Safe To Work May 2022

THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY

ISSUE 19 - MAY/JUNE 2022

Handle with care

Keeping commodities moving safely

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS

Material handling

Mining Equipment

Health and wellbeing

Dust suppression

Comment Conveying the importance of materials handling safety MATERIALS HANDLING OPERATIONS ARE A HOT SPOT FOR NEW INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT IMPROVE THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF MINE SITES.

MICHAEL PHILIPPS

PUBLISHER CHRISTINE CLANCY MANAGING EDITOR PAUL HAYES Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: paul.hayes@primecreative.com.au EDITOR MICHAEL PHILIPPS Tel: 0439 341 033 Email: michael.philipps@primecreative.com.au

M

aterials handling operations are a hot spot for new innovations and technologies that improve the safety performance of mine sites.

They have to be. The number of moving parts involved, as well as the pit-to-port nature of the equipment makes them one of the most dangerous parts of any operation.

Conveyors may be a key driver of mine site productivity, but it is the safety of workers around this equipment that trumps any other aspect of the operation.

This edition of Safe to Work highlights the research and development that has been committed by METS (mining equipment, technology and services) companies to make materials handling activities safer.

Conveyor guarding, for instance, has developed significantly from the steel structures that have traditionally been commonplace at mine sites.

First and foremost, a

JOURNALISTS EMILY MURPHY Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: emily.murphy@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER JANINE CLEMENTS Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au SALES MANAGER JONATHAN DUCKETT Mob: 0498 091 027 Email: jonathan.duckett@primecreative.com.au

conveyor without proper guarding is an unsafe system, but a number of elements have emerged in this space that aid the health and wellbeing of workers even further.

This edition also highlights the importance of safety as well as the aftereffects of a serious work injury.

Nobody ever expects to go to work and not come home that afternoon, but that is the harsh reality James Wood faced when he was a young 20-something man who thought he was invincible. Emily Murphy speaks one-on-one with James to help share his story.

Working at a coal mine in the Hunter Valley, James (Woody) Wood was a diesel mechanic on-site who, on this particular day, was doing the routine job of repairing a snapped power steering belt on a truck.

Rather than letting his injury beat him, Woody made a choice to tell his story and encourage other people to do the right thing and follow the safety protocols.

It’s one thing to do safety training and learn what is safe

DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Weston ART DIRECTOR Blake Storey GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Kerry Pert, Aisling McComiskey SUBSCRIPTION RATES Australia (surface mail) $140.00 (incl GST) New Zealand A$148.00 Overseas A$156.00 For subscriptions enquiries please call 03 9690 8766

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 3 MAY-JUN 2022

and unsafe, but it is a completely other thing entirely to see the implications of participating in unsafe behaviour.

Woody’s story shows workers, who are exactly like he was prior to his accident, that they are not invincible, and their actions and choices are crucial in ensuring they go home to their families every day.

Michael Philipps Editor

FRONT COVER Image: Diacon.

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 publisher.

In this issue 20

Features 16

18

20

Bringing the HEART to Queensland mining communities

28

Maximum reliability and maximum efficiency

44

Long-awaited 2021 Prospect Awards returns

For commodities to reach their

The 2021 Australian Mining Prospect

A world-first mobile health unit will help

destination in optimum condition and

Awards were finally held in Brisbane in

with the early detection of mine dust lung

without losses, material-handling

March, after COVID-19 postponed it.

diseases in the state’s regional workers.

systems have to be carefully designed and engineered.

How getting hurt at work affects your world

39

46

BlueScope takes home the Safety Advocacy Award

Conveying the importanceof dust solutions

With safety a primary concern in all

Emily Murphy speaks one-on-one with James Wood to help share his story

Kinder mechanical engineer Jack

who work actively to improve safety

of why he wrote 12 Reasons NOT to

Cain highlights the importance of

for their industry.

get hurt at work.

subduing thebeast that is dust.

43

When Alkane’s Tomingley gold mine

Safe and efficient assembly of hydraulic hoses onsite

needed new machinery to better suit

BOA Hydraulics has designed its

its underground operations, original

innovative BOApod with safety and

equipment manufacturer Epiroc delivered.

ease of use at its core.

Epiroc finds a safe solution to import delays

sectors, this award highlights individuals

48

Women in resources take the final bow The 2022 Women in Industry finalists have been announced, celebrating their outstanding successes.

