Safe to Work Jan - Feb 2020

THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY

ISSUE 1 - JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020

Innovation at work Mangoola CHPP sets safety standards Technology

Tyre management

Risk management

Training

Comment A new year brings new opportunities for safer mining AS 2020 BEGINS, THE MINING INDUSTRY IS GIVEN A FRESH START FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE. BUT HOW WILL COMPANIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS?

BEN CREAGH

W

hat are your safety goals in 2020? For most mining and METS (mining equipment, technology and services) companies a new year simply means a continuation of treating safety as their No. 1 priority.

But 2020 will also provide an opportunity for a fresh start in some respects. In Queensland, for example, it will be the first full year since the safety reset took place across the state.

Following a number of tragic incidents early last year, almost every mine worker in Queensland participated in a reset that aimed to improve the safety performance at mines and quarries.

Time will tell how effective the process has been.

Safety initiatives in 2020 will also focus on the health and wellbeing of workers as awareness of the mental impact that the industry can have in some areas grows.

The fly in, fly out (FIFO) debate re-emerged in 2019 as activity in remote areas ramped

SARAH BUCKLEY Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: sarah.buckley@primecreative.com.au

PUBLISHER CHRISTINE CLANCY MANAGING EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALISTS SALOMAE HASELGROVE Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: salomae.haselgrove@primecreative.com.au

VANESSA ZHOU Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: vanessa.zhou@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER JANINE CLEMENTS Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au SALES MANAGER JONATHAN DUCKETT Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Mob: 0498 091 027 Email: jonathan.duckett@primecreative.com.au

up to levels not seen since the mining boom early last decade.

With more FIFO miners across the industry, workers in vast states like Western Australia are increasingly living away from their families over long periods.

Mining companies and contractors have done a great job over the past decade to set up stronger programs that support workers in these positions.

The need for these programs will only intensify as operational activity ramps up even further.

Safety now also increasingly goes beyond mine sites and company workforces.

The safety, health and wellbeing of key stakeholders, such as the local communities surrounding operations and even society in general, now figure prominently on the radar for companies.

In the pursuit of sharing value with its stakeholders, mining companies are partnering with suppliers and industry groups to develop innovative methods that reflect modern demands.

They inevitably improve safety

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SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 3 JAN-FEB 2020

performance, but also benefit workforces and communities by being more diverse, responsible when sourcing materials and environmentally friendly.

These areas are set to have a major role in company strategies in 2020 and beyond.

Ben Creagh

Managing Editor

FRONT COVER The Mangoola CHPP, winner of the safety, OH&S award at the 2019 Prospect Awards.

Image: Glencore.

PRIME CREATIVE MEDIA 11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne, VIC 3205 Australia www.primecreative.com.au © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2016 All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the p ­ ublisher.

In this issue Features 16 Compete for safety

Victorian rescue competition sounds

20

the alarm

18 Merging of technologies

Hummingbird Electronics deciphers safety signals

20 Tyre changes go down under

Kal Tire lifts focus on underground tyre management

22 180-degree view

Bollé Safety lends unparalleled vision

24 Awarding safety innovation Prospect Awards recognises Glencore CHPP

26 A leader’s journey in safety Epic safety plans for Industree

28 Mining’s biggest concerns

The challenges of social licence

Automation peered from the lens of social licence

36 The gender debate

Mining leaders consider the pros and cons

40 Coal’s place in green future

Miners deliver Queensland-wide reset

45 The transition towards renewables

Gold Fields and Anglo American take action

46 Preparing for summer season

Industry gets together for emergency response

Whitehaven Coal, South32 and Adani weigh in

42 Fighting the drought

30 Time to reset

32 Friends or enemies?

24

Miners reveal their water management strategy

16

REGULARS

6 NEWS

12 PRODUCTS

SAFETOWORK 4 JAN-FEB 2020

50 EVENTS

Photos : F. BOURCIER

ATION 2019

News BHP to mobilise autonomous trucks in Queensland

BHP mine manager at Goonyella Riverside, Sean Milfull.

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is set to introduce autonomous haulage at the Goonyella Riverside coal mine in Queensland this year in an effort to reduce exposure to safety risks.

The move will not involve any forced redundancies, but is anticipated to increase truck hours and deliver more consistent cycle times. Goonyella Riverside will be the first BMA site to implement autonomous haulage, with the first trucks expected to be operational in the first half of 2020.

The coal miner will undergo a staged conversion of 86 converted Komatsu trucks over the next two years.

BMA asset president James Palmer said the decision resulted from the site’s extensive engagement with the workforce, community and government.

The company has prepared its workforce for the change and talked about the potential for increased automation for several months before making the announcement.

“While the first autonomous vehicles will not operate at the site until 2020, and full roll out will take around two years, we want to give people in our workforce and the community as much notice as possible of this change,” Palmer said.

“Autonomous haulage will help us improve safety and productivity performance, and it is our people who will be at the centre of making this change a success.”

BMA plans to deliver more than 40,000 hours of training to help prepare for Goonyella Riverside’s autonomous future.

While BMA understands that automation represents a significant change, Palmer believes it offers a unique opportunity for people to gain new skills.

BMA has also recruited new permanent positions in operations and created new roles in preparation for autonomous haulage.

The company hasn’t made any further decisions to implement autonomous haulage at its other Queensland coal sites. These decisions will be made on a site-bysite basis, according to BMA.

Anglo American commits workers to safety talks Anglo American has included more than 5000 Queensland-based workers in its Global Safety Day program and dedicated safety discussions.

Every Anglo American site marked and took part in the company’s Global Safety Day in October last year.

Anglo American’s focus was on ensuring there was no gap “between what we say and what we do when it comes to safety,” according to Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business chief executive Tyler Mitchelson.

“Despite significant improvements, we still have not been able to eliminate fatalities from our industry,” he said.

“This is something we are focussed on every hour of every day, and at every level of our business.”

Anglo American operates five metallurgical coal mines in the Bowen Basin region in Queensland.

The company’s Global Safety Day ensures that every employee is “united and aligned” on safety. It was an important part of the company’s SAFETOWORK 6 JAN-FEB 2020

dedication to eliminating fatalities from across the business, Mitchelson added.

Anglo American undertook a full safety reset at all its sites last year as part of a broader initiative within the Queensland mining industry. This entailed over 50 sessions and an attendance of more than 5400 people.

The coal giant has also introduced a program called ‘Elimination of Fatalities’, which is addressing critical safety risks by drawing from best practice knowledge and safety innovations.

Fortescue autonomous fleet achieves milestone Fortescue Metals Group has hit a milestone with more than one billion tonnes of material moved safely by its fleet of autonomous haul trucks in Western Australia.

The autonomous fleet covered 33.5 million kilometres, or in excess of 1.2 million kilometres a month in 2019 – a distance equivalent to travelling around Australia 2.6 times every day.

By mid 2020, Fortescue’s haulage operations are set to become the first in the world to be fully autonomous, according to Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines.

She said the introduction of the autonomous haulage technology (AHS) had delivered improved safety outcomes for its team members.

This was achieved through reduced interaction between heavy equipment and people in mining areas.

“Our autonomous fleet has not only moved more than one billion tonnes of material, it has also delivered a 30 per cent improvement in productivity and

An autonomous truck at Solomon Hub. Image: Fortescue Metals Group

reflects our commitment to increasing operational efficiency through industry leading technology and innovation,” Gaines said.

Fortescue was the first in the world to deploy Caterpillar’s AHS on a commercial scale at the Solomon Hub operations in Western Australia.

This fleet has since expanded to Fortescue’s Chichester Hub, with 137 autonomous trucks now in operation.

Fortescue will also convert a total of 175 trucks to autonomous technology

by mid-2020, making it the world’s first iron ore company to have a fully autonomous haulage operation.

“As we expand our autonomous haulage fleet, our focus remains on ensuring that our workforce is prepared for the changing industry landscape through our training and redeployment program, which has successfully transferred or upskilled employees to new roles across the business, resulting in no forced redundancies,” Gaines concluded.

SA to launch mining-backed clean energy centre South Australia will host an industrybacked training ground for minerals industry experts in the sensing and data science areas.

BHP, OZ Minerals, Boart Longyear and other stakeholders have supported the initiative with $12.5 million in funding.

The ARC Training Centre for Complex Resources will facilitate postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates’ education by Adelaide and Curtin Universities and the University of South Australia (UniSA).

UniSA’s Future Industries Institute foundation fellow Marta Krasowska said the goal of the centre was to increase the value in mining by

developing “leaner and cleaner” processing capabilities.

“A major part of our role is to bring our work in advanced sensors for mineral processing into this centre, to connect with data analytics and process control,” Krasowska said.

“The students and researchers we train will learn how to apply cutting edge science, engineering and mathematics to an industry that will underpin the transition to clean energy in the global economy.”

Deputy director of the training centre William Skinner is confident the South Australian universities, together with Curtin, can bring relevant research and

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development (R&D) training outcomes across the mining value chain.

South Australia has shown rapid developments in new technologies and scientific innovation in the sector that are among the best in the world, according to Skinner.

“This new centre will ensure that culture of sustainable and best practice innovation continues,” Skinner said.

The centre has been supported with $3.7 million from the Australian Research Council and a further $8.8 million in cash and in-kind from Maptek, Orica and Sandvik, to name a few.

News Alcoa boosts training program with virtual reality Alcoa has followed in the steps of the army, navy and air force by using virtual reality (VR) to undertake training for high-risk tasks at its alumina refineries in Western Australia.

The guided training module simulates how to safely and correctly isolate electrical switches to avoid arc flash incidents in a safe environment.

This takes place in a virtual replica of Alcoa’s refinery sub-station, where the trainee is surrounded by equipment, sound and personal protective equipment (PPE) found in the workplace.

Alcoa has also incorporated free-play environments that include events and risks to mitigate, replicating what could occur in real life.

Pinjarra refinery manager Mark Hodgson said it was a step change for Alcoa in the way training was delivered and a key enabler in increasing safety.

“With safety being our top priority, this training allows our employees to experience high-risk hazards

Alcoa operator Ben Curtis tests out the arc flash isolation simulation at Pinjarra refinery.

and the steps to mitigate them in a safety environment, so they can take what they have learned back to their workplace,” Hodgson said.

The team is working on deploying similar training modules for several high-risk tasks, including working on or near energised equipment and high-voltage isolation.

Alcoa’s global refining operations personnel have benefitted from this training since it started in October last year.

The company believes VR training could provide a learning retention rate of 75 per cent, compared with 20 per cent with standard computer-based point-and-click training.

Rio Tinto to drive Tom Price operations with automation Rio Tinto expects 50 per cent of its haul truck fleet to operate autonomously by the end of 2020 following the announcement of a $1 billion investment in its Greater Tom Price operations in Western Australia.

As part of the investment, Rio Tinto will fit its haul truck fleet with autonomous haulage system (AHS) technology in the Western Turner Syncline Phase 2 (WTS2) from 2021.

Rio Tinto, now the world’s largest owner and operator of AHS trucks, stated that its autonomous haul trucks were operated by a supervisory

system and a central controller, rather than a driver.

The trucks use pre-defined GPS courses to automatically navigate haul roads and intersections and know actual locations, speeds and directions of other vehicles at all times.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Chris Salisbury said the company’s iron ore business continued to deliver “industry-leading margins as we drive performance from our mines.”

“This significant investment in the Greater Tom Price hub is one of a

SAFETOWORK 8 JAN-FEB 2020

pipeline of high-quality, low-cost options that will underpin production of our flagship Pilbara Blend product well into the future,” he said.

Rio Tinto’s investment in the WTS2 mine is set to sustain the workforce at the Greater Tom Price production hub, with its construction workforce expected to exceed more than 1000 people at peak.

Production of high-quality Brockman ore will support the company’s flagship Pilbara Blend, the preferred baseload product for Chinese steel mills.

WA tables workplace safety laws The Western Australian Government has introduced the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Bill in Parliament, laying a groundwork for future modern workplace safety laws that apply to all industries.

