitment to creating an inclusive work environment for its employees is reflected in their commitment to supporting the Women in Industry Awards, five years in a row. In the words of the company’s spokesperson, “The Women in Industry awards is a special way in which we can show our commitment to advancing the gender balance in industry.” “As a global company, Atlas Copco recognises the link between diversity and innovation and as we say: ‘there is always a better way’ and contributing to these awards is just one way that we can show that Atlas Copco recognises the talent and achievement of females across our industry.” Another long-term sponsor, BOC, has been supporting the Women in Industry Awards for the past six years. This year,
they came back to support the Safety Advocacy Awards. For over 80 years, BOC has been producing high-quality gas throughout the South Pacific, using local talent and resources. Given the nature of their industry, it is not hard to imagine why safety is a priority for BOC when it comes to the Awards’ sponsorship. “We strive to constantly improve safety for our staff, customers and our community,” says the BOC spokesperson. This year too, BOC was impressed with the calibre of nominees and winners at the Awards. “The calibre of nominees and winners each year demonstrates considerable leadership and commitment to their various sectors, and aligns with BOC’s focus on the pursuit of excellence in industry. “BOC believes the Awards are an important event, and it’s critical companies continue to support the participation of women in industry and shine the light on the women who are true role models in leadership,” the company stated. The Excellence in Engineering Award was sponsored by BAE Systems Australia. As one of the largest employers of engineers in the country, BAE Systems has a strong focus on gender diversity. “We have female engineers to thank for many of the world’s greatest innovations yet they make up only 12 per cent of engineers employed in Australia,” the company stated. Some of the focus areas of BAE Systems to improve gender diversity within the team include: Flexibility in the workplace, advancing gender balance and offering opportunities in education. Current BAE Systems’ initiatives in this area include partnerships with the Foundation for the Inspiration of Science and Technology (FIRST), Northern Advanced Manufacturing Industry Group (NAMIG), and the
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University of South Australia. “Awards such as these are important to not only celebrate achievement but to also provide inspiration to others to break down barriers, and excel in the engineering industry.” The Women in Industry Awards 2020 once again highlighted the achievements of women in the mining industry, as well as in manufacturing, road transport, logistics, rail and bulk handling, infrastructure and engineering. Above all, the awards provided an opportunity for companies to learn from each other’s experiences and get inspired to extend their support for more inclusion and diversity across the sector.
Women in Industry 2020 winners Social Leader of the Year Jackie Lewis-Gray - BAE Systems Australia Rising Star of the Year Alicia Heskett - Shell Australia (QGC) Business Development Success of the Year Rachael Ashfield - ifm efector Industry Advocacy Award Rose Read - National Waste & Recycling Industry Council Safety Advocacy Award Nadine Youssef - Sydney Trains Mentor of the Year Dayle Stevens - AGL Energy Excellence in Manufacturing Rochelle Avinu - Leica Biosystems Excellence in Mining Sarah Withell - Whitehaven Coal Excellence in Engineering Elizabeth Taylor - RedR International Excellence in Transport Melissa Strong - Lindsay Australia
Maintenance
Dual safety benefits of deploying thermal imaging cameras OF THE BENEFITS THAT THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS BRING TO INDUSTRIAL WORKPLACES, INCLUDING FOR CONDITIONAL MONITORING AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, THE TECHNOLOGY HAS RECEIVED INCREASED INTEREST FROM BUSINESSES LOOKING TO MONITOR HIGHERTHAN-USUAL BODY TEMPERATURES TO INCREASE SAFETY OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
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ith Australian businesses preparing to adjust to the ‘new normal’ in workplace safety measures after the coronavirus outbreak, Steven Blott, FLIR Systems country manager for Instruments, says FLIR’s thermal imaging technology is receiving a new wave of interest
from customers looking to take dual benefits from a single purchase. “Some of FLIR Systems’ thermal cameras can be used to screen people for elevated body temperatures when set to the right configuration. Once the pandemic is over, the same cameras can be used for preventative maintenance, for example to detect hot joints, bad
The FLIR E95 handheld camera has image resolution of up to 464x348 pixels.