32

39

REGULARS

3 COMMENT

6 NEWS

14 PRODUCTS

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 4 MAY-JUN 2022

50 EVENTS

Sustainabilty & ESG

Health & Safety Issues

Diversity & Inclusion

Workforce Management

Cybersecurity

Financial Viability

Liability

an Avetta Company

News WA-developed COVID screening to protect FIFO workers An industry-leading screening system has been approved for use in a largescale trial to help detect COVID-19 in the Western Australian fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workforce and protect remote communities.

Medical technology company Avicena will undertake regular screening of workers and contractors in the resources industry under the Sentinel Surveillance DETECT study, in collaboration with Curtin University.

The system is designed to rapidly screen up to 4000 saliva samples per hour, more than 95,000 samples a day. It uses state-of-the-art RT-LAMP chemistry and robotics with accuracy comparable to PCR tests, providing results significantly faster and at a substantially lower cost.

“We are delighted to be able to contribute to safeguarding the health and security of Western Australians with our innovative Sentinel technology that has been developed entirely in our own state,”

The system can screen up to 4000 saliva samples per hour.

Avicena executive chair and cofounder Dr Paul Watt said.

According to the WA Government, two Avicena instruments have already been delivered to European users.

“Avicena’s Sentinel system is a Western Australian developed innovation that will play a role in protecting the health and safety

of our crucial FIFO workforce and remote communities during the trial,” Medical Research and Innovation and ICT Minister Stephen Dawson said.

“The speed of the system lends itself to large-scale screening, including workers arriving on a mine site, and will provide for more rapid isolation responses from infected individuals.”

Fortescue brings Happiness to the team Fortescue Metals Group and the Happiness Co have joined forces to launch Fortescue Wellness online, a new initiative to support the health and wellbeing of the Fortescue team.

The portal includes programs and resources created by the Happiness Co including live and interactive webinars, guided meditation and mindfulness resources, online fitness training, podcasts, and a fly-in fly-out (FIFO) beginners’ course for those new to working on-site.

“Safety and family are at the core of

our values, and this extends to the mental health and wellbeing of all our team members. It is our responsibility to ensure our people feel physically and mentally supported at all times,” Fortescue chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines said.

“Fortescue has a comprehensive support network available including a dedicated Chaplaincy program across all our sites, as well as an Employee Assistance Program for employees and their families.”

Happiness Co is an award-winning social enterprise working in the

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 6 MAY-JUN 2022

space of pre-emptive mental health and wellbeing that has worked internationally and across Australia with organisations and individuals looking to create and sustain happiness in their lives.

“Happiness Co is incredibly excited to be providing a wellbeing platform that the whole Fortescue family can benefit from,” Happiness Co general manager Robbie Figg said.

“There is a range of programs that are available 24–7, as well as live and interactive online sessions covering a huge range of topics.”

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News MRL automates next level of safety Mineral Resources’ (MRL) autonomous road trains project has reached a worldfirst milestone, achieving a successful demonstration run of a triple-trailer, automated road train platoon with each road train hauling 300 tonnes of iron ore.

The demonstration showcased the success of our autonomous road trains pilot project, which has been underway at MRL’s Yilgarn iron ore operations in Westen Australia since late 2021.

MRL has introduced a number of new technologies over recent years to

enhance the safety and operational efficiency of its long-distance road train haulage fleet and the autonomous road trains is taking the company to the next level.

The technology will initially be adopted for MRL’s own operations, with a view to offering the solution to its Tier 1 customer base as it grows its mining services division.

MRL has partnered with autonomy specialist Hexagon on the project, integrating Hexagon’s drive-by-wire

technology with an autonomous management system to orchestrate vehicle movement.

MRL chief executive – mining services Mike Grey said automating a road train platoon of this size had never been achieved before and he was delighted the company was leading the world with this ground-breaking innovation.

“It’s been an exciting journey over the past year, and we’ve now achieved a world-first platoon of three autonomous road trains, which is a game-changer for us,” he said.

“It’s an extremely proud moment to see our autonomous project grow from desktop concept to iron ore reality so quickly.”

MRL is renowned for providing innovative and low-cost solutions across the mining infrastructure supply chain, and the autonomous road trains will form an essential part of the cost-efficient supply chain unlocking stranded resources in the Pilbara region as part of the Ashburton Hub Iron Ore Project.

MRL has made history with each road train hauling 300 tonnes.

SafetyCulture is bringing SHEQSY back Global workplace operations company SafetyCulture recently announced the acquisition of SHEQSY, a cloud-based lone worker safety app.

With this latest acquisition, SafetyCulture continues to address underinvestment in frontline processes, enablement, and emerging technologies.

SHEQSY gives workers access to a platform powering real-time alerts to the organisation for missed check-ins, failing to finish a job as planned, and quick duress alarm activation for peace

of mind in case anything happens.

