THE QUEENSLAND Mines Inspectorate says the state’s mining industry has had its worse safety performance in a financial year since 1996 to 1997.
In the 2008 to 2009 financial year, Queensland mines had four fatalities. The first was on 18 August 2008, when 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.
The second occurred on 29 September 2008, when 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.
On 20 February 2009, a contract electronics technician in a light vehicle collided with the rear of a low loader and suffered fatal injuries.
On 19 May 2009, a mine worker drove his mucking unit into a stope and was killed.
According to the Mines Inspectorate, the poor safety performance is unacceptable, and all the deaths were preventable. The Mines Inspectorate claims the mining industry is failing to give safety and health sufficient priority.
The Mines Inspectorate noted that all four incidents were the result of machinery interaction. While there is no single solution to these problems, engineered hazard and risk control systems such as proximity detection systems and automation could be possible solutions.
The Inspectorate says it will be accelerating the implementation and use of proximity type systems into mines safety management systems.
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