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connections, overheated bearings or insulation losses,” Blott says. He is quick to clarify, however, that FLIR’s cameras are not medical devices and should not be viewed as tools to detect for coronavirus or fever. “Our cameras are extremely effective at detecting deviations in the external temperature of objects and people, with some models in the FLIR Exx and FLIR T500 series capable of detecting small variations of ±0.3 degrees Celsius,” Blott says. “But it’s important to note that the cameras are first and foremost industrial cameras. It just so happens that we had introduced scanning configurations in most of our models after the SARS outbreak back in 2003, which enables the cameras to be configured for personnel monitoring. “In fact, FLIR has received approval for certain cameras from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to screen in high-traffic public places.” In Australia, FLIR has partnered with CBC since 2010 to engage closely with customers through CBC’s established distribution and service network. Anthony O’Keefe, CBC engineering manager, says apart from being a
national distribution partner for FLIR, the CBC specialists also use FLIR’s cameras extensively as part of their predictive maintenance engineering services to customers. “We enjoy working with FLIR as they provide high-performing, reliable products for preventative maintenance. Our engineering and maintenance teams use FLIR’s thermal imaging cameras as part of their routine maintenance visits to industrial plants for maintenance surveys. By detecting over-heated bearings or insulation losses in time, we can help our customers save money in repair costs,” O’Keefe says. “The experience also puts our team in an excellent position to help our customers when it comes to choosing the best fit for their applications. Because we are using the product ourselves in our services, we have the expertise and experience to guide and advise customers on matters related to configuration and set up.” Blott says the close engagement with customers, as facilitated by CBC, is important to make sure the endusers understand the benefits and limitations of thermal cameras. “Some people have unrealistic expectations that using a thermal camera would give them Supermanlike powers or X-ray vision to see through the walls. That is where the trained CBC technicians can clarify some of those doubts for customers and help them choose cameras that are fit-for-purpose,” Blott says. In reality, infrared thermal imaging cameras are designed to detect variations in temperature and to convert this data into colours that the human eye can then view as a thermal image, Blott explains. “The best way to understand a thermal camera is to look at it as a normal digital camera. The only difference is that a thermal camera
captures the infrared radiations, which the human eye cannot see. When you take a picture with the thermal camera, it detects thermal radiations and builds up a picture with color, that helps us differentiate between the different surface temperatures,” he explains. By the same analogy, Blott says the decision as to which thermal camera is best suited for a certain application depends on how accurate the image is required to be. “Just like you get sharper images on your digital camera if it has a higher pixel-rating, similarly you get sharper and more defined images on the thermal camera that has a better detector, and hence higher sensitivity,” Blott says. Now, how sensitive you need your images to be depends on the application. For example, if temperatures in a certain piece of equipment reach 2000 degrees Celsius, a tolerance of ±50 degrees Celsius might be acceptable; whereas some cameras are required to detect variations of less than ±1 degree Celsius.” Choosing the right lens is another factor to keep in mind, Blott says. “Similar to normal cameras, the field of view of a thermal camera depends on the lens that you choose. For example, if you have a 24-degree lens, you can clearly see most things up to about three metres away,” Blott says. “If you replace the lens with a telephoto lens, you can see things up to 10 metres away and if you have a high-power telephoto lens, you can see things up to 50 metres away.” The FLIR T500 Series, which includes the T530 and T540 models, feature a 180-degree rotating optical
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block, making it easier to carry out inspections in challenging conditions, especially when equipment is obstructed from view or difficult to access. The FLIR Exx series, which includes the E53, E75, E85 and E95 models, is designed as pistol-grip cameras and can provide image resolutions of up to 464x348 pixels in the high-end E95 model. The cameras can connect to mobile devices via Wi-Fi or MeterLink – a FLIR wireless technology that connects the infrared cameras to external instruments – for easy data transfer.
FLIR C5 is a pocket-sized thermal imaging camera.
FLIR Systems has also recently launched the compact FLIR C5 camera, which features an improved 160x120 pixel resolution over older Cx models while being able to fit inside the pocket. This new C5 model will eventually replace the existing 80x60 lower-resolution C2 and C3 cameras. “We have a wide range of thermal imaging cameras, which are designed for different industries and applications. It’s important that you buy the camera that is fit-for-purpose or otherwise your investment will go to waste. That is why we recommend that businesses consult with trained specialists, like our partners at CBC, before making a choice,” Blott concludes.