“Partnering with SafetyCulture gives us the opportunity to accelerate our international expansion and protect millions of lone workers around the globe,” SHEQSY founder and chief executive officer Hays Bailey said.

“We built SHEQSY to give these individuals access to a mobilefirst safety solution, making clunky devices a thing of the past.

“The features we built into the mobile app are currently the best solution for lone workers available and by teaming up with SafetyCulture we can continue

to build on that strong foundation.”

SafetyCulture chief executive officer and founder Luke Anear said frontline workers make up 80 per cent of global workforces.

“They’re our first responders who can capture information that would otherwise be missed: our eyes and ears, at the actionable point of risk,” he said.

“Despite this, they’ve been historically underserved when it comes to technology, especially lone workers. Just one per cent of venture capital funding is invested in tooling to support the frontline workforce.”

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News Mining job security continues to rise Job security in the mining industry is higher than most, as Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data has confirmed the vast majority of mining workers – 88 per cent – are permanent.

Given there is a significant skills shortage across Australian industries, including mining, companies are actively competing for labour by offering attractive salaries and conditions. In fact, 99 per cent of mining workers earn above-award wages and conditions.

The share of casual workers in mining across Australia has averaged 13 per cent over the past decade, compared to 24 per cent for all industries.

The ABS also confirmed that Australian mining pays the highest average wages – approximately $144,000 a year – compared to approximately $94,000 across all industries.

Mining employment has trebled over the past 20 years.

Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) chief executive officer Tania Constable said Australian mining highlights the importance of maintaining an industrial relations system that balances the workplace imperatives of competitiveness, innovation and productivity growth

with the need for a strong safety net.

“Under enterprise bargaining, mining employment has trebled over the past 20 years from 83,900 in 2002 to 264,700 in 2021,” she said.

“And during this time mining has become an even more highly skilled and highly paid workforce.”

Martin Engineering sets learning foundations Martin Engineering has launched a comprehensive digital educational resource for conveyor operation and safety aimed at apprentice technicians and experienced engineers alike.

The online Foundations Learning Centre is an extension of the in-person Foundations training curriculum, which uses a mix of text, photos, videos, webinars, online events, and live experts available to answer questions.

“Not everyone learns by reading a textbook or following a lecture, so we set up the Learning Centre as the place to go for all things conveyor and bulk handling for all types of learners,” Foundations training manager and Learning Centre

curator Jerad Heitzler said.

The Learning Centre is an online portal where plant operators, managers and supervisors can send members of their teams to build their understanding of every aspect of conveyor operation and safety practices.

The platform provides visitors with immediate solutions that are applicable and actionable, regardless of the equipment manufacturer. It is also a place to learn about the latest technologies, techniques and compliance measures.

The in-person training program combines the hands-on instruction and personal attention found in a classroom setting

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 10 MAY-JUN 2022

with the Learning Centre technology, the textbook, and comprehension testing.

The modules of the Learning Centre are split into nine categories: • Material carryback and belt cleaning • Dust management • Material spillage • Belt conveyor safety • Conveyor belt and component damage • Conveyor belt mistracking • Material flow problems • Belt conveyor system maintenance • Basics of belt conveyor systems Once the category is chosen, the learner is greeted with the core issues related to the module and examples of best practices.

News App allows workers to report safety issues anonymously The ‘Speak Up Save Lives’ app is making workplaces across NSW safer for all employees, including those in the mining and resources industry, by allowing workers to anonymously raise safety concerns with SafeWork NSW. According to the State Government, last year alone saw 560 reports trigger interventions in high-risk safety issues.

The app has helped SafeWork NSW prevent injuries and deaths.

NSW Minister for Fair Trading Eleni Petinos said anonymity was a major concern for workers, who fear speaking up could lead to punishment or even the loss of their jobs.

“Speaking up can be intimidating. I want to reassure workers that any identifying features of your submission will not be made visible to your employer. Everyone is entitled to a safe workspace,” Petinos said.

“I urge anyone who sees anything risky or unsafe at work to please immediately report it. We all have our part to play to ensuring everyone’s safety.”

The app has helped SafeWork NSW prevent injuries and deaths, with 1297 reports since its inception two years ago.

“In January, we received a report about scaffolding on a construction site that

had no edge protection, no safety ties and was within proximity of live power lines,” Petinos said.

“Inspectors attended the site and issued a prohibition notice immediately.

Somebody could have easily fallen to their death or been electrocuted.

“In another example, inspectors responded to reports of unsafe demolition and found unlicensed removalists dismantling a stormdamaged house riddled with asbestos.