Due to an outcry of public concern, the new legislation is set to include industrial manslaughter provisions carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for an individual and a fine of $10 million for a body corporate.

The new laws will make it illegal for insurance companies to indemnify

entities against monetary penalties imposed under workplace health and safety laws.

Western Australian Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston said the health and safety of workers were a priority for the government.

“This bill will modernise Western Australia’s laws and bring us into line with other states,” Johnston said.

“The current legislation is spread across multiple Acts and regulations – this update will bring the resources sector and general industries under the same act, but with separate regulations.”

The WHS Bill defines health as both physical and psychological health, and is aimed at the importance of considering psychological health in the design and management of work.

It will also serve as a reminder that risks to psychological health must be considered alongside risks to physical health.

“The community has high expectations that every worker has the right to come home safely after each shift, having a strong deterrence in this legislation completely accords with these expectations,” Johnston concluded

BMA lifts safety with original invention

BMA owns and operates mines in the Bowen Basin, Queensland. Image: BHP.

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA)’s Saraji team in Queensland has invented an alternative way of pulling mobile equipment to reduce a manual handling risk.

The award-winning synthetic lightweight couplings have proven to be a “clever alternative” to the 110-kilogram combined weight of a pull ring and metal shackles used in pulling heavy equipment.

BMA overburden supervisor Josh

Leppard, a sailor on his days off, used his knowledge of the marine industry to develop this practical solution.

Leppard and the team worked with the marine coupling manufacturer in New Zealand to “super-size” the technology to suit the mining industry.

“Being a yacht racer for many years, we moved away from using metal shackles four or five years ago and now only use synthetic couplings

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 9 JAN-FEB 2020

that are made specifically for marine purposes,” Leppard said.

“These couplings are lightweight but provide exceptional strength as you would expect to be needed on offshore race yachts.”

The soft couplings weigh around eight kilograms and are made of Dyneema, one of the world’s strongest and most reliable fibres available, according to BHP. They are then braided with Technora, which gives them high heat and chemical resistance, as well as protecting against chafe – the same product used for bullet proof vests and firefighting clothing.

The team worked with independent testers to verify and strength test the shackles so they could be used on site.

“We hope that by creating the ‘soft couplings’ we’ll not only reduce the risks associated with heavy lifting and manual handling, but also remove the physical barriers that may prevent some men and women from completing the task,” Leppard concluded.

News ICMM to release strict tailings standards The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) will be releasing the international standard for tailings management this year.

It builds on a draft standard that was open for public consultation until December 31 last year.

The draft standard was convened by the Global Tailings review, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in response to the catastrophic tailings dam collapse at Brumadinho in Brazil.

It proposes a range of measures including an engagement with projectaffected people at all stages of a tailings facility lifecycle, and linking remuneration to the integrity of dams.

An independent expert panel takes into account the perspectives of local communities, civil society groups, regulators, investors, insurers and the mining industry in developing the standard.

“While there is still much work to be done before the standard can be finalised, ICMM’s membership is committed to engaging in an open and transparent discussion, and providing feedback through the consultation in order to ensure the final standard is both feasible and effective in meeting our shared goal,” ICMM stated.

“I encourage all interested people to do the same.”

The public consultation was firstly done online via a survey, which was available in seven languages, followed by in-country consultations across mining jurisdictions in the northern and southern hemispheres.

“The standard makes clear that extreme consequences to people and the environment from catastrophic tailings facility failures are unacceptable,” the draft standard reads.

New Century Resources processes tailings at the Century mine.

Five key trends influencing drone development in mining Drone technology is affecting the global metals and mining industry, with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) increasing in popularity in recent years.

GlobalData’s survey shows that more than 200 mine sites have shown substantial uptake of drones across regions such as Australasia and Africa.

Rio Tinto, BHP, Anglo American, South32, Alcoa and others have led the trend by adopting the technology.

Drones are being employed to inspect mining equipment, which is an expensive and time-consuming process, requiring a highly-skilled workforce, according to GlobalData in its report ‘Drones in Mining – Thematic Research’.

Aside from the UAV’s popular use

in monitoring and inspection, mines also employ drones and a drone pilot, instead of a piloted plane, to collect unlimited aerial data while saving around 90 per cent of the cost per hour.

GlobalData also reported that one of the greatest challenges facing companies while managing stockpiles was their extreme height and area.

“Drones can enable mining companies to generate aerial terrain models of the inventory. Further, deploying drones frequently could ensure companies consistently keep track of stockpile movement,” GlobalData said.

The use of drones has also penetrated the haul road network, which GlobalData said needed to be constantly monitored.

SAFETOWORK 10 JAN-FEB 2020

Drones can facilitate this process by collecting a large amount of aerial data, covering wide areas more precisely for assistance in planning, designing, construction and maintenance activities.

GlobalData’s survey shows the use of drones extends to the measurement of tailings dams, which helps eliminate the risk of manual surveying.

“There is no need for manual interference within the proximity of the dump when drones are around,” GlobalData stated.

“By analysing the captured data on a digital platform, mining companies can maintain the structural integrity of the tailings dam, design expansion and avoid failure.”

Epiroc, Orica to develop semi-automated explosives system Orica and Epiroc are working to bring automated blasting to mines by 2020, as they join forces to develop a semiautomated explosives system.

The companies are working together to develop a system that enables safer and more productive blasting operations in underground mines.

Together, the companies will combine Orica’s wireless initiating system WebGen and Epiroc’s automation strategies in the first steps to achieving their automated drill and blast vision.

The companies expect the first prototype system this year, with the first commercially available systems to come into service in 2021.

“This promising collaboration with Orica is an important first step on an exciting journey toward automating the whole drilling and explosives charging process,” Epiroc senior executive vice president for mining and infrastructure Helena Hedblom said.

“It is a vital part of both Epiroc’s and Orica’s vision of making the mining

operation as safe, productive and cost efficient as possible.”

As mine operations go deeper and ore bodies become more remote, implementing blasting automation becomes more necessary to address the growing demand from customers mining in increasingly hazardous underground conditions.

Orica chief commercial officer and technology officer Angus Melbourne

said the partnership would leverage the exclusive WebGen wireless initiating system to deliver the first crucial steps towards the automation of drill and blast operations.

“Automation is a key pillar of our technology strategy and supports our vision of transforming drill and blast to unlock mining value by creating safer and more sustainable operations,” Melbourne said.

Epiroc is partnering with Orica to deliver blast automation.

Tech transition to disrupt jobs, boost safety Embracing technology in the resources industries could add $74 billion to the Australian economy by 2030 and create over 80,000 local jobs, according to a report commissioned by METS Ignited and National Energy Resources Australia (NERA).

Australian Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the use of analytics and robotics provided significant safety and environment benefits, while rapidly increasing job opportunities.

The report, which was prepared by consulting firm AlphaBeta, suggested potential job losses in mining and oil

and gas could be more than offset by an increase in employment in Australia’s domestic supply chain supporting those sectors.

Job losses in heavy vehicle driving could potentially be replaced by increasing jobs in the primary firm, in the supply chain and the wider economy.

The benefits also include workforce development and higher paid employment in digital technology enabled positions.

These benefits would be lost to importers if Australian equipment, technology and services suppliers fail to support miners and energy

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producers in automating their operations, the report stated.

Australia’s domestic supply chain alone has the potential to generate an estimated $32 billion of benefits and 265,000 jobs from this tech transition.

“This kind of technology opens up new, unexplored opportunities for the resources sector and what this report shows is the huge economic opportunity if new technology is embraced,” Andrews said.

“The new jobs will be created across the country, including many in the regional areas where mining already exists, which will ensure the continued vibrancy of these communities.”

Products BLUNDSTONE GIVES WOMEN’S INJURIES THE BOOT Blundstone has launched a new range of safety boots specifically designed for women working across a number of trades.

The boots bridge the gap between safety and style, providing support, protection and comfort for the toughest work sites.

The women’s boots, which come in two styles; #892 and #897, build on the features of all Blundstone boots such as moulded TPU bump caps, built-in steel shanks, impact-resistant steel toe caps and rubber outsoles to increase slip resistance.

The women’s models also include Blundstone’s XRD technology, providing repeated impact protection, absorbing up to 90 per cent of energy with every step taken. blundstone.com.au

STRATA SECOND-GENERATION MINER COMMUNICATOR Strata has updated its StrataConnect wireless system for underground communication, tracking, remote monitoring and control.

The second-generation communicator, or MC2, was redesigned and enhanced to simplify usability and expand the device functionality.

Specifically designed for the harsh environments of the mining and tunnelling industries, MC2 provides users with two-way text communications, real way tracking and critical alert and response functions.

Modelled on smartphones, the MC2 has a full, hard-button QWERTY keyboard, large display screen with multiple character sizes and an easy-to-use navigating system.

Other features include one-on-one or group texting, access to a full contact list and data storage for up to 500 messages.

For emergency situations, the MC2 provides critical alerts and response capabilities. The MC2 is available to buy now. strataworldwide.com

INDUSTREE DELIVERS EPIC TRILOGY SERIES Industree Group’s Morphlex gloves are designed for unparalleled performance based on workplace needs.

This latest series of protective gloves are based on four key design innovations: Polymerix, a range of light weight fibres, thermally activated coating technology; TACT, which reacts to the wearer’s body temperature and adapts to provide a customised fit for workers; EPICFIT glove shaping technology to provide the most comfortable fit; and EPICFLOW, an engineered cooling system, allowing heat and sweat dispersion.

These four design factors come together to bring Industree Group’s most comfortable and personalised fit of glove yet, while featuring the level C cut protection of its predecessor models. industree.com.au

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SANDVIK RELEASES NARROW VEIN DRILLS Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology has released its latest range of narrow size drills, aimed for mining ores in veins three or less metres in length.

The 2711 model drill is protected under falling object protective structures (FOPS) and has enhanced mobility and safety, particularly within small mining drifts and tunnels.

Sandvik’s narrow size drills are equipped with fleet data monitoring systems, which enables remote operation, removing workers from potentially hazardous environments.

The new model also features electro-hydraulic systems which can be used with Sandvik’s entire range of underground drills, loaders and trucks.

There are three drill types available for different drilling methods: the DD2711 for development drilling, the DS2711

for rock support bolting and the DL2711 and DL2721 for long hold production drilling. www.rocktechnology.sandvik

CTRACK EN ROUTE TO SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS Ctrack’s latest product Ctrack Route is a routing and optimisation solution that improves time management and safety.

Ctrack Route allows fleet managers to plan and optimise routes rather than doing this processing manually, which can save as much as half a day’s worth of time.

The solution meets not only the needs of fleet managers, helping them to efficiently plan routes but also compliance requirements, both current and requirements anticipated in the future.

Ctrack Route also allows for better time management across existing fleets, resulting in cost savings per route as well as the potential to use existing resources to make more deliveries. ctrack.com

VEGAPULS 69 MAKES ROCK CRUSHING SAFER VEGA has released its latest non-contact, continuous level measurement system VEGAPULS 69, which is a safe and versatile way to measure bulk solids for rock crushing.

Placed above the crushing system, VEGAPULS 69 can accurately measure feeds to the rock crusher despite extreme noise and dust generation thanks to its high-quality signal focussing.

VEGAPULS 69 has a measuring range of 120 metres, app integration and is available in two variants: a plastic antenna for lighter applications or a stainless-steel flange for heavier applications.

VEGA believes the VEGAPULS 69 will offer improved cost efficiency, convenience and reliability for its operators. vega.com SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 13 JAN-FEB 2020

Products BOLLÉ ULTRA-PANORAMIC 180 GOGGLE Bollé Safety has launched its new ultra-panoramic 180 goggle, a combination of safety and comfort thanks to a flexible bi-material ventilated frame.

The goggles feature an indirect vent that uses covered vents to increase air flow, providing better protection from splashed liquid and dust.

As well as improved air flow, this model features Bollé’s signature platinum coating on both sides of the lens, giving it high scratch resistance and delays fogging beyond the minimum required standards.

