THE DEPARTMENT of Mines and Energy says that there have been four fatalities this financial year in the Queensland mining industry.
This is the worst performance (equal to 2004-05 and 2006-07) since 1996-97, when 10 miners lost their lives.The four fatalities this year were:
18 August 2008—a contract boilermaker was fatally struck when removing a pin from a hydraulic ram on a hopper door attached to a mobile crusher at a quarry.
29 September 2008—a contractor driving a water truck was fatally injured when the truck he was driving rolled back and crushed him when he got out to close a gate on an exploration site.
20 February 2009—a contract electronics technician in a light vehicle collided with the rear of a low loader and suffered fatal injuries.
19 May 2009—a mine worker drove his mucking unit into a stope and was killed.
The department says that the incidences are a sad reflection on the mining industry and one that the Mines Inspectorate finds unacceptable. These deaths were all preventable. They demonstrate that the industry is failing to give safety and health sufficient priority.
It is important to note that all four incidents were the result of machinery interaction.The Mines Inspectorate is pursuing and promoting strategies to prevent these types of accidents. While there is no single solution to these problems, engineered hazard and risk control systems such as proximity detection systems and automation must be seen as the preferred means to reduce this unacceptable fatality count.
As such, implementation and use of proximity type systems must be accelerated as a priority into mines safety management systems. This technology is maturing rapidly and soon we will be mandating the use of this type of equipment in high hazard areas.
Both management and workers alike need to be vigilant and ensure that hazards are identified, adequate controls are put in place and shortcuts and unnecessary risks are not taken. The control of such hazards will involve many aspects of safety and health management, however, the pursuit of practical solutions and elimination of the hazards must be of paramount importance to all in the industry.
Site Senior Executives must ensure that all employees and contractors are putting safety and health first in all aspects of their operations and that safety and health management systems are implemented and are effective. Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Safe Working Instructions (SWIs) must not be token documents that bear no relation to the real work and real hazards that may be present. They must relate to the work at hand and their use and application must be enforced.
The Department’s Executive Director — Safety and Health Division Stewart Bell extends his sympathy to the families of the four miners who have died this year. The industry must ensure that the loss of these lives is not in vain. These tragic events must evoke in us an even greater desire to keep our industry safe and to prevent further incidents in the future.
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