Not only was the house at risk of structural collapse but improper asbestos removal can release deadly particles into the surrounding air.”

Businesses are still required to report all notifiable incidents, including death, serious injury or illness, or a dangerous incident, by immediately calling 13 10 50.

Industry mental health program gets Government funding The MATES in Construction program supporting the mental health and wellbeing of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in, drive-out (DIDO) workers in the mining, energy, construction and manufacturing industries will receive a $6 million boost from the Federal Government.

The Government continues to make mental health a national priority, investing a record $6.5 billion in mental health and suicide prevention services and supports in 2021-22, doubling since 2012-13.

This includes $2.3 billion in the 202122 Budget for the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to lead landmark reform of the mental health system.

Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said MATES in Construction will work with the

mining industry to drive better mental health and suicide prevention in the FIFO and the DIDO workforce.

“Australian FIFO workers spend great amounts of time away from family, friends and loved ones throughout their working lives, which can cause mental health concerns,” Hunt said.

“These workers experience higher levels of psychological distress— including anxiety and depression— with 33 per cent of FIFO workers reporting ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels of psychological distress.

“Our Government recognises the strain FIFO and DIDO work can cause and we are committed to working with groups like MATES in Construction to ensure these workers have access to the support they need.”

Assistant Minister to the Prime

Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention David Coleman said the program would help reduce the suicide rate, particularly for men who represent 75 per cent of all suicides.

“This program builds on the Government’s commitment to work towards zero suicides and reduce suicidal behaviour across the Australian population,” Coleman said.

“In particular, the program aims to improve the mental health of workers in industries with a high male presence.

“MATES in Construction will use existing networks and relationships within the construction and mining industries to deliver programs that benefit workers, leaders, counsellors and families of FIFO and DIDO workers across Australia.”

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Products BOLLÉ COMBINES SAFETY AND COMFORT WITH MERCURO RANGE Bollé Safety’s Mercuro range provides a cost-effective and stylish version of their safety glasses.

Mercuro seeks to exceed expectations with its bold styling and AS Coating to provide maximum protection. With no metal parts and an optional strap for support, you can expect the same level of safety and comfort that you get from all Bollé Safety products.

A wrap-around design and PVC nose bridge keeps the glasses secure, while added comfort is provided in the bi-material temples.

Available in polarised, smoke and copper lenses, Mercuro reduces eye strain and improves contrast and depth perception.

A key safety feature of Mercuro is the platinum coating for antiscratch and anti-fog, ensuring an always-clear field of vision.

With vision safety a key component in workplace safety, Bollé Safety continues to raise the bar in expectations.

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SY-KLONE MAXIMISES ENGINE PERFORMANCE Dust on mining sites contributes heavily to reduced engine filter life, engine failure, machine downtime and machine performance issues.

To combat these problems, Sk-klone has released the Vortex MAX, the latest generation of powered pre-cleaning technology.

A high airflow powered pre-cleaner, the Vortex MAX can preclean and filter dust and debris from engine intake air.

This ensures the engine is only taking on clean air, reducing the common problems that come with large quantities of dust and extending the life of the engine.

The Vortex MAX has an airflow of 900 CFM, providing clean and sustained airflow to the engine.

With the Vortex MAX, downtime and maintenance costs are reduced so work can continue, and productivity can be maximised.

Available in 12V and 24V configurations, the Vortex MAX combines a compact size and footprint to provide you with maximum engine performance..

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ERIZON TICKS ALL EROSION CONTROL BOXES WITH ECOARMOUR Australia’s harsh climate means that erosion control can be hard to manage.

That’s where EcoArmour comes in; a hydraulically applied synthetic erosion control blanket that binds to the substrate in a matter of hours.

Able to withstand the country’s dry, arid conditions and any torrential rain or wind events, EcoArmour is the perfect choice for a stress-free erosion control blanket.

Featuring a 20+ year lifetime, EcoArmour is perfect for several different industries.

Recognising that different areas can be difficult to manage and access, EcoArmour can be applied to slopes, barriers, levees and culverts with minimal fuss.

Colouring agents can be specified to complement the surrounding environment and will dry within 3–5 hours of application.

Comparing EcoArmour to conventional erosion control blankets found that EcoArmour is more effective, safer to apply and more cost-effective.

Not to mention, EcoArmour is environmentally friendly, providing a win for the consumer and the climate.

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SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 14 MAY-JUN 2022

SAFE AND COMFORTABLE MASKS A NECESSITY IN MODERN DAY When masks are a necessity, there’s nothing more important than combining safety with comfort.