Providing all-round vision, the 180 goggles also feature a wide, adjustable strap, are compatible with respirator masks and fit over prescription glasses. store.bolle.com.au

FENNER DUNLOP CONVEYORS SAFELY TRANSPORT BULK The SADA Group contracted Fenner Dunlop to design a low-cost train unloading conveyor to safely receive and transport bulk materials directly under rail cars.

Fenner Dunlop’s design incorporates two identical systems that operate in parallel, moving the product 4.5 metres vertically from the rail car, streamlining SADA’s unloading process.

The train unloader conveyor is a safe and cost-effective alternative to traditional unloading methods, with its compact yet robust design that suits a range of material types, particle sizes and densities.

With Fenner Dunlop’s unloader, SADA is able to deliver hassle-free solutions for every project without a hitch. fennerdunlop.com.au

X MARKS THE SPOT FOR DYNA CONVEYOR GUARDS DYNA’s high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conveyor guards are revolutionising conveyor systems.

The new guards are 40 per cent lighter, easier and quicker to move, rust and corrosion free, chemical resistant and don’t require painting, making them a safer and more cost-effective alternative to their conventional steel counterparts.

DYNA has implemented a unique X shaped design, increasing the guard’s strength up to 60 per cent more than standard guards, well above Australia’s minimum standard.

Installing and removing the HDPE guards takes just minutes, reducing the amount of time spent around the conveyor system, which is considered one of the highest risk areas of a mine site, lowering the number of accidents occurring during maintenance. dynaeng.com.au SAFETOWORK 14 JAN-FEB 2020

GATES POWERGRIP GT3 BELT MAKES OPERATIONS SAFER Gates’ PowerGrip GT3 timing belt allows for safer resources operations, by minimising the likelihood of fires in refineries, where it is a high safety risk due to the products being processed.

The GT3 belt is anti-static, meaning it does not cause sparks or damage on sites, taking one risk out of the equation when it comes to fires in refineries.

Gates’ anti-static properties also mean there is no need for custom-made fire retardant as with other models.

Unlike other rubber components which set off static charges, the PowerGrip GT3 belts are designed and built to limit all static activity, making them superior to the

conventional synchronous belts.

The GT3, which is an update from Gates’ previous GT2 can last 12 to 18 months and requires less belting than previous models, while producing more power. gates.com

MOBILARIS LAUNCHES MOBILE RADAR FOR MINE SAFETY Epiroc subsidiary, Mobilaris, has launched Mobilaris Onboard, a mobile application that allows high accuracy positioning in underground mines without any positioning infrastructure.

The technology acts as a mobile radar showing oncoming

traffic, while also making miners aware of the whole realtime situation in the mine.

Mobilaris Hybrid Positioning allows users to know the position of a vehicle with five to 10 metres accuracy.

The technology increases transparency and safety while decreasing traffic congestion by helping users avoid vehicles or giving miners warning when meetings occur.

Epiroc global business manager Ulla Korsman-Kopra said Mobilaris had made large strides in terms of safety, productivity and smooth traffic flow by visualising the traffic situation from inside the cabin of vehicles and mobile mining machines.

The Boliden Kristineberg mine was the first operation to adopt the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence system and it will be the first to upgrade to Mobilaris Onboard. mobilaris.se

GREASEMAX DELIVERS ELECTRIC MOTOR LUBRICATION IMPROVEMENT GreaseMax lubricators can significantly increase the reliability of electric motors.

This continuous lubrication provides the best lubrication results and helps improve bearing life. Re-greasing the motor when it is running delivers a more effective and controlled result.

Lubrication is a major factor when it comes to preventing bearing failure, which could lead to premature motor failure.

Lubricants have a finite life so re-lubrication is essential for long-term motor reliability.

Meanwhile, manual re-lubrication brings in human error factors, such as applying the wrong grease, too much grease, or lubrication being missed.

Manual greasing also carries other disadvantages. It is often

done when equipment is stopped and the motor is cold.

Under these circumstances, older and colder grease may block the entry of new grease into the bearing. The grease may instead go into the motor internals.

With GreaseMax, bearing life is improved, and the possibility of excess grease being applied and contaminating the motor’s internals is reduced. greasemax.com.au

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Emergency response

Cadia Valley operations team competes in the fire fighting category in the Victorian Mine Rescue competition. Image: Minerals Council of Australia.

Miners sound the alarm at Victorian rescue competition ANYONE PASSING YALLOURN MINE IN VICTORIA’S LATROBE VALLEY DURING OCTOBER MAY HAVE THOUGHT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF SERIOUS INCIDENTS OCCURRING WITH ALL OF THE CHAOS GOING ON. SALOMAE HASELGROVE EXPLAINS WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING.

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o-one was actually in danger at the Yallourn mine – it was just the sounds of the 27th annual Victorian Mine Rescue competition. Nine mine rescue teams from Victorian and New South Wales operations visited the site to participate in a range of team competitions, including firefighting, first aid, search and rescue and rope rescue, all to improve their skills for real-life scenarios.

While bragging rights were up for grabs, all of the teams were happy to share knowledge in their areas of expertise and embrace the opportunity to learn new skills from other mine rescue experts.

Mineral Council of Australia (MCA) Victorian executive director

James Sorahan, who was running the competition for the first time, is extremely impressed with how seriously everyone took the range of highly realistic scenarios.

“The scenarios are actually quite confronting, which is the aim of it, so it provides real life training,” Sorahan tells Safe to Work. “You’ll see people with blood, fake injuries and broken legs, so it’s very realistic.”

The categories included safety, a fire exercise, first aid, ropes exercise, search and rescue, a skills exercise, theory and using a breathing apparatus.

The event also gave the different types of mines an opportunity to excel.

“There actually used to be a separate underground mine rescue competition and a surface mine competition, but

SAFETOWORK 16 JAN-FEB 2020

a few years ago they brought them together into just one competition,” Sorahan explains.

“It’s great exposure to learn about all the sorts of emergency situations that can arise at the different mine types.

“If you’re a coal miner, fire is much more of a risk than it would be for an underground gold mining team and for open cut mines it’s great experience to learn about underground emergency situations like the breathing apparatus scenario.”

Exposing mine workers to safety training for different types of mines is also beneficial if they change careers or move to different sites with unfamiliar emergencies.

The hands-on experience was supported with feedback from a team

of adjudicators, who assess the every move of competitors.

They provide an oral and written feedback report after the competition, allowing teams to see what they do well and how they can improve.

This year, miners also had the opportunity to learn not only about new scenarios, but from emergency services professionals and volunteers who attended the Victorian Mine Rescue competition for the first time in 2019.

The mobile intensive care ambulance (MICA) paramedic team, Moe state emergency service (SES) and the country fire authority (CFA) Bendigo’s Oscar 1 unit all participated, while Victoria Police observed the competition.

“There is actually a huge range of emergency services that need to work together with mine rescue teams, so that was also really useful for the mine rescue teams to learn from other emergency agencies,” Sorahan says.

“The CFA in Bendigo is the only brigade in Victoria that is trained in underground mine rescue, so Bendigo and Victoria are really lucky to have a volunteer brigade with those skills.”

This was particularly useful for the fire rescue scenario, in which teams assess the situation, work together to figure out how to put the fire out and treat any injuries.

“The fire scenario is particularly spectacular and the other one that stood out to me was the first aid rescue,” Sorahan says.

“The aim is for the teams to strategise how to put the fire out, what type of fire retardant to use and extracting people who have been injured in the fire in a safe way is part of the challenge.

“In the first aid rescue there’s always a surprise thrown in, so as soon as they arrive at the scene something else usually happens during the rescue.

“This year it involved a car accident on-site where somebody was thrown

through a window they had to locate and receive help from the SES part-way through the rescue.”

The competition doesn’t just better prepare miners but also helps workers from other industries.

For example, it provides realistic training opportunities for volunteer ambulance workers.

“This competition counts as hours towards their professional development to keep their qualifications up to speed,” Sorahan says.

“We’re really happy this competition provides this opportunity for some of the volunteers.”

The competition also gives local communities piece of mind that the mines operating on their doorstep are safe.

“Yallourn mine won the fire competition, so that’s really positive to give people in that LaTrobe Valley community the confidence that the coal miners are trained very well in dealing with mine fires, which is a critical issue at coal mines,” Sorahan explains.

“When you’ve got coal mines sitting fairly close to town, the community appreciates the assurance that the mines are taking fires seriously and are adequately trained to deal with it.”

In addition to the wide range of different scenarios the miners face, there are many workers who volunteer to be a part of their mine rescue team, as anyone from diesel fitters to geologists can sign up.

It’s not all serious though – the competition finishes on a fun note with the Spence Herd team building exercise.

“The point of it is training, but being a competition certainly adds a fun element to it and also as a motivator,” Sorahan says.

“The Spence Herd challenge is a bit of fun at the end of the long weekend, teams compete with each other in team building exercises and they really look forward to it.”

With the chance to be competitive, meet new people and bring pride back to their mines, the MCA reinforces the simple but important message of the Victorian Mine Rescue competition.

“Every worker deserves to go home safely, and mine rescue teams take any training they can do extraordinarily seriously,” Sorahan says.

“You hope that they don’t ever need to use the skills they learn in the competition, but at least they are ready if something does happen.”

A Peak Gold Mines team member attends to a leg injury during the Victorian Mine Rescue competition.

Image: Minerals Council of Australia.

SAFETOWORK 17 JAN-FEB 2020

Technology Hummingbird Electronics inclinometer screen display.

Technology made to save lives THE REDARC GROUP AND HUMMINGBIRD ELECTRONICS COMBINE THEIR UNIQUE POWER TO PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING SOLUTIONS. SAFE TO WORK WRITES.

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bus was carrying a full load of fruit pickers from around the world when they were alerted of a safety emergency.

The alarm was thanks to an audio alert system installed on the bus that could communicate and give a precise verbal command to its passengers in various languages. The rare technology not only captured their attention, but also uncovered the problem and guided them to safety.

Vehicle operators often struggle to decipher a variety of warnings, lights and symbols that appear on their dashboard in the event of an emergency.

These few seconds of confusion can be critical to the safety of passengers, and be intimidating to an operator that is trying to identify what the alerts mean.

With the audio alert system from Hummingbird Electronics, which has been part of REDARC since 2015, the operator is clearly warned of a dangerous situation.

The system is capable of transferring buzzes, alarms and lights – whether

they are positive or negative – into a voice output, making the operator aware of their situation.

Warnings can also include instructions on how to rectify or respond to the issue quickly. Should there be a fire on a vehicle, the warning can tell the operator to evacuate.

The verbal alerts may also point to low coolant levels, high engine temperature, open doors, an open tailgate, apply handbrake, apply seatbelt or roll over danger.

Vehicle operators can even choose to have the voice of English comedian John Cleese or his Australian counterpart Dame Edna if they’re tempted.

More importantly however, operators can choose to continue their operation with care or stop the journey if they are in a dangerous situation.

“In the occupational health and safety (OH&S) side of things, there are often near-misses such as a crane being overextended and an excavator working on too extreme an angle,” REDARC Group national mining and industrial business development manager Scott Montgomery says.

SAFETOWORK 18 JAN-FEB 2020

“Without any form of warning for the operator, these situations can exceed levels of machine tolerances, and that’s when incidents happen.”

The importance of these devices is demonstrated by the latest top line vehicles coming out with an audio system as a factory option, verbally reminding a driver to fasten their seatbelt, or informing them of high engine temperature.

“A lot of the time during these situations, you can only see a warning light coming on the dashboard of the vehicle indicating that your engine temperature is too high,” he says.

“Now you’ve got a verbal command saying, ‘Engine temperature too high, pull over.’”

While operator safety is the key benefit of the technology, it can also save mining companies from incurring extra costs.

A crane toppling over or an excavator working on too extreme an angle, and then falling on its side, will incur mining operators a steep repair cost and lost productivity with equipment downtime.

Now the audio alert system gives

operators a safety luxury by doubling up its technology capability with a Hummingbird inclinometer, thanks to its compatibility with a range of Hummingbird products.

The inclinometer produces a visible pitch-and-roll readout for operators and features configurable warning and alarm levels.

