Miner safety important to Townsville

Member for Thuringowa and Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace, at the opening of the annual Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference, said that the health and safety of mine workers was important to Townsville.
He said that the industry was important to the economy of the region, which as well as skilled people, also provided essential services to the industry.
Stewart Bell, chairman of the conference and the QLD Government’s Mine Safety and Health Commissioner, said that the good attendance testified to the strong commitment to health and safety of industry, Government and mining unions.
The conference is hosted jointly by the Queensland Government, the Queensland Resources Council and mining unions the CFMEU and AWU.
The Hon Clive Brown, chair of the National Mine Safety Framework Steering Group told delegates that nationally consistent legislation would allow for better health and safety data collection and improve efficiency for companies working across State borders.
He said it would also mean that lessons learned in one State could quickly be applied in others.
“Currently, this can take years and as a result we are missing out on opportunities to create safer work places,” said Brown.
The shipping and oil and gas industries also shared some of their experience with keynote addresses from BP and Origin Energy.
Origin Energy executive general manager upstream oil and gas Paul Zealand said companies needed a whole-of-culture approach to safety.
“There can’t be two cultures within an organisation: one at the workplace and one at the office,” he said.
“Culture and how we work together are the key factors to creating a safe working environment.
“It must start with supervisors, managers and leaders, but each person needs to own the changes that are trying to be achieved by the company.”
BP Australia regional shipping manager Captain Brett Whiteoak said both mining and shipping industries delivered to international markets and required a diligent focus on safety.
“Strong training programs, comprehensive audits, and a culture that is willing to lead health and safety changes are universally important in both industries,” said Captain Whiteoak.
“Even after 2,000 years since the shipping industry began, we are still learning lessons, but over time we have changed from being reactive on health and safety to being proactive.
“We face similar challenges to the mining industry, least of all trying to attract and retain a skilled workforce.
The role of technology in improving health and safety was also included in the conference program.
Queensland Mines and Energy Senior Inspector of Mines Tilman Rasche said vehicle collision avoidance and proximity detection systems were an important element in reducing the number of incidents relating to vehicles and mobile machinery in confined spaces.
“Unfortunately many systems operating on sites are human-dependant, but it is one of the least effective controls to prevent collisions,” he said.
“Proximity detection is not the complete answer, but it is an essential part of the solution.”
Last financial year, three out of the four fatalities in the mining industry were related to vehicle collisions.
QLD Mines and Energy is running seminars in August and September to inform the mining industry about this type of technology.
Some mines are already trialling or using this equipment and the workshops aim to encourage the rest of the industry to follow suit.

QLD Mining Industry Health & Safety Innovation Awards
BMA Coal’s Gregory Crinum Mine took out the 2009 Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Innovation Award for a safety guard to prevent falls onto exposed longwall miner conveyor belts.
In a clean sweep, BMA’s Saraji Mine won the People’s Choice Award for its feeder blockage removal device. The device enables blockages under coal stockpile feeders to be cleared remotely, taking workers out of harm’s way.
A highly commended award went to Anglo Coal Australia’s Dawson Mine for a work platform that provides better access to the CAT 797 haul truck to enable maintenance to be carried out more safely.
Scientist and science broadcaster Dr Karl Kruszelnicki chaired the judging session where 10 finalists presented their innovations to a panel of judges, and an audience of mine workers who voted for the People’s Choice Award.
There were 44 entries in this year’s awards.
The Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson presented the awards at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference.
Other finalists included:
New Hope Coal Australia – West Moreton Project: Remote Emergency Shutdown of Hydraulic Excavator
BMA - Goonyella Riverside Mine: Dipper Trip System Improvement Project
Rio Tinto Alcan: Apron Feeder Locking Tool
New Hope Coal Australia – West Moreton Project: Water Reserve in Water Truck/Fire Fighting Appliance
MMG Century Mine: Joystick Test Module
Private entry: Sam Lichos AURT572593A Analyse and Evaluate Brake Faults on Wheeled Mobile Plant
Xstrata Copper – Mount Isa Mines: Hydraulic Semi-Automatic Chain Control System