The AMD P2 Respirator Nano-tech Mask does just that, being more breathable than almost any other P2 mask while filtering out 99.66 per cent of airborne particles.

The innovative three panel design fits naturally around the nose and mouth, creating a snug fit that doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

A mouldable padded nose bridge combined with a soft inner layer provides extra comfort to the wearer.

The first P2 certified respirator masks manufactured in Australia, the nano-filters are water resistant and offer protection against aerosols and liquids, along with the standard airborne particle protection.

Featuring nano-filters that maintain their functionality after exposure, the P2 Respirator Nano-tech Mask is an innovative safety necessity.

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SHOWA GLOVES CONTINUE TO PROTECT Known for their high standards of protective gloves, Showa has been synonymous with safety for 70 years.

A world-leader in protective gloves, Showa’s range of chemical hazard gloves means workers have one less thing to worry about when handling dangerous chemicals.

Recognising that chemical injuries can occur in all industries, Showa has developed some key features in their chemical hazard glove range.

A particular key feature in Showa’s CS721 gloves is the rough finish nitrile palm coating, offering a superior grip.

Keeping oil and dust off the glove is also important to ensure tactile precision, reducing the risk of spills and slips.

The CS721 gloves feature a seamless knit for enhanced dexterity to ensure ease of movement is not sacrificed.

Encompassing Showa’s usual attention to detail, forearm protection and robust durability can also be seen.

Durable, comfortable and safe, Showa’s range of chemical hazard gloves allows the wearer to handle chemicals with ease and peace of mind.

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SUPPRESSX A COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO A COMMON PROBLEM Engineered specifically for non-trafficked areas, SuppressX is the newest innovation in dust suppression and erosion control.

Designed for the harsh conditions typical of the Australian mining industries, SuppressX works to create a protective barrier over the substrate below.

This barrier provides superior dust control and erosion protection.

SuppressX is one of the most cost-effective solutions on the market, able to eliminate dust lift-off after a single application, thus eliminating the need for do-overs.

A durable product, SuppressX forms a strong yet flexible barrier that can withstand the harshest winds and rains.

To ensure a wide variety of use, SuppressX can be applied using four methods: hose, heavy lift drone, cannon and aerial, with the latter an important factor in reaching places with limited vehicle accessibility.

Choosing the right application method will ensure a longer lasting product and benefit.

SuppressX has been formulated to meet the highest standards of environmental efficiency.

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Health and wellbeing

Bringing the HEART to Queensland mining communities A WORLD-FIRST MOBILE HEALTH UNIT DEVELOPED BY RESOURCES SAFETY AND HEALTH QUEENSLAND (RSHQ) AND HEART OF AUSTRALIA WILL HELP WITH THE EARLY DETECTION OF MINE DUST LUNG DISEASES IN THE STATE’S REGIONAL WORKERS.

T

he seriousness of lung disease within the mining community has been an issue for years.

In 2016, public hearings for the Queensland parliamentary inquiry into black lung were held in Brisbane.

The inquiry was given the powers of the select committee to call for witnesses and gain access to documents related to the disease, building on from the Monash review and the Senate Inquiry findings.

From January 2017, the Queensland Government made certain measures to protect coal mine workers against coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), or black lung, into laws to reduce the instances of mine dust lung disease.

Changes included new coal mine workers, both above and underground, undertaking respiratory function and chest x-rays once they enter the industry and then at least every five years, reductions in occupational exposure limits and mining companies required to provide dust monitoring data to the regulator on a quarterly basis.

Resources Safety and Health Queensland Executive Director, Occupational Health, Kerri Melkersson said one of the recommendations that came out of that Parliamentary inquiry was to commission a mobile health van to be able to reach those areas of regional and remote Queensland that didn’t have ready access to some

HEART 5 is the latest truck from Heart of Australia.

of those medical services.

“In 2019 the government announced some funding for that mobile health unit, we went out to tender and we were delighted that Heart of Australia, which was an existing provider out there providing cardiology and other services to regional and remote Queensland, applied and we were able to create a partnership with them,” Melkersson said.

“Then in February this year the HEART 5 was launched, it was a two-year build, and we were really pleased that we were able to go above and beyond that original expectation of a mobile van to being able to build a 26-metre long B-double which is a mobile clinic on wheels.”

HEART 5 is the latest truck from Heart of Australia. A 34-wheeler, made possible with the help of Resource Safety and Health Queensland, I-Med Radiology, and Philips. The services available include respiratory health surveillance for current

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 16 MAY-JUN 2022

and former mine and quarry workers including high-resolution CT. The mobile unit also includes laboratory lung function testing and general CT radiology services for regional communities.