Hummingbird’s Dual Axis Inclinometer – Elite – features advanced data logging capabilities, recording events with time, date and GPS location.

This data can be used to analyse potentially dangerous conditions, or in the event of an incident, assists in evaluating the event.

Montgomery says an inclinometer should be fitted on any machine that works on an angle or has a high centre of gravity. Small and large machinery in mine sites are particularly at risk, he adds.

Larger machine operators can also choose to evaluate the angle of the road using a ball bank, which measures and allows for easy interpretation of roll angles up to 20 degrees.

The screen will update roll measurement 10 times a second, and produce a visual warning when the roll exceeds a configured angle,

Installing an inclinometer on a machine can help keep operators safe.

prompting the ball bank to emit a sound all at once.

The operator can also change the symbol displayed in the inclinometer according to the type of vehicle it’s installed in, such as an excavator, bulldozer and water truck, making the display relevant to the operation.

“Mine operators are generally pretty sensitive about safety. It’s interesting because when we first introduce this product to a mining client, they take interest,” Montgomery says.

“They absolutely don’t need to wait for a big incident to happen before they take actions.”

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Tyre management

Innovating tyre management services underground KAL TIRE HAS PROVEN THAT TYRE MANAGEMENT IN UNDERGROUND MINING CAN BE AN INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY THAT IMPROVES THE SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF OPERATIONS. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

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nderground mines usually fall way behind open pit sites when it comes to investment in tyre management services.

Australia’s open pit sites are known to spend between $5-10 million a year on earthmover tyres.

They also invest significantly in strategies that improve productivity and safety practices for workers that operate around tyres.

It’s a different story at underground mines. Owners of most underground operations, in contrast, annually spend less than $1 million on their tyres.

Many remote underground operations will also service their tyres in house and will not develop innovation that enhances their management practices.

That’s not to say tyre management innovation isn’t possible in underground mining.

Kal Tire Australia manager – sales and marketing Caleb Pullella says a number of opportunities have emerged that will improve underground mines.

“The maturity of underground operations compared with surface sites just isn’t there yet when it comes to tyre management, but it

shouldn’t be overlooked,” Pullella tells Safe to Work.

Underground mines have several unique attributes that make them a more challenging environment than most surface operations, reinforcing the importance of innovation.

For example, fitters are often required to change a tyre on the spot of an incident, almost anywhere across an underground mine network.

Fitters at surface operations, meanwhile, enjoy the luxury of moving equipment to a dedicated tyre bay or safe point to make a change.

“In an underground scenario you could be in a stope or a work situation where the access to the machine isn’t great,” Pullella says.

“The ground that they are working on often isn’t ideal for changing a tyre, but they can’t get the machine to a suitable location to work on it.

“It is important to help them understand the dangers of changing tyres and have the workers certified, then they can make the change and understand the different risks underground environments pose.”

Kal Tire works at underground sites, big and small, to introduce tyre management strategies

SAFETOWORK 20 JAN-FEB 2020

Kal Tire’s servicepeople analyse the impact that each underground site has on tyres.

for preventative repair and planned maintenance.

As underground tyre changes compromise safety and slow productivity, Kal Tire helps mining companies ensure the rubber that goes to work is fit for the purpose and makes it to the next service.

The Canadian company offers its Tyre Operations Management System (TOMS), a digital tool that reports on key performance indicators, and analyses and recommends actions on tyres and fleets, to support the service.

TOMS has been developed to improve fleet uptime and

Kal Tire’s service team gives surface and underground sites the same focus.

productivity, but the tool can also help mining companies with predictive maintenance.

Kal Tire also supports risk management with safety programs, processes and training, which is particularly helpful for smaller companies that might not have the scale to invest in their own systems.

“We can provide a full solution to supply and manage all of their tyres and everything that surrounds the tyre and the wheel,” Pullella says.

“Kal Tire is there to help them reduce the overall spend on the tyre, to manage them as an asset and look at them with that respect.

“The programs are also set up to increase the awareness of tyres and safety around them. We will talk to the mine workers about how much each tyre costs and the impact they can have on operations when they are damaged.”

Kal Tire’s servicepeople will routinely analyse the environment of each underground operation that they manage.

This process enables them to identify issues affecting tyre performance and tailor preventative maintenance solutions that aid

safety and productivity.

It also enables Kal Tire to find areas where innovation can be applied to underground tyre management activities.

Kal Tire recommends that underground sites consider using battery-operated equipment so tyre teams don’t have to rely on mine air that can be distant or compromised because of condensation.

“There is always air supply underground and you may not always have a service vehicle available when it is needed,” Pullella says.

“Having battery-operated equipment certainly helps in this case

because you remove the potential for mine air with condensation, which can ruin your tools.

“You can certainly access and perform all the work you need to with that sort of equipment.”

Above all, Pullella stresses the importance of treating tyres as an asset that can have a major impact on the safety and productivity of an underground operation.

“Tyres are not a consumable, they are an asset and innovation to improve the management of them is possible – if tyres are managed in that respect it makes a big difference,” Pullella concludes.

Underground sites offer unique tyre management challenges.

SAFETOWORK 21 JAN-FEB 2020

Eye protection

Insight into the importance of eyewear BOLLÉ SAFETY NATIONAL SALES MANAGER DAVE BYRNE SPEAKS WITH SAFE TO WORK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING THE RIGHT SAFETY EYEWEAR FOR THE RIGHT JOB.

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ollé Safety provides a range of safety eyewear, including glasses, goggles and face shields.

For over 60 years, the company has dedicated itself to fashioning the ultimate in protective eyewear, focussing on innovative coatings and providing technological solutions to make the job as comfortable as possible, whether you’re working in a surface mine or deep underground.

According to national sales manager Dave Byrne, roughly 20 to 25 per cent of work-related injuries are eye injuries, and the main cause is a lack of or inadequate protection.

Using appropriate eyewear can prevent up to 90 per cent of

these injuries. So, if eye injuries are so preventable, why are they still happening?

“The biggest problem with human nature is people will always take the quickest shortcut they can,” Byrne explains.

“The issue with goggles is not everyone likes to wear them for a number of reasons. There’s a myriad of excuses why people think they shouldn’t wear them, such as it doesn’t look cool, it doesn’t feel comfortable, some people might feel claustrophobic or it blocks their vision.”

This is why Bollé Safety has developed products that are not only safer but more comfortable than traditional safety eyewear, particularly

SAFETOWORK 22 JAN-FEB 2020

so with its new model, the ultrapanoramic 180 goggle.

An improvement on the Pilot 2 model, the ultra-panoramic 180, as the name suggests, offers a better field of vision for users, making it suitable for mining work.

With its flexible bi-material ventilated frame and Platinum antiscratch/anti-fog coating applied on both sides of the lens, 180 goggles can fit over prescription glasses and are compatible with a respirator half-mask.

Bollé Safety also offers a range of lens solutions to suit the type of work being completed, for example a clear lens, which is suited to underground mining, versus a smoke lens for outdoor areas.

Bollé Safety’s ultra-panoramic 180 goggle provides all-over eye protection.

Bolle eyewear keeps workers across a number of industries safe.

Byrne warns workers, particularly in mining to not underestimate the damage dust can do to the eyes and it should be taken as seriously as other risks like chemicals.

“When people are handling liquids or acids, they’re mostly aware they have to keep safety gear on, because they don’t want an acid burn or loss of vision,” Byrne says.

“But I think with dust, people can be a little bit more relaxed, but there is still the risk of getting a ricochet or a foreign object going under or around the edges of glasses.

“Goggles are more effective at protecting against hazards from entering the eye due to form-fitting facial seal. Especially when working

in the area where airborne dust and flying debris are present.

“A goggle gives you a complete seal around the face so it’s less opportunity for particles like toxic dusts, aerosols, liquids and even gases to cause harm because unfortunately with traditional glasses, you can’t get that seal around the face to avoid these harmful substances.”

Bollé Safety’s research and development has been based on its clients and how to improve its goggles for comfort and productivity.

One of the main points of feedback Bollé Safety has taken on board is making goggles that can comfortably be worn over prescription glasses.

Byrne urges those who wear prescription glasses to wear goggles over them as they do not provide the same protection as specialised safety goggles or to consider safety prescription glasses (such as Baxter and Twister sealed models) which provide sealed protection around eye sockets.

As well as harmful liquids, gases and particles, Bollé Safety also has thermal risk goggles, which are suitable for people working around fire.

To add to the range of different work goggles, Bollé Safety also offers various vent options, providing comfort for all kinds of environments.

“In each style we have different variations on the venting and the reason behind that is we want to expel the

SAFETOWORK 23 JAN-FEB 2020

hot air or the humidity that’s building up within the enclosed goggle, out of the lens and keep that airflow through it,” Byrne explains.

“There are some high volatile areas that do require the top vent closed to take the risk out of getting splash in the eyes from the top of the goggle.

“By far, the most prominent model we have is the top vent open that creates that air flow through the goggle to keep your eyes protected but stop fogging.”

Byrne says it is important to remember safety goggles are not a ‘one size fits all’ product and to weigh up what is the most comfortable for the individual.

“This is where we start breaking it down and fitting down the person’s workload, products and chemicals to fit with the most practical product for them,” Byrne says.

“People don’t really think about what it would be like to lose their eye or their vision, so it’s about making sure individuals are prepared to invest in protecting their eyesight.

“Our eyesight is like an express highway in peak hour traffic, you’ve got all of this information coming through your vision into your brain, which is breaking all of that down.

“Imagine if you lost your eyesight, what would that be like? It would be a pretty dark old spot.”

Prospect Awards

Mangoola CHPP innovation boosts safety record FOR A SITE THAT HAS NOT SUSTAINED A LOST TIME INJURY IN THE EIGHT YEARS SINCE OPERATIONS STARTED, GLENCORE’S MANGOOLA CHPP IN THE HUNTER VALLEY HAS DEVELOPED ONE SAFETY INNOVATION THAT STANDS OUT ABOVE ALL. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

Mark Colbourn (Flexco), Chris March (Mangoola CHPP), Scott Bannerman (Mangoola CHPP) and Shaun Egan (Downer) celebrate the win.

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lencore’s team at the Mangoola CHPP (coal handling preparation plant) in New South Wales has demonstrated how safety improvements can be effectively introduced in response to a tragic incident.

Mangoola CHPP’s asset management team developed a carefully-engineered solution to the difficult task of replacing the belly plates on an ABON chain feeder after a worker at another Glencore site was fatally injured while performing the task in 2016.

The now-proven safety initiative at the Hunter Valley site was rewarded at the 2019 Australian Mining Prospect Awards with the Flexco Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S award.

Typically, working space is restricted beneath the chain feeder, and ABON’s standard replacement instructions involve dismantling of the machine from the top down.

The lengthy task requires the removal of the upper floor plates, the chain and flight assembly and then removing the belly plates once each of the former components have been removed.

SAFETOWORK 24 JAN-FEB 2020

It also involves multiple crane lifts and the associated interaction of personnel in that environment.

There is also the risk of the belly plates binding within the frame, making it difficult to dislodge them and inviting excessive lifting equipment loads as a result.

During the 2016 incident, the work group was slinging the belly plates from the top side of the machine using manual rigging equipment.

Glencore believes the group was planning the execution of the task as they went to a certain extent and it

appears that the injured worker entered the area beneath the load.

With all of the bolts removed and due to the angle of the rigging, it dropped and swung rearward, crushing the worker.

The Glencore CHPP asset management team was faced with the prospect of conducting the same task two years later.

However, the team was instructed to “devise a method to remove and replace these components with the absolute certainty that no person would be injured,” according to Mangoola CHPP manager Chris March.

Led by Mangoola CHPP maintenance supervisor Scott Bannerman, the team spent nine months devising a method based around a hydraulic trolley mounted lifting table.

The trolley travels on a rail system that allows the plates to be removed and railed out. The new plates are then railed in and lifted squarely into position without any personnel being exposed to suspended loads.

Mangoola CHPP completed the task without injury or incident in October 2018, but continued to add improvements to make the task safer.

