Carrying out routine tyre maintenance on mining equipment is the single most likely event to cause a fatality in an Australian mine. The statistics prove tyre maintenance is often a difficult, dangerous and hazardous task.
This session will demonstrate the enormous amounts of energy that are released in a tyre explosion and highlight the relevant controls, why we need to have these in place to prevent such events occurring, and how such preventative measures have failed in the past.
To demonstrate these points a scenario will be enacted that provides an opportunity for both a coal and a metalliferous-based rescue team to demonstrate an emergency response to a catastrophic tyre failure.
Patrick Tyrrell – Australian Coal Industry Research Program
ABSTRACT
ACARP assists the Australian coal industry to develop and adopt technology and mining practice that leads the world. The program is entirely funded, owned and managed by the Australian black coal producers.
ACARP was established in January 1992 and has had many great achievements that improves the safety and health of our people throughout its many years. What sets ACARP apart from other areas of research is the industry monitors that have direct input to the research that is been undertaken through a collaborative approach that utilises the experience and technical strength of both the coal mining industry and research institutions in solving technical problems and addressing issues of significance to the industry’s long-term future. Any proposed research project that is strongly supported by a mine site and is of interest to a number of coal operations is encouraged. Safety and environment remain key drivers in the program and will continue to be the focus of much of the underground work and a significant component of the open cut and coal preparation programs.
Priorities have been developed by the five technical committees responsible for proposal development and selection and are separated into the areas of:
• Underground
• Open Cut
• Coal Preparation
• Technical Market Support
• Mine Site Greenhouse Mitigation
While the current priorities are not prescriptive they should act as a guide.
The Current Priorities are: Underground:
• Prevent Harm from Spontaneous Combustion, Ignitions, Mine Fires, Extreme Heat, Explosions, Outbursts, Coal Bursts, Ventilation and Strata Failures – Improved understanding, detection, prediction, protection, selection and design of major hazard management systems.
• Management of Health – including mental health and fatigue.
• Communication to Employees and Contractors of Safety Measures – Improvement such that the information, training and instruction is understood and retained.
• Operator Interfaces and Vehicle Interaction – Improving equipment, automation and remote monitoring and control, also addressing musculoskeletal disorders, improved ergonomics and
• Improved roadway conditions.
• Airborne and Noise Contaminants – Reduce exposure to airborne dust, diesel emissions, and noise.
• Emergency Response Measures – Adequacy and effectiveness.
• Investigation of key practices, including legislative, leading practice alternatives and culture.
Open Cut: The industry is looking for direct or indirect improvements in health and safety across all mining and exploration operations. Areas of interest for open cut mining are:
• Investigation of key health and safety issues and management systems, practices and culture, including legislative leading practice alternatives.
• Management of health including mental health, alcohol and other drugs, return to work and fatigue, e.g. by reduced exposure to noise, vibration, dust and heat, by determining mental health of employees, etc.
• Protection and removal of personnel from hazardous situations such as those around unstable ground, in the vicinity of voids, and around excavations particularly during truck loading.
• General improvement to the health and safety of mining and maintenance operations through novel manual
• Handling aids, including automated technologies or equipment changes.
• Improving equipment operator interfaces, vehicle interaction management, automation and remote control.
• Development of safety in the design of systems and equipment that leads to the reduction of occupational exposure at the source, e.g. noise, dust, blast fumes etc.
• Improve the communication to employees and contractors of safety measures such that the information,
• Training and instruction are provided in a method that allows cognitive retention.
• Development of a cognitive recognition method which addresses the normalising effects that are created due to the human brain predominantly operating in a subconscious mode and failing to recognise changes in their environment that could lead to adverse outcomes.
ACARP facilitates industry and researchers to work together for a common goal that is the improvement of the health and safety of our industry and our people, this is a journey that we all share together.
Damir Vagaja, Principal Traffic Safety Consultant, RTSM Consulting
Natascha Viljoen
Group Head of Processing, Anglo American
Natascha is responsible for Group Processing, a specialist technical services and support function that ensures safe, responsible and optimized processing performance, through step-change technologies and operational excellence.
With a Metallurgical Engineering degree from North-West University and an Executive MBA from the University of Cape Town (Cum Laude), Natascha also serves on advisory boards at the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Pretoria and Queensland University’s Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, having previously held a non-executive position on Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore Board.
Natascha has previously worked with ISCOR, Anglo Gold, Anglo Platinum, Samancor Chrome, BHP Billiton and Lonmin.
Gurshaan Virk, Geotechnical Engineer, BHP Mitsubishi Alliance
Matthew Wakeford and Luke Perrin
Anglo American
Jarrod Warner
Resources Safety and Health Queensland
Andy Warrington, Business Development Manager – Prescription Eyewear, Bollé Safety
Martin Watkinson – Executive Mining Engineer, Simtars
ABSTRACT
The 2018 Level 1 Mine Emergency exercise held at Grosvenor mine in July 2018 is the 21st Level 1 exercise held in Queensland. This paper and presentation will provide preliminary feedback to industry on the learnings and recommendations from review of the assessor inputs.
The scenario will be explained along with the elements of emergency response that were evaluated. Some video footage will also be utilised to emphasise the learning points. Reference will also be made to the current evaluation of Level 1exercise recommendations being undertaken by the Task Group 4 evaluation team as part of the process for preparing a recognised standard on emergency response.