Melkersson said the most exciting part of the completed project was the fact that it is a world first with a solar-powered, battery operated CT scanner.

“It is the first of its kind anywhere in the world and it does the full suite of medical assessments required for health surveillance under the Coal Mine Workers’ Health Scheme for current workers, but one of the main reasons why we have got it out there is to provide services to former and retired mineral mine, quarry and coal mine workers,” she said.

“In Queensland we offer free respiratory health assessments to former workers in that space for life, so the unit has been very busy over the first month

of commissioning, getting out there and screening retired workers. Former workers simply need to contact the Mine Dust Health Support Service on 1300 445 715 to access the service.”

Melkersson said one of the added benefits of the project is being able to service mining communities.

“If the unit happens to be in a community that has a need for high-resolution CT scans, if they have got availability in their schedule they can actually take referrals from the local community doctors and hospitals, so it benefits the entire mining community as well,” she said.

Melkersson said the unit travelled more than 3000km in its first few weeks of operation in Queensland.

“In that first couple of weeks we have screened over 120 former workers who would not normally have had access to these kind of services – this brings those services to their doorstep and now we are going to be able to detect disease and then connect those people to support services that would never have occurred had it not been for this system,” she said.

“In Queensland there is mandatory respiratory health surveillance conducted at pre-employment and then at least every five years which is paid for by their employer.

“So we can make sure we can detect disease early in those current workers and then we are looking to support those who didn’t necessarily have those protections in place to ensure they are detected as early as possible.”

Melkersson said the first town the mobile health unit travelled to was Collinsville, an historic mining town where the unit performed checks on 74 former coal mine workers who had a combined mining experience of more than 2000 years.

“We have been on a massive journey since 2016 to completely overhaul and reform our scheme,” she said.

“We do continue to see disease being reported, but we see that as a good thing as it means that respiratory health surveillance is doing its job - these are long latency diseases so they can take anywhere from 10 to potentially 20 years to become evident.

“We will eventually reach a point where those disease numbers will plateau and will inform us that the protections that we have in place now are working.

“We are certainly seeing those numbers start to climb because of the former worker program, those who have significant exposure for 30 or 40 years of their career and they are just starting to come forward with the mobile health unit.

“So eventually we will have a full understanding of the burden of that disease and, most importantly, we can connect those diagnosed, to help.”

Contact the Mine Dust Health Support Service on 1300 445 715 or find out more at: Miners’ health matters (rshq.qld.gov.au)

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Safety training

How getting hurt at work affects your world NOBODY EVER EXPECTS TO GO TO WORK AND NOT COME HOME THAT AFTERNOON, BUT THAT IS THE HARSH REALITY JAMES WOOD FACED WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG 20-SOMETHING MAN WHO THOUGHT HE WAS INVINCIBLE. EMILY MURPHY SPEAKS ONE-ON-ONE WITH JAMES TO HELP SHARE HIS STORY.

W

orking at a coal mine in the Hunter Valley, James (Woody) Wood was a diesel mechanic on-site who, on this particular day, was doing the routine job of repairing a snapped power steering belt on a truck.

He completed the job and realised smoko was in five minutes – if he could only get back to site in time, he could sit down and have a laugh with his mates.

Taking off down the road that was still wet from rain that had fallen overnight, Woody put his foot down.

“I can’t remember getting thrown out of the cabin or rolling down the side of the hill, but I did,” Woody told Safe to Work.

“And I broke my back – I snapped my back and damaged my spinal cord.”

Not wearing a seatbelt and driving too fast for the conditions put Woody in hospital for three months and left him unable to walk or feel his legs ever again.

But that is only the start of how Woody’s accident affected his life.

“I had to learn how to live all over again. A lot of the things that I used to be able to do before I got hurt, I just can’t do anymore,” Woody said.

“I get around in a wheelchair. I can’t even stand up for a second. So, I had to pretty much learn to live my life in totally different ways.

“You can’t just sit in a wheelchair and know how to use it. Someone had to show me how to push it, how to turn it,

how to lift myself in and out of it. Not to mention in the bath and shower.

“They’re the sorts of things that I’ve got to do different to other people. To how I used to do them.”

Woody’s workplace accident didn’t just affect him either. His friends, parents, brother, four sisters, workmates and girlfriend were all impacted way beyond his realm of understanding.

The six-hour commute from his hometown to the Royal North Shore Hospital become a common trip.

About eight weeks after the accident, Woody’s girlfriend broke up with him.

She couldn’t cope with the fact he was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Reflecting on that, Woody said he admires and respects what she said.