With the design assistance of FLSmidth ABON, the Mangoola CHPP team improved the process further by manufacturing the replacement plates at a slightly narrower profile by adding ‘shim packs’ to eliminate the prospect of binding when the next change is required.

This method also enabled work to continue above the top deck as it remained in place as a hard barrier between the workers below. It meant that critical bin liner work could proceed with nil risk or impact to the involved work party.

Mangoola Coal operations manager Nick Slater is delighted that the CHPP asset management team’s

Operations at the Mangoola site.

“By using a combination of rail and hydraulics, we’ve been able to take our people away from areas of higher risk.” work has been acknowledged at the Prospect Awards.

“The health and safety of our workforce is our number one priority and our CHPP team has done an excellent job in designing a rail and hydraulic system for one of the higher risk maintenance tasks at the plant – replacing chain feeder plates,” Slater says.

Furthermore, the hot works that were initially required in preparation for the task are no longer needed for the next changeover.

In total, the job took 36 hours to complete from start to finish. However, it is expected that this time will be reduced to 24 hours with the elimination of the hot works.

March believes what sets the initiative apart is the diligent application of engineering in the hierarchy of controls to deliver not only a method that eliminates the risk of serious injury, but also adds productivity benefits.

SAFETOWORK 25 JAN-FEB 2020

“By using a combination of rail and hydraulics, we’ve been able to take our people away from areas of higher risk, as well as significantly reducing the time needed to replace the plates,” March says.

Glencore has also conducted the task using the Mangoola CHPP methodology at another of its operations in the Hunter Valley with the same results.

The award-winning initiative reinforces why Mangoola CHPP is recognised as an industryleading operation in terms of safety, productivity and environment excellence.

“We have maintained a strong focus on safety at Mangoola. In fact, our CHPP team has not sustained a single lost time injury since we started operating in 2011,” March says.

“These types of innovations are designed to help us maintain that record.”

Profile

Fleming’s epic plans for Industree

Industree’s new general manager Jon Fleming is welcomed to the company by managing director Jason Stenning.

INDUSTREE GROUP HAS ALWAYS FOCUSSED ON HAVING A SINGLE SOURCE SUPPLY BUSINESS MODEL. SAFE TO WORK SPEAKS WITH RECENTLY APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER JON FLEMING ABOUT HIS VISION FOR THE COMPANY.

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on Fleming joined Industree in August 2019 to fulfil his goal of developing a mediumsized business on New South Wales’ central coast, a place close to his heart where he has worked and lived since 2002.

Industree’s business model is single source supply, another reason Fleming was eager to join the company, as its views resonate with his own goals as a business manager.

The company is also proud to have been 100 per cent certified carbon neutral since 2011, offsetting its carbon footprint by providing low emission stove facilities to African locals, which significantly reduces deforestation.

Moving to Industree also allows Fleming to work with managing director Jason Stenning, someone he notes to have admired and respected within the safety industry for some years.

“Joining Industree was an opportunity

for me at a stage in my life where I felt like I’d achieved and learned a lot working for global companies,” Fleming tells Safe to Work.

“My experience there stood me in good stead to take Industree’s mediumsized business and turn them into a really strong player in the personal protective equipment (PPE) space.

“It’s a small, central coasted-based team of likeminded people leveraging our carbon zero approach and we want to achieve the company’s mantra: ‘solutions that don’t cost the earth’.”

Fleming’s time in the safety industry dates back to 1990, when he started out with global manufacturing company MSA Safety, selling products such as breathing apparatus equipment, thermal imaging cameras and gas detection products.

“That’s where I really cut my teeth and started to learn about the industry to then be able to share those insights to add

SAFETOWORK 26 JAN-FEB 2020

value to customers,” Fleming says.

After seven years with MSA, Fleming was promoted to a state manager for the company’s Victorian and Tasmanian offices for the manufacturing, oil and gas and construction sectors.

He moved to Sydney in 2002 then left MSA in 2009. After more management stints with companies including Brady Corporation and Bunzl, which included consolidating a number of businesses into the latter, Fleming joined uvex Safety in 2017.

From there, Fleming was hungry for an opportunity to lead a safety and PPE business within his beloved central coast community, when the opportunity to join Industree came up.

“I really enjoy it, you wouldn’t be in safety for 30 years if you didn’t enjoy it,” Fleming says.

“Being on my own terms now, being an equity shareholder in the business and choosing the types of projects we go

after, it’s become even more pleasurable.”

Since joining Industree, Fleming has been busy with the company’s latest project, launching the EPIC Glove Trilogy series, including the EPIC Morphlex cut 5 level C glove.

This model includes Industree’s key design innovations for the best possible performance; Polymerix light weight, high cut resistance fibres, EPICFIT glove shaping and design for optimal fit and ergonomic comfort and EPICFLOW, a purpose engineered cooling system for sweat and heat dispersion.

The EPIC Trilogy series also features TACT (thermally activated coating technology), which reacts to the wearer’s body heat and adapts to the individual’s hand shape for a more customised fit for every worker.

“This has been a massive project for us, we’re excited to deliver it for our clients,” Fleming says.

“There has been a lot of interest around new cut protection standards and new technology and there is a lot of evidence in the marketplace that our customers are seeking higher rated cut protection gloves that are as dexterous and lightweight as possible.

“They’re looking for that holy grail of high level cut protection yet wanting the feel of almost not wearing gloves and still demanding their gloves perform on the job across a variety of applications.”

This project has led to another major achievement for Fleming in his first few months with the company; Industree forming a preferred distribution partnership with ATOM, a first for the company.

The partnership’s primary focus will be on ATOM distributing the EPIC range but Industree is also eager to assist ATOM with its community engagement fund, which supports Indigenous employment and charities.

“Our new partnership is firmly built on joint interests centred on social, environmental and safety

Industree has launched the EPIC Glove Trilogy series, including the Morphlex cut 5 level C glove.

programs,” Fleming says.

“In particular, Industree Group praises ATOM on their work to further Indigenous programs such as their expected $500,000 a year ATOM community engagement fund, to support Indigenous engagement programs and cancer charities.

“This is something Industree Group will be keen to support as our partnership evolves.”

Industree is also in the process of developing other PPE products, such as cut protection cargo pants and safety eyewear, but it isn’t the products Fleming wants to change in the long term; it’s how and where they are made.

“I have an active interest to one day achieve developing and promoting Australian-made safety products,” Fleming says.

“In the mid-term we’re not quite there yet but I do believe deep down that it is possible for a company like Industree, with the right technologies associated with the right product, to produce in Australia.

“If I could do that in the next two years, I’d be proud and so would our company.”

While Industree is still manufacturing in India, Taiwan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Vietnam, it has strict

SAFETOWORK 27 JAN-FEB 2020

regulations to ensure its workers are not being discriminated against, such as guaranteed hygienic conditions, living wages and no child labour.

“Social responsibilities for our manufacturing sites are not just a fad for us,” Fleming says.

In his short time with the company, Fleming has already achieved the launch of a major product and shared his goals with the company and has already been endorsed by his fellow staff for making a positive impact on the team.

“Morale has always been good at Industree but since Fleming joined us there’s been a noticeable lift in everyone’s efforts,” Industree group marketing manager Mike Yanco says.

“The team is pleased we have gained such an experienced businessman who knows exactly what he is doing and wants to be a part of the ride.”

For Fleming, he wants to continue to grow the business and brand recognition, while working towards his eventual goal of production within Australia.

“I feel like we are the best kept secret in PPE. Right now, my path is to try and create a strong recognition in the industry as a brand, continue providing a premium range of product while continuing to achieve solutions that don’t cost the earth,” Fleming concludes.

Risk management Social licence again topped the EY global risk list.

Licence to operate Australia’s biggest risk ALMOST HALF OF GLOBAL MINING COMPANIES RANK LICENCE TO OPERATE AS THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR BUSINESS IN THE TOP 10 BUSINESS RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES 2020 REPORT. BUT WHAT IS AUSTRALIA MOST CONCERNED WITH? SALOMAE HASELGROVE INVESTIGATES.

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ith more than 150 global mining executives surveyed for the Ernst & Young (EY) report, spanning across every major mining region, this is the second straight year it has ranked licence to operate as the biggest concern.

But what is Australia’s view on the global scale?

According to EY Oceania mining and metals leader Scott Grimley, Australia’s perspective is extremely significant globally, so it is closely aligned with the rest of global opinion.

The top 10 has changed in recent years, which Grimley attributes to the high-level of distraction by public

opinion regarding the Australian mining industry.

Grimley worries the Australian public has less of an understanding of the industry than in decades past, meaning there is negative but misinformed commentary on the industry as a whole.

“It used to be the case that pretty well every person in Australia had a family member or someone else they knew working in the mining sector,” Grimley says.

“This is not the case now, so large amounts of people don’t know anything about the industry, this is especially so for those living in urban areas.

“These people have a negative but very loose perception of the industry,

SAFETOWORK 28 JAN-FEB 2020

and miners recognise there are many people with a negative perception of their work, hence licence to operate continuing to rank highly.

“The Australian public don’t understand how fundamental mining is to everyday needs; whether it’s the house you’re living in, the transport you’re using to get to work every day or in the mobile phone you’re using.

These items all come about because of commodities that need to come out of the ground that are accessed by mines.”

Grimley believes the mining industry needs the support of the Australian public and government to back it as a key industry, ensuring it has the required capital to invest in technology

to support innovative mining solutions.

Jumping from seventh place to second in the report was future of workforce, as companies struggle to determine how the workforce might look in years to come, especially with the rise of technology at mine sites.

Technology is clearly another worry on the radar, as digital and data optimisation rounded out the top three in the survey.

Grimley urges miners to embrace technology and views it as something that creates more jobs within the industry, not the reverse.

“There’s quite a bit of unhelpful rhetoric around the fact that technology and automated machines are doing people out of jobs, which is simply not the case,” Grimley says.

“The need for people running mines in this new world is likely to increase, not decrease, looking at the jobs and roles based on technology implemented in the next 10 years or so, 70 per cent of roles will be enhanced or redesigned because of technology.

“The people already working at the mine are the best to retrain, because they already know the business, they know the industry and there will be a range of jobs for them, they just need to be willing to adapt.”

Grimley says while there will be less of the traditional jobs associated with

mining, such as driving trucks and physical labour, there will be a range of new jobs, not just within the technology sector, but also in communications.

He believes these roles are essential in keeping workers in the know of how the mine is operating.

There were four new risks ranking in the top 10 this year: reducing carbon footprint (fourth), high-impact risks (fifth), cyber (seventh) and replacement of production (eighth).

Grimley says miners are already taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint, both for environmental reasons and out of necessity.

“The focus on investigating any form of renewable sources of energy is being explored,” he says. “Renewables can be mobile and positioned remotely which is a real benefit for miners, for example, solar is definitely fitting for the 40-degree days up in the Pilbara.

“The other form being explored is electrification, moving away from machines and kit operated on diesel and moving towards equipment that runs on batteries and electricity.

“We’re seeing miners explore that in terms of looking to build underground mines completely based on equipment running off electricity, not dissimilar to the move around batteryoperated cars.”

Despite the underlying risks that

Top 10 business and risk opportunities in the mining industry n

Licence to operate

n

Future of workforce

n

Digital and data optimisation

n

Reducing carbon footprint

n

High-impact risks

n

Maximising portfolio returns

n

Cyber

n

Replacement of production

n

Innovation

n

Rising costs

* Gathered in the Top 10 Business Risks and Opportunities 2020 report.

come with technology and public perception, Grimley is optimistic for the future of the mining industry.

“The industry is best in class in a number of technical advancements, as well as the economic importance, jobs and value provided not only through the mining industry, but the supporting services to the industry,” he says.

“Selling the message of the fantastic opportunities for jobs, growth and the boom mining provides regional areas is critical.”

Replacement of production emerged in the latest list.

SAFETOWORK 29 JAN-FEB 2020

Workforce management

Safety reset spurs return to top priority NEARLY 50,000 WORKERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH QUEENSLAND’S SAFETY RESET FOLLOWING A STRING OF TRAGIC MINE AND QUARRY INCIDENTS IN THE STATE. SAFE TO WORK WRITES.

