Safety watchdog releases findings after dozer plunge

The Coal Inspectorate has issued a raft of safety recommendations after an incident in May when it said a bulldozer operator had risked their life by driving into water at a mine site. The bulldozer was moving through an area of water that had collected in the pit when it walked off an edge. This had been created during the night shift before the incident, when the coal floor was excavated at two different levels before water covered the pit floor. The Coal Inspectorate's investigation found limited knowledge on site of the safety procedures for working in and around bodies of water even though workers were recorded as having been trained in the material. It also found that the shift handover did not sufficiently cover the new hazard created and that task documentation did not accurately reflect the conditions present in the pit. If mining had been suspended and water pumps installed, the water hazard may have been mitigated, the safety body stated. Recommendations stemming from the investigation included that site senior executives should review the effectiveness of systems for dealing with different level cuts being created on the coal floor or in any other surface that may be presumed by coal mine workers to be level and flat. They should review the effectiveness of systems for dealing with bodies of water at the mine, including planned storage such as trenches and sumps and unplanned events including water ingress to pits and working areas. The Inspectorate recommended that sites implement engineering systems to assist identifying trenches, sumps and edges such as GPS-enabled mobile plant, as well as implementing geofencing capability on operational mobile plant. They should also ensure operators are sufficiently trained and complying with safety requirements relating to edges, working near bodies of water, and working in or on bodies of water. Coal mine workers should recognise that edges created by floors being cut at different levels are a hazard that need to be appropriately reported, controlled, and managed. The Inspectorate said they should be conducting local area hazard management (SLAM / TAKE 5) as required by their mine’s risk management system. "Be aware of changing environmental conditions including water and hazards that are created or discovered during the shift period and stop to reassess the risk," it stated.

Safety watchdog releases findings after dozer plunge

Industry Queensland

Related News

Construction milestone for Mount Morgan water pipeline

Glencore hits back at Miles’ carbon capture comments

Renegade making headway at Mongoose West

Get access to breaking mining news, now.