“It’s a bloody hard thing to say and hear. But if we changed our behaviour at work and didn’t get hurt, it could be a complete scenario that could be avoided,” he said.

Rather than letting his injury beat him, Woody made a choice to tell his story and encourage other people to do the right thing and follow the safety protocols.

It’s one thing to do safety training and learn what is safe and unsafe, but it is a completely other thing entirely to see the implications of participating in unsafe behaviour.

Woody’s story shows workers, who are exactly like he was prior to his

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 18 MAY-JUN 2022

accident, that they are not invincible, and their actions and choices are crucial in ensuring they go home to their families every day.

Woody started his own company CNB Safe in 2001 after he had been visiting workplaces for a few years already and decided he needed some structure.

“I started doing the talks 25 years ago.

Since I started, I’ve had other people that have had workplace injuries approach me and say, ‘we really like what you do with workplaces, how do we do the same thing?’ so, I’ve sort of taken them under my umbrella,” Woody said.

“We’ve put together a team of six of us that have all had a workplace injury or a relative who has, and we go and share our stories at workplaces.

“It’s a useful tool for workplaces to engage one of our speakers, because it ties in so much of the safety training that they give. You can give them training and give them procedures and rules and systems, but unless you give them the reason for it, you’re wasting your time.

“What we try and do is give the reason. We say ‘look, this is how we got hurt. Use the training and the systems and the procedures that you’ve got, or you’ll you end up like us.’”

The CNB Safe team consists of: Alan Newey – he had his right arm ripped off by a conveyor belt. Greg Smith – he pushed his fatigue too far, fell asleep at the wheel, hit a tree and broke his neck.

Rohan Sykes – he got burns to nearly 40

Woody he has recently released a book called 12 Reasons NOT to get hurt at work.

per cent of his body. Michelle Rath – she got a phone call telling her that Alex, her 23-year-old son, had been killed. Michael Weston – workplace stress and pressure

caused his body to give in, resulting in an acquired brain injury (ABI).

Not only is Woody an international safety speaker, but he has recently released a book called 12 Reasons NOT to get hurt at work which details his experience after his accident.

When going to visit workplaces and share information people often ask him questions, so Woody found the top 12, so that a workplace could maybe use the book as training for a different topic or a different safety theme for each month of the year.

“It’s just another way of sharing information. We all learn in different ways.

I’ve always been a big reader, and that’s the way that I absorb information is by reading,” Woody said.

“Some people take a lot out of listening to me in person, face-to-face,

but I thought, well, it’s just another avenue sharing some of the information or some of the ways that my accident changed my life.”

While writing the book, Woody detailed that he kept thinking of more and more reasons to not get hurt at work, and there will always be more reasons, but first and foremost is that it will completely uproot your life.

“If only I had thought about how an accident would change my life, I definitely would have put in more effort to make sure I went home every day,” Woody said.

For more information, to buy 12 Reasons NOT to get hurt at work, or to hire Woody or one of the other safety speakers to come and speak at your site, visit cnbsafe.com.au

Innovation is our

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Mining equipment

Epiroc finds a safe solution to import delays WHEN ALKANE’S TOMINGLEY GOLD MINE NEEDED NEW MACHINERY TO BETTER SUIT ITS UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER EPIROC DELIVERED.

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hen a mine site needs new equipment to facilitate a change in operations or an upgrade in equipment, delivery needs to be on schedule to reduce downtime and loss of production.

However, with the majority of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) based overseas, the recent international border closures have made importing equipment and machinery difficult.

Tomingley gold mine general manager of operations Jason Hughes said the site needed to upgrade its underground fleet, which included four underground trucks from Epiroc.

“Two were ejectors and two were tipping trucks, and like most people we wanted the trucks yesterday, if possible,” Hughes said.

“Epiroc, rather than building the entire truck over in Europe and shipping them over, were able to get the trucks sent over in kit form and assembled them at their facility in Tasmania.

“They were then able to freight the new trucks directly to site, which allowed us to receive them in a very reasonable time frame considering the circumstances that have been happening around the world.”

Epiroc New South Wales regional manager Alan Sharpe said the MT65 trucks had the right size, speed on grade and manoeuvrability to assist the Tomingley site with its operations.

“Manoeuvrability is a really key factor of the MT65 - its ability to move around

Manoeuvrability is a really key factor of the MT65.

in a five to five-and-a-half metre drive makes it a leader in those areas in the 60-plus tonne capacity truck,” he said.

Epiroc Australia and Asia-Pacific electrified solutions product and sales support lead Brett Kenley said the company loaded the chassis, tub, power frame and load frame onto flat beds which were shipped to Tasmania.