Break out session at the Grosvenor mine during safety reset.

Q

ueensland’s first ever safety reset has reached more than 98 per cent of the state’s mine and quarry workers.

State Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Anthony Lynham launched the reset last July in response to six fatalities in Queensland over a 12-month period.

This decision was widely backed by mining and services companies, which immediately worked with government and industry bodies to implement the plan.

Anglo American, one of Queensland’s leading employers, has unsurprisingly taken the reset seriously, given the company’s extensive involvement and government

discussions around safety in the state.

The size of Anglo American’s workforce and operations clearly doesn’t deter the met coal giant. Its entire 5400-strong workforce has taken part in the reset by completing over 50 sessions across its sites.

“Despite significant improvements, we still have not been able to eliminate fatalities from our industry,” Anglo American metallurgical coal business chief executive Tyler Mitchelson tells Safe to Work.

“This is something we are focussed on every hour of every day, and at every level of our business.”

With Anglo American senior leadership teams leading the sessions at its mine sites, the company’s safety reset focussed on an end of

SAFETOWORK 30 JAN-FEB 2020

fatalities (EOF) framework.

This is Anglo American’s groundwork for addressing critical safety risks, underpinned by best practice knowledge and safety innovations.

Anglo American’s understanding of best practice mining safety reflects its decision to sponsor the 2019 Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference.

The conference attracted around 1000 industry members from across government, unions, mining and quarry companies and suppliers to discuss best practice safety.

“Our safety resets were comprehensive, and addressed safety at an industry, company and site level,” Mitchelson says.

“The sessions were a good

opportunity to hear from our workforce and be able to talk openly with our workforce, so we can work together to improve the safety across our business and the broader industry.”

Anglo American’s reset sessions have been tailored to its open cut and underground operations, and to each specific site.

The company also champions a ‘caring culture’ among its workforce to motivate their behavioural change and prioritise safety.

Mitchelson believes the collective effort of the industry to have these conversations across every mine site in Queensland is positive for the sector, a sentiment echoed at New Century Resources’ Century zinc mine.

New Century’s safety reset has sparked a different conversation, with the company focussing on areas that participants identify as higher risk elements of their work environment.

While some of these risks are common to mining, such as isolation, vehicle interactions and working at heights, others are unique to the modern Century operations.

“The Century mine is the largest hydraulic mining operation in Australia’s history, so we have identified unique risks and mechanisms to ensure the safety of all personnel in their work,” New Century head of corporate affairs and social responsibility Shane Goodwin says.

Team members from Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine with CFMEU’s Jason Hill.

“(New Century’s) site specific safety and training initiatives … focus on risk identification and mitigation.”

Thanks to positive discussions about site risks and their appropriate control mechanisms, the reset improves the safety awareness and practices of the Century workforce onsite, according to Goodwin.

It covered 266 personnel over a two-week period and delivered positive change across the site.

“We were very pleased to see the entire workforce at Century taking the reset discussions so seriously,” Goodwin says.

Century mine hydro mining operations centre.

SAFETOWORK 31 JAN-FEB 2020

New Century continues to adopt this approach to safety discussions in its ongoing workforce planning meetings, outside the reset.

Goodwin says this gives employees the opportunity to identify innovative solutions that could improve risk management onsite.

The safety reset has attracted high praise from across Queensland’s resources industry, with positive feedback about its effectiveness and how it was executed.

“The two-way conversations between workers and safety representatives not only educated workers about the potential dangers on mine sites, but alleviate any inhibitions they may hold about reporting safety concerns to senior management,” QRC chief executive officer Ian Macfarlane says.

Macfarlane hopes the tragic loss of life of the miners will strengthen the sector’s commitment and collective resolve towards safety standards.

“Everyone who works in a mine, or any other workplace for that matter, is entitled to leave for work and return home safely to their loved ones,” Macfarlane concludes.

Automation

Technology casts impact beyond safety TECHNOLOGIES LIKE AUTOMATION ARE KNOWN TO DELIVER SAFETY BENEFITS TO MINING PERSONNEL, BUT DO THEY SATISFY THE EXPECTATIONS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES? SAFE TO WORK WRITES.

T

he mining sector’s push towards automation and other technological innovations could have unintended effects on the social licence to operate.

Mining companies are increasingly expected to make a positive contribution to the local communities, according to Ceit Wilson, social performance specialist from Canadian management consultancy WSP Global.

Wilson, who has over eight years of experience addressing the sector’s social and development challenges, believes mining companies have made positive progress in delivering social value to regional communities.

They provide local employment and business development opportunities.

But the use of automated robots may inevitably reverse this trend.

Wilson, who delivered a presentation at the 2019 International Mining and Resources Conference, suggests that automation could even sever a mining company’s relationship and trust with local communities.

“We actually have to deliver on these (environmental, social and governance) promises from the very beginning.”

“We know it is no longer enough for mining companies to simply meet the formal obligations of an ‘environmental licence’ to extract resources,” Wilson says. “(But) we are already seeing major mine operations in Western Australia and Queensland replacing human operators with autonomous trucks and robotics, and shifting control centres to the capital cities, miles away from where actual mining takes place.”

The sector’s sustainability impacts not just the local communities, but

SAFETOWORK 32 JAN-FEB 2020

also stretches as far as the world’s developing nations on continents like Asia.

Federal Minister for Resources Matt Canavan believes the industry even holds the key to humanity’s development.

“The use of our natural mineral and energy resources is a necessary condition to help end poverty, improve lives and provide for more equal societies,” Canavan says.

“If we truly want all countries to reduce emissions we must work towards making

Manual haul trucks are rapidly being replaced by automation-ready vehicles.

all countries rich enough to afford to do so first. If we restrict the use of Australian coal and gas that will make it harder for other countries to grow and develop.”

Canavan, who reiterated a continued government focus on building jobs and opportunities for people, said if the use of Australian coal and gas was restricted it would make it harder for other countries to grow.

Newcrest Mining is seeking to deliver sustainable mining principles via ongoing safety improvements.

The gold miner has achieved zero fatalities for the past four years on the back of its zero fatalities goal and industry-leading total recordable injuries frequency rate by 2020.

Newcrest chief development officer Michael Nossal doesn’t believe that reserve size or gold production “for the sake of it” is a proxy for value creation.

“Instead, we are about safely

generating the most cash we can from our existing asset base and sensibly growing our business profitably with a focus on that value creation,” Nossal says.

Newcrest’s asset mix includes its Cadia Valley mine in New South Wales, Telfer in Western Australia, Lihir in Papua New Guinea and Gosowong in Indonesia.

The company announced its sustainability commitments, including greenhouse gas emission targets, for the first time in August last year.

Newcrest has also chosen a catchment-based approach to water management and committed to no net loss of biodiversity values for new projects.

“We actually have to deliver on these (environmental, social and governance) promises from the very beginning. We have all probably … been associated with projects that have gone wrong from that first interaction;

SAFETOWORK 33 JAN-FEB 2020

the first time a geologist walks over a piece of ground,” Nossal says.

Wilson says companies that are genuinely committed to protecting their social licence to operate will need to carefully consider and reassess how their projects will continue to deliver social value to the regional communities in which they operate.

“Maintaining a social licence will require balance and attention to alternative ways in which social value can be delivered,” she says.

Without disregarding the potential benefits that technology innovation can deliver, Wilson suggests that companies consider an alternative livelihood or ensure sharing models receive benefits.

Mining companies can also place a greater focus on transferring and sharing industry knowledge of technology through training and education programs, Wilson concludes.

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Diversity & inclusion

Kelly Carter, Stuart Jenner, Felicia Binks, Guilia Savio, Shae Russell and Rebecca Johnston at the Women in Gold Great Debate. Image: GIG.

Diversity debate expands on need for multi-dimensional approach FEMALE REPRESENTATION AND DIVERSITY IN MINING REMAIN HOT TOPICS WORTH DEBATING, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THE GOLD INDUSTRY GROUP DID AT ITS ANNUAL WOMEN IN GOLD GREAT DEBATE. SALOMAE HASELGROVE WRITES.

G

old Industry Group (GIG) has tackled the topic, ‘a diversity debate that begins and ends with gender is doomed to fail’ in 2019, with teams in Perth and for the first time Melbourne and Sydney facing off with opinions on the topic.

Safe to Work has watched on in Melbourne as four speakers, with vastly different examples of how this topic is a part of their careers and personal lives, debate for and against the statement.

For the proposition, Gold Road Resources general manager for capability and culture Stuart Jenner teams up with Kirkland Lake Gold environment and community manager Felicia Binks.

The opposing team features Newcrest Mining principal for diversity and inclusion Giulia Savio and Agora Financial Australia chief editor Shae Russell.

Jenner starts the discussion, posing “diversity is more than one or

SAFETOWORK 36 JAN-FEB 2020

two dimensional,” speaking about the overcomplication of gender quotas potentially preventing opportunities for other minority groups.

He then pulls at the crowd’s heartstrings, sharing his concerns for his daughter, who is living with a rare medical condition.

Jenner says he fears she may struggle to enter the workforce someday, due to the still prominent gaps in diversity for issues apart from gender, such as disability but also race, religion,

sexual orientation and more.

“As a society, we need to do more.

As a mining industry, we can do a lot more,” he says.

“There are barriers we need to overcome but let’s not make them higher than they actually are and let’s definitely not create barriers that do not need to be there.

“We started with gender, I agree we needed to start somewhere and continue efforts in that space, but we are missing most of the pie, we need more effort and focus in other areas,” Jenner says. “We need to put more than just gender on the agenda.”

Savio counters this by saying the industry must get gender equality right first and by doing so, this will positively affect the other minority groups.

“Of the other minority groups; LBGTIQI+, those with disabilities, neurodiversity as well as cultural and ethnicity groups, what do you think one of every two of those are?” Savio asks the crowd.

“Female. If just over 50 per cent of the population are women; why not start there, and how wonderful if we tick some other boxes to improve the situation of other minorities on the way?”

Savio also points out benefits such

“xxx”

Guilia Savio builds her case for the opposition in the Women in Gold Great Debate. Image: GIG.

as maternity and paternity leave, which would not have come into the workplace without the fight for gender diversity and the need to continue doing the right thing on the fight for gender equity.

“Workplace flexibility is no longer just for the mums or the girls, it’s for everyone, but it did start for the mums and the girls, after a very, very long time of it not being there, but now it is accessible for all,” Savio says.

“Would you ever be tired of talking about safety? Would you ever be tired of talking about sustainability? I’m

Shae Russell closes the opposition’s argument at the Women in Gold Great Debate. Image: GIG.

SAFETOWORK 37 JAN-FEB 2020

here to tell you, I am not tired of talking about what is right.”

Binks then urges the crowd to consider the overuse of the term gender diversity, how it has led to people not being as eager to engage in diversity programs and how the industry must disrupt the backlash before it takes over the conversation.

“The overuse of the term gender diversity has led to resistance to engagement and we have a responsibility to disrupt backlash before diversity loses its essence,” Binks says.

“When your rhetoric outplaces action, people become tired and seeing constant messaging without seeing long-term results also causes fatigue.”

Binks backs up her argument with statistics from as recent as 2018 that show while 50 per cent of the female population in Australia are employed, the mining figure is only 16.7 per cent.

“Of this 16.7 per cent, only 18 per cent of women hold senior management positions and only 15 per cent hold executive positions,” Binks explains.

“Although we have made some progress, but this progress is really, really slow, when you focus on only gender diversity and there’s slow progress, people get fatigued.

Diversity & inclusion “Let’s become more sophisticated with our approach and include more than just males and females,” she says.

“Let’s invite people from all levels of organisations to make it a place people of all genders, races and ages want to come to work.

“Then and only then will we achieve real diversity and inclusion and get those real and tangible results we currently don’t see.”

Russell concludes her side’s argument, saying if it is still necessary to have a conversation about whether gender diversity has come far enough, then the answer is no.

