Grosvenor evacuated, reports of underground fire

Workers were evacuated from the Grosvenor coal mine near Moranbah this morning after an ignition event caused an underground fire, the Mining and Energy Union said. MEU Queensland president Mitch Hughes said that all workers were safe and accounted for after the event, which started about 6am. "We are greatly relieved that workers are safe and there were no injuries or fatalities,” Mr Hughes said. "Of course it’s of great concern that this event has occurred." Resources Safety and Health Queensland confirmed it was notified of an ignition of methane at Grosvenor coal mine early this morning and that inspectors were attending. Mr Hughes said MEU ISHRs (Industry Safety and Health Representatives) would also conduct independent investigations into what had happened. The Anglo American metallurgical coal mine was the scene of a horrific accident in May 2020, in which five coal mine workers were seriously injured in an underground gas explosion. A Board of Inquiry was subsequently established to investigate that accident and various high potential incidents involving longwall-related exceedances of methane at Grosvenor mine, Grasstree mine, Moranbah North mine, and Oaky Creek mine. The Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry report tabled in State Parliament in 2021 stated that the Moranbah operation had produced coal at a rate that consistently exceeded the capacity of gas drainage measures at the longwall panel involved. State Resources Minister Scott Stewart said Queenslanders had a right to come home safely from their work and that he expected a full and thorough investigation into this morning's incident. "Thankfully I'm told there have been no injuries but this (the incident) is obviously concerning," he said. An Anglo American spokeswoman said a dedicated team had been established to respond to the incident. "While the extent of the incident is still evolving, the safety of all personnel is confirmed. Implementation controls are active and in place, including the use of nitrogen and monitoring by our extensive real-time system," she said. "To ensure the safety of our people, we have invested significantly in remote operating technologies, and gas and real-time monitoring at our underground operations to enable early detection and timely implementation of action response plans." Image at top of page: The MEU shared this image of smoke billowing from the Grosvenor complex. You may also like: https://industryqld.com.au/stark-safety-warning-in-spate-of-serious-coal-mine-incidents

Grosvenor evacuated, reports of underground fire

Industry Queensland

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