Events CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@SAFETOWORK.COM.AU
MINESAFE INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL CONFERENCE, ONLINE, SEPTEMBER 21–24 AusIMM is excited to host the Minesafe International Conference as a completely new digital experience in September 2020. Held online, the conference aims to set the benchmark for industry best practice and showcase the latest developments in health and safety. Government regulators, health and safety practitioners and other resource industry professionals will come together to share the achievements and challenges within their operations and showcase new workplace safety innovations. The conference will cover current and emerging health issues, legislation and regulations, policies and strategies, risk management and critical controls. It will also highlight effective leadership strategies and psychosocial management that promotes a zero harm workplace safety culture. • minesafe.ausimm.com
AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS 2020 The Australian mining industry’s biggest awards celebration returns for the 17th straight year in 2020. Since 2004, the Australian Mining Prospect Awards have been the only national awards program to stop, take a look at what the mining industry is doing, and reward those who are excelling and going above and beyond, recognising and rewarding innovation. That trend is set to continue this year, with 14 awards on offer for mining’s highest achievers, including two new awards. Visit the Australian Mining Prospect Awards website for information about nominating for the 2020 awards. • prospectawards.com.au
DIGGERS AND DEALERS MINING FORUM, KALGOORLIE, OCTOBER 12–14 This annual conference brings mining and exploration companies, brokers, bankers, investors, financiers and mining services companies together in Australia’s unofficial gold mining capital, Kalgoorlie,
Western Australia. The event, which has been moved from August to October following the impact of the coronavirus, combines presentations by listed companies with a large display area, housing a range of exhibitors from within the sector. Diggers and Dealers also features a worldclass entertainment program and high-quality speakers, including an opening address by WA Premier, Mark McGowan in 2020. It is also possible to visit sites within the Kalgoorlie-Goldfields region during the conference by contacting companies directly. • diggersndealers.com.au
IMARC ONLINE, NOVEMBER 24–27 The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2020 event has been postponed due to COVID-19 and has launched as an online event starting November 24 as a replacement. IMARC Online will offer a global platform for the industry’s leaders to come together and discuss hot topics that shape the future of the mining industry, which will stand centre-stage in reshaping the global economy post-COVID. The interactive program includes all the components attendees expect of the inperson event, including workshops, keynote presentations, networking, meetings and a virtual expo hall showcasing the latest mining projects, technology and innovations. Additionally, IMARC Online is welcoming a series of co-located events, like IMARC METS Arena #LIVE, Mines and Money 5@5 and Mines and Money Online Connect. Attendees will be able to create their own personalised program of content, meetings and networking events based on their interests, both within longer opening hours and on demand. • imarconline.com
UNDERGROUND OPERATORS CONFERENCE 2021, PERTH, MARCH 15–17 2021 Underground Operators is back in 2021,
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bringing together underground mining engineers, mine operators, technical service managers and consultants to share operational experiences and practices. For the first time, Underground Operators will merge to form a hybrid event in 2021, with the in-person event in Perth running subsequently with an online digital event, to allow for any travel restrictions or event limitations that may still be in place by next March. In 2021, Underground Operators will feature internationally recognised keynote speakers: BHP Olympic Dam asset president and chief geoscientist Laura Tyler, CommChain executive chairman Gary Zamel and Swedish rock engineering consultant Knut Garshol. These speakers will cover discussion topics including process transformation, innovative mining methods and practices, health and safety, revolutionising traditional mines and more. • undergroundoperators.ausimm.com
AUSTMINE 2021, PERTH, MAY 25–27 Austmine 2021: Harnessing Intelligence is the go-to event for mining leaders to connect around the strategic priorities, emerging opportunities and cutting-edge technologies that are driving change for a sustainable future. The conference and exhibition provide an important opportunity to collectively reflect, discuss and consider the future of our industry following a period of significant disruption. Major conference themes are harnessing intelligence, creating a zero-impact future, the power of data and optimising connectivity. The event is supported by BHP as the principal sponsor, highlighting the company’s continued commitment to technological excellence and a world-class Australian mining, equipment, technology and services (METS) sector. Extra early bird delegate rates are available until December. • austmineconference.com.au
THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY
ISSUE 9 - SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020
Managing dust Stopping respirable dangers
Environment
Mental health
Technology
Mining equipment
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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Find out how Envirosuite’s predictive modelling tools empower your mine to avoid dust incidents, lower capital expenditure and keep up production.
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