“Here we are on this stage, 45 days out of a new decade discussing gender diversity and if it’s come far enough?” Russell ponders.

“How has an industry come far enough when it hasn’t even got to 20 per cent female employment? That is not progress and that’s why we need to continue the gender conversation.”

Felicia Binks gives her argument for the proposition side at the Women in Gold Great Debate in Melbourne. Image: GIG.

Stuart Jenner opens the Women in Gold Great Debate for the proposition in Melbourne. Image: GIG

“The overuse of the term gender diversity has led to resistance to engagement and we have a responsibility to disrupt backlash before diversity loses its essence.”

Answering Jenner’s comments on disability, Russell shares her own experience as a single mother of a child with autism and how she works her diverse background to her advantage to become a more efficient worker.

“I’m a single mum, I have two children, one with autism,” Russell explains.

“That technically puts me in the ‘too hard’ basket to hire, yet I outwork most of my co-workers, mostly men, I’ve also worked out how to do my job more efficiently because of my diverse background.”

Russell then reinforces that the momentum of the fight for gender equality needs to be expanded

SAFETOWORK 38 JAN-FEB 2020

onto larger topics.

“Let’s use that power and that momentum to look at other races, religious minorities, neurological differences, sexual identities, socioeconomic differences,” Russell says.

“We need to take gender and expand it to dismantle power structures that reinforce group thinking and break down entrenched power, to make more inclusive and diverse environments,” Russell says.

As close as the debate it, the crowd of about 100 people cheer Savio and Russell to victory, deciding no, a diversity debate beginning and ending with gender is not doomed to fail.

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Environment

Will coal get a chance to breathe in climate-aware future?

Adani Renewables Australia celebrates the official opening of its Rugby Run solar farm in central Queensland.

RISING ENERGY DEMAND AND CLIMATE CONCERNS ARE FACING OFF OVER THE CONTINUITY OF COAL PRODUCTION IN AUSTRALIA. SAFE TO WORK LOOKS AT WHAT THE AUSTRALIAN COAL SECTOR IS DOING TO APPEASE THE TENSIONS.

A

ustralian coal producers are aware of the threats of climate change.

Their indirect role in propping up the growth of underdeveloped economies through the production of coal by-products doesn’t, however, overshadow their responsibility to protect the environment.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) points out that in 2018, energy demand worldwide increased by 2.3 per cent, its fastest pace in a decade.

World energy demand is also projected to grow by 27 per cent to 17.7 billion tonnes of oil equivalent between 2017 and 2040.

In the same period, fossil fuel demand will grow by 16 per cent to 13.1 billion tonnes of oil equivalent.

IEA says that while coal demand is falling in Europe and North America, it is still growing in Asia where over half of the world’s population lives.

South Africa, Russia and South East Asian nations are the three regions

where energy coal demand is more resilient, according to South32.

Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan publicly backed Australian resources as being key to combatting global poverty in some of these countries at the 2019 International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne.

Limiting access to Australian coal would put other developing countries in an arduous struggle to grow, Canavan says.

“We have a moral, economic and environmental duty to responsibly develop our resources to help deliver better outcomes for all people in the world,” Canavan argues.

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) chief executive Tania Constable agrees that coal is a nation-building material that is indispensable in the provision of essential infrastructure and for reliable low-cost energy in countries like China, India and Vietnam.

But the existence of global energy demand amid environmental and social

SAFETOWORK 40 JAN-FEB 2020

pressure is a shared challenge that is not only faced by coal producers.

It also requires the actions of all governments and a wide crosssection of industrial sectors beyond mining including electricity generation, transport and culture, according to Whitehaven Coal.

The Sydney-based coal producer acknowledges that the production and consumption of coal contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the company does its share to meet the energy needs responsibly.

Whitehaven is an operator of open cut mines at Maules Creek, Tarrawonga, Werris Creek and Sunnyside, and an underground operation at Narrabri.

The thermal and metallurgical coal produced at these operations is bound primarily for export markets in north and South Asia.

“Our objective is to help meet projected increases in global energy demand in our near region – where we can leverage our geographic proximity to new coal markets – while making a

material, practical contribution to carbon emissions reduction efforts,” Whitehaven states in its climate change report.

“We do this by combining our lowash, low-sulphur, high-energy coal with the most technologically advanced, highest efficiency, and lowest-emitting power stations in operation.”

Whitehaven believes advanced technologies and innovation still offer the best solution for managing climate risks and reducing GHG emissions.

As a result, the company invests in the development of low-emissions technologies through COAL21, a low emission technology fund that is primarily focussed on carbon capture and storage research.

This investment could contribute further material reductions in GHG emissions.

But with the future of the global energy mix tied to public opinion, South32 decided to offload its South Africa thermal coal operations in November last year.

The BHP spin-off found a buyer in South African black-owned and operated company Seriti Resources, which secured the deal for ZAR100 million ($9.8 million).

South32’s only coal operation is now Illawarra Metallurgical Coal in New South Wales, which produces mid volatility hard coking coal that goes into steelmaking blends globally.

The same project is also involved in South32’s emissions reduction project, which has successfully developed Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

“This involved installing and operating additional flaring devices to capture and combust the methane component of coal mine waste gas from the mine,” South32 states.

“This project has generated approximately 240,000 ACCUs. We’ll continue to reduce emissions with this project when operating conditions allow us to do so.”

Illawarra Metallurgical Coal, along with the Worsley Alumina operations in Western Australia, contributes to around 55 per cent of South32’s scope one emissions.

South32 has selected the two operations in its studies to identify potential decarbonisation initiatives.

In the 2020 financial year, South32 will progress these initiatives into pre-feasibility planning, in line with the company’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

In the midst of an industry trend that sees mining companies such as South32 and Rio Tinto bowing out of their thermal coal businesses, hardly any other miner is as adamant as India’s Adani in pushing its agenda for the commodity in Australia.

Adani’s Carmichael project in the Galilee Basin in Queensland has been the subject of almost a decade of industry controversy as the company has worked through the approvals process to develop the site.

The approvals dispute reached a climax in June last year, with Adani commencing construction of a scaleddown version of the Carmichael project.

Adani is aware that the rising global energy demand must be met with responsible management of carbon emissions, according to a company spokesperson.

“We accept the science of climate change. The climate challenge is one that we must all collectively address across the globe,” the spokesperson says.

“Providing a sustainable energy mix to meet increasing energy demand will play a critical role in improving the quality of life in developing nations like India.”

Adani commissioned the world’s largest single location solar power plant of 648 megawatts in 2016. The company already has more than 2300 megawatts of renewable energy

SAFETOWORK 41 JAN-FEB 2020

in operation, an equivalent energy requirement to power the state of South Australia.

Adani Renewables Australia also switched on its first solar farm at Rugby Run in central Queensland in October last year.

The 65-megawatt solar farm will generate 185,000 megawatt hours of power each year, powering about 23,000 regional Queensland homes a year.

“There is no doubt that renewables will play an increasingly important role in our future energy mix, but renewables alone are not enough to meet increasing global energy demand,” the Adani spokesperson says.

“We must also ensure our energy sources are reliable and affordable, and that is where coal has a critical role to play.”

Constable points out that Australia’s minerals industry understands responsible environmental management is fundamental throughout the lifecycle of a mine.

This includes industry commitment to the rehabilitation of mined land and water stewardship, while undertaking voluntary conservation initiatives to conserve species, habitat and address biodiversity decline.

The MCA is also developing a climate action plan to build on the sector’s contributions towards the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.

“We are working with member companies to share and promote practical actions to address the challenge of climate change,” Constable says.

If anything, the Australian coal industry appears to agree on one thing: the key to reducing carbon emissions lies in technology’s ability to produce coal responsibly.

This approach will not only benefit the world’s superpowers, but also those that are emerging in the wings.

Water management

Mining unites in quest for water in droughtstricken land

MINING COMPANIES SUCH AS WHITEHAVEN COAL, BHP AND NEWCREST MINING ARE FINDING WAYS TO ENSURE MINES AREN’T DRY IN PRODUCTION LIKE THE LAND HAS BECOME. SAFE TO WORK REPORTS.

A

ll hands are on deck across Australia when it comes to the threats posed by drought – it is unfortunately an enduring feature of the country’s landscape.

Mining operations have to compete with other users such as agriculture and towns for water. Without it, valuable minerals such as coal and iron ore cannot be extracted out of the ground.

Water is also core to the transport of ore and waste, separation of minerals, cooling systems around power generation,

suppression of dust and washing equipment, according to CSIRO. While the impact on farmers is well-understood, water supply is also crucial for mining operations, according to New South Wales Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee.

“Mines support thousands of jobs in regional areas and the security of water supply for mining operations can have major implications for regional economies,” Galilee tells Safe to Work in a statement.

Whitehaven Coal’s Maules Creek mine in the Gunnedah Basin is one

SAFETOWORK 42 JAN-FEB 2020

mining operation that has been hit by drought conditions persisting in north west New South Wales.

“I am only too aware of the fact this is truly a land of droughts and flooding rains, but the drought conditions we have observed across much of New South Wales have been especially challenging and are arguably the worst since the Federation Drought at the turn of the last century,” Whitehaven chairman Mark Vaile, speaking at the company’s 2019 annual general meeting, says.

The company’s Maules Creek mine relies on a high security water

BHP Mt Arthur Coal operations in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales.

licence that draws upon the Namoi River, a primary water source that has been severely impacted by the drought.

Whitehaven chief executive Paul Flynn says the company has secured additional long-term groundwater sources for Maules Creek in response to the conditions.

Maules Creek has gained access to some of these sources, with work to access the remaining sources still under way (at the time of writing).

While Safe to Work understands the impact on production is unclear, Whitehaven is working with New South Wales authorities to mitigate the drought impacts.

Elsewhere in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, BHP

has been forced to put up additional measures against the dry conditions facing its Mt Arthur Coal operations.

BHP is closely monitoring its water take, and has put measures in place to reduce water usage while maintaining operations.

“For example, we have installed density gauges to improve water control and reduce un-needed water in the operation,” a BHP spokesperson says.

Joining BHP and Whitehaven in the fight against the drought is Newcrest Mining, this time it’s motivated by community betterment.

Newcrest is reducing the amount of water it uses from Orange, close to where its Cadia mine is located.

The mining company has turned to treated effluent to meet its water needs at the Cadia mine, according to the Orange City Council.

Under this initiative, Newcrest is pumping an average of eight megalitres a day from Orange’s sewerage water plant, while drawing on groundwater and other sources to sustain its operational needs at Cadia.

The combined effect is a reduction of two megalitres of water drawn

Whitehaven Coal secures additional groundwater sources to sustain its Maules Creek operations.

SAFETOWORK 43 JAN-FEB 2020

from Orange a day.

“This arrangement will be in place for the next few months until this requirement is no longer required,” Newcrest Cadia Valley operations general manager Peter Sharpe says.

“This will satisfy the council’s environmental flow obligations and replace the release of surface water from the Suma Park Dam. “Currently average net daily draw of water into the Cadia operations is 30 millilitres a day. This return of water will not impact production in the current year.”

Galilee welcomes Newcrest’s initiative, stating that the New South Wales Minerals Council has seen the industry doing its bit to help out local councils and landholders.

“Cadia’s reduction in use of treated effluent from Orange (allows) the council (to) continue to provide environmental flows,” Galilee says.

“Mines in drought-affected areas are doing all they can to reduce their water use, increase water recycling and look for alternative sources of water such as saline groundwater, which will help conserve higher quality water for other water users.”

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Sustainability EDL CEO James Harman, Gold Fields VP Stuart Mathews and WA Mines Minister Bill Johnston.

Sustainability key to community support TWO PIONEERING MINERS, GOLD FIELDS AND ANGLO AMERICAN, ARE WALKING THEIR SUSTAINABILITY TALK. SAFE TO WORK REPORTS.

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eople, technology, culture, lowering energy costs and increasing exploration have been key topics around sustainability discussed at the 2019 International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC).

Both Gold Fields Australasia operations executive vice president Stuart Mathews and Anglo American metallurgical coal chief executive Tyler Mitchelson cite sustainability as a vital priority for the industry looking ahead.

Gold Fields plans to increase its already strong Australian contribution of 43 per cent, or 886,000 ounces of company gold production, to 50 per cent of its total output.

Anglo American, meanwhile, is targeting ethically-sourced minerals across its operations by 2025.

Mathews believes shareholders are more socially conscious than past decades, so it is important to highlight the company’s sustainable goals.

“If we don’t do anything about climate change and energy security, people won’t want to work with us and investors will choose not to invest in us,” Mathews says.

“Ultimately, we have a responsibility to operate in a responsible and sustainable way, globally and locally.

“It’s equally important that we look at ways to positively contribute to community goals as well as meet global aspirations.”

Mathews says Gold Fields has a role to play in tackling climate change through introducing renewable energy options.

At Gold Fields’ Agnew mine in Western Australia, the company has invested in five wind turbines and 10,000 solar panels, producing 18 megawatts wind generation and four megawatts photovoltaic solar respectively.

The $112 million investment has received backing from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency in the form of a $13.5 million funding for its stage two.

Gold Fields expects to complete construction by mid-2020, providing the Agnew mine with more than 50 per cent renewable energy over the next 10 years once operational.

Mitchelson suggests the rise of environment-social-governance factors needs to be a priority for all investors,

SAFETOWORK 45 JAN-FEB 2020

customers and stakeholders on the journey to sustainability.

“In the future, when someone refers to mining, I hope they see a picture of people doing valued work in a cleaner, smarter and more socially responsible way, providing the essential ingredients for modern life,” Mitchelson says.

Anglo American has set an ambitious 2030 sustainable mining plan, with targets including a 30 per cent improvement in energy efficiency and an absolute 30 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030.

The company’s Unki mine in Zimbabwe will be the world’s first mine to publicly commit to being independently audited against the responsible mining assurance’s standard for responsible mining.

Mitchelson says all Anglo American managed mine sites will be independently certified by the end of 2025 to satisfy customers’ objective of sourcing ethical minerals.

“Our purpose recognises that where we are going on our sustainability journey not only involves a shift in how we mine, but also why we mine,” Mitchelson concludes.

Training & education

The Fortescue Solomon mine rescue team getting some valuable firefighting practice in leading up to summer at the Mining Emergency Response Competition.

MERC competitors do their best to prepare for the worst AS MINE SITES ARE OFTEN IN REMOTE AREAS, THE IMPACT OF DISASTERS LIKE BUSHFIRES IS POTENTIALLY HIGHER AND HELP IS USUALLY A LOT FURTHER AWAY. SALOMAE HASELGROVE WRITES.

A

fter Australia’s tough start to the summer bushfire season, mining and other work sites are taking it upon themselves to prepare for the worst if it unfortunately happens.

With workers often hundreds of kilometres from a hospital, or deep underground, knowing first aid skills and how to react in an emergency situation is vital.

The ninth annual Mining Emergency Response Competition (MERC) ran concurrently with the Bushfire Games for the first time in November, giving teams a chance to improve

their firefighting skills.

It also focussed on the more familiar mine risks, including first aid, hazardous materials, confined space rescue, vertical rescue, road crash rescue and team readiness.

MERC attracted a large crowd of spectators at Langley Park in Perth to watch the 14 volunteer emergency response teams compete fiercely while improving their skills.

Chief adjudicator Richard Crawford, from Fortescue Metal Group’s Christmas Creek operation, says the firefighting scenario is always a crowd favourite at the event, making it great to

SAFETOWORK 46 JAN-FEB 2020

have the Bushfire Games happening at the same time.

“This year’s firefighting scenario really pressed the teams,” Crawford tells Safe to Work.

“Multiple fires were lit and fought over a 15 to 20-minute period and teams wearing breathing apparatus’ were required to demonstrate hose and branch management whilst attending totwo casualties.

“Of the 14 teams that competed in this event, I can say that every member finished with a solid bead of sweat across their forehead and a smile across their face.”

The victorious Synergy Muja Power team.

Crawford says MERC also values the mental health of workers as highly as them being physically safe at work.

“The best advice I can give miners to improve safety is look after yourself both mentally and physically,” Crawford says.

“Look after your mates and speak up if you feel that something is ‘not right’ and get advice from your leader.”

The MERC values are continually upskilling, training to competition,

prevention effectiveness and community engagement, which Crawford says is upheld by all participants, none more so than the volunteers.

Emergency response (ER) teams and bush fire brigades (BFBs) not only participated in the competition but offered valuable advice for mining teams from their areas of expertise.

“All ER teams are winners,” Crawford says. “Taking a step forward and

The vertical rescue event at the Mining Emergency Response Competition in Perth.

SAFETOWORK 47 JAN-FEB 2020

wanting to learn a new skill to help someone in need of assistance – these are the people who make a difference.

“These are the people we rely on in remote areas in the unfortunate need of assistance.”

In 2019, the competition expanded further with its first international team travelling from Indonesia to participate.

Tikush Tana rescue squad from Freeport McMoRan Indonesia took out the first aid category of the competition and also cheered on the Australian teams with great spirit, sparking hopes MERC will attract more international teams in future years.

“The Indonesian team really stepped up to the plate and competed strongly against the other teams,” Crawford says.

“They were always happy and smiling and giving the thumbs up, walking past all who cheered and verbally supported their team.

“With the Indonesian team’s involvement this year, I’m sure the prospect of other competing teams will be discussed.”

MERC, a not-for-profit organisation that helps mine and emergency

, D E E N U O ET. Y R RR .

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Indonesia’s Tikush Tana team takes part in the confined space competition at the Mining Emergency Response Competition.

services workers to improve their safety skills, raised more than $330,000 for charity with the event.

The 2019 MERC event supported the Fiona Wood Foundation, Royal Flying Doctor Service and Holyoake’s ‘My Wellbeing App’, which were all presented cheques at the gala awards following the competition.

Crawford says the charities are chosen for the support they provide mine workers and their families at all levels of the industry.

“The charities chosen are key areas that personnel have access to when needed in the event of additional support for both family and personal levels,” Crawford explains.

“The mining and resource sectors are massive in Western Australia and across to the eastern states and the MERC support charities integrate through all levels, from site employee assistance programs to national health centres.”

Western Australian Mines and

Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston praised the event, particularly the focus on its chosen charities.

“The McGowan Government is proud to support the MERC because safety is one of our highest priorities,” Johnston said.

“It’s terrific that proceeds raised by competing teams and sponsors will be donated to local charities.”

And what were the judges looking for in a winning team? It is not just the best strength or bravery that they’re after.

“As adjudicators, we look for team cohesiveness, communication, the ability to conduct a task under pressure to a high standard and to improvise, adapt and overcome when needed,” Crawford says.

As MERC turns 10 in 2020, organisers are already making plans for a special event to celebrate a decade of upskilling workers and volunteers, to be best prepared should the worst happen.

SAFETOWORK 49 JAN-FEB 2020

2019 MERC winners Overall winning team: Synergy Muja Power Overall breathing apparatus: Newmont Goldcorp Boddington Overall first aid: Newmont Goldcorp Boddington Team safety: Synergy Muja Power Best captain: Cameron Bourne, Synergy Muja Power Best medic: Nick Haywood, Newmont Goldcorp Boddington Road crash: Newmont Goldcorp Boddington Hazmat: Fortescue Metals Group Christmas Creek Vertical rescue: Synergy Muja Power Firefighting: Synergy Muja Power Confined space: Synergy Muja Power First aid: Tikush Tana rescue squad, Freeport McMoRan Indonesia Emergency response team readiness: Tropicana Thorny Devils

Events CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@SAFETOWORK.COM.AU

UNDERGROUND OPERATORS 2020, PERTH, MARCH 25-27

SLOPE STABILITY CONFERENCE, PERTH, MAY 12-14

MINExpo INTERNATIONAL, LAS VEGAS, SEPTEMBER 28-30

AusIMM will bring together mining engineers, mine operators, technical service managers and consultants to the Underground Operators Conference in 2020.

This conference will set the benchmark for sharing underground operational experiences and industry best practice.

Underground Operators 2020 will answer the pressing issues presented by deposits that are getting deeper or lower in grade, and operators facing increased pressure to find smarter and more cost-effective ways to extract orebodies.

The key discussion topics for this conference will be centred around the evolution of digital technologies, automation and artificial intelligence, and how these innovations are providing solutions to challenges found underground.

• undergroundoperators.ausimm.com

One of the world’s leading Slope Stability Conferences, ‘Slope Stability 2020’ will return to Perth in 2020. The Slope Stability Conference will provide a forum for open pit mining and civil engineering practitioners, consultants, researchers and suppliers worldwide to exchange views on best practice and state-of-the-art slope stability technologies. The 2020 Slope Stability Conference will explore best practices with respect to pit slope investigations, design and implementation. Performance monitoring will be discussed during the symposium. Experts will analyse the principles that underlie the most frequently used computational methods and some less common but accurate methods.

• slopestability2020.com

MINExpo International is the world’s largest and most comprehensive global mining event.

Held every four years, it brings together worldwide industry leaders who are ready to purchase the latest equipment and services, see innovative new technologies, meet face-to-face with vendors and make valuable new connections. The expo brings together all of the latest cutting-edge equipment, innovations, services and technologies to take your operations to a new level and fuel long-term growth. MINExpo attendees have the buying power and influence to purchase the equipment, products and services that are brought to the show. In three days, meet thousands of operators from all over the world in one place.

• minexpo.com

MEGATRANS, MELBOURNE, APRIL 1-3 MEGATRANS returns in 2020 as an important industry event, facilitating cross-industry collaboration in a multidimensional and integrated conference and exhibition for the freight and logistics industry.

For the first time, MEGATRANS2020 will take place in conjunction with the specialised bulk handling expo, Australian Bulk Handling Expo 2020. The two events will be held side-by-side, with one ticket entry into both exhibitions.

MEGATRANS2020 will showcase the latest in artificial intelligence, robotics, automated racking, telematics and route optimisation, warehouse automation, intelligent fleet systems, blockchain, Internet of Things, big data and advanced analytics.

• megatrans.com.au

MINE WASTE AND TAILINGS STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE, BRISBANE, JULY 28-30 The 2020 Mine Waste and Tailings Conference aims to be the benchmark for sharing knowledge and experience on mine waste and tailings management, sustainable practice and closure in Australia and the rest of the world. The conference holds its relevance as the majority of the world’s future minerals will come from low-grade, hightonnage and ultra-mechanised operations. As higher production of waste rock and tailings is expected, mining systems will require reengineering. This event will cover all aspects of life cycle waste rock and tailings management, from site selection and design to post-closure care. The two-day conference will feature a number of keynote speakers, four expert panel discussions covering key current themes, and paper presentations.

• tailings.ausimm.com

SAFETOWORK 50 JAN-FEB 2020

IMARC, MELBOURNE, OCT 27-29 The seventh International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) will connect over 7000 decision makers, mining leaders, policy makers, technical experts, innovators and educators from over 100 countries.

The four-day conference will give plenty of opportunities for learning, deal making and unparalleled networking, while also facilitating exhibitions and workshops.

As Australia’s largest mining conference, the IMARC program will cover the entire mining supply chain and explore numerous topics, such as exploration, plant and processing, social licence, workforce attraction and retention and mine optimisation.

More than 400 global mining companies participated in IMARC 2019, setting off strong momentum for the 2020 conference.

• imarcmelbourne.com

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... you’ve got mates in mining.

One in five Australians will suffer mental health problems such as anxiety and depression in any year. The mining sector is no different. That’s why the Minerals Council of Australia supports organisations that share our commitment to better workplace mental health.

MATES in Mining helps miners to identify problems early in others and themselves and take steps to get help. The program has been rolled out at around 15 mine sites across the country following pilots at Glencore’s Clermont and Glendell mines.

Learn more about MATES in Mining by emailing info@matesinmining.org.au. If you or someone you know is going through a tough time contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

minerals.org.au/safety-and-health