“We put the power frame and load frame into the workshop in Burnie, then we basically built the trucks from that,” Kenley said.

“We essentially had to put all the components into the truck by following a step-by-step procedure that the company works to over in Sweden.

“We were able to do the build in about five weeks – we normally take two to three weeks to do local modifications but in this case as we built it, we added the local modifications as well and were able to put the trucks together quite quickly.”

Considering the challenges that Epiroc faced in getting the equipment into Australia, Kenley said he is

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 20 MAY-JUN 2022

extremely proud of what the company was able to achieve.

Since supplying Tomingley with the trucks, Sharpe said Epiroc is now planning on shipping more equipment to Australia in kit form, including its loaders.

“We will be doing our full underground fleet assembly where required to match the current mining energies for new equipment in Australia,” he said.

“There is still plenty of equipment coming out of the factory, this is just to supplement getting the gear into the country earlier for our clients.

“When you are dealing with highend minerals the miners want the equipment as soon as possible, so it is up to us at Epiroc to do what we can to fast-track delivery.

“It is still very early in the process of bringing in equipment like this, but the opportunities to further grow and enhance that side of the business - and support the factory in these highdemand times - is beneficial for both the company and the clients.”.

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Materials handling

Maximum reliability and maximum efficiency GLOBAL MANUFACTURER THYSSENKRUPP PROVIDES A RANGE OF MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT TO CATER TO THE VAST ARRAY OF ENVIRONMENTS AND COMMODITIES PRESENTED BY THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY.

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or processed raw materials to reach their destination in optimum condition and without losses, bulk-handling systems have to be carefully designed and engineered.

With quality support from its service team, thyssenkrupp delivers fullyautomated and digitised stockyard and port solutions for safe and efficient bulk handling.

According to thyssenkrupp chief sales officer Uwe Zulehner , in Australia the company’s introduction to the local mining sector began with the first bucketwheel excavator installed in Victoria to mine coal.

Zulehner said this strong history in the sector is just one example of what sets the company apart from its competitors.

“We deliver end to end turnkey solutions for our clients with a world class product support and customer service, designing in Australia for our Australian clients,” he said.

“There is no compromise when we discuss face to face with our clients the needs of the Australian Industry, incorporating local standards and work practices.

“We are on the ground, working side by side with our clients through the whole project lifecycle.”

Around the world, thyssenkrupp has designed the world’s largest stockyard machines, while its fleet of stackers, reclaimers and shiploaders have been an essential and reliable part of mining infrastructure for years.

thyssenkrupp delivers fullyautomated and digitised stockyard and port solutions.

“Our stockyard machines, latest generation, as delivered to BHP’s Southflank Mine, are the highest throughput machines in the world and deliver on the highest levels of functional safety in the industry,” thyssenkrupp national health safety and environment manager Goran Prvulovic said.

Latest developments include the revolutionary conveyor system, The rail running conveyor (RRC) which is a joint effort with thyssenkrupp and the University of Newcastle. This system focuses on energy reduction in long conveyor systems enabling clients to reduce their energy footprint, while offering reduced capital expenditure and operating expenses.

“Each thyssenkrupp machine is built on a world class engineering principles including the specific requirements and standards applicable in every country around the world where thyssenkrupp operates,” Prvulovic said.

“These principles focus primarily

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 22 MAY-JUN 2022

on ergonomic and human factors in design, operability and maintenance of equipment, with specific focus on diversity in design to remove any physical aspects of tasks that may preclude some people from performing it, when compared to others.”

Prvulovic said people and their safety is at the core in everything thyssenkrupp does.

“It is simply part of the culture in which people and their safety always come first, it is what we do,” he said.

Zulehner said the company offers its customers confidence in the highest level of project execution and machine delivery.

“The responsiveness of the highly skilled after service teams ensure the equipment continues to perform at its highest,” he said.

“These service teams are back by the engineers who developed the machine design and have intimate knowledge of its operation.”

fenner.com.au | sales@fenner.com.au

Materials handling

Engineering safer conveyors: art meets science ALL NEW CONVEYOR SYSTEMS WILL INEVITABLY SUCCUMB TO THE PUNISHING BULK HANDLING ENVIRONMENT AND BEGIN THE SLOW PROCESS OF DEGRADATION. THE SYSTEM WILL EVENTUALLY REQUIRE MORE TIME AND LABOUR FOR MAINTENANCE, SHORTER SPANS BETWEEN OUTAGES, LONGER PERIODS OF DOWNTIME AND AN EVER-INCREASING COST OF OPERATION.

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his period is also accompanied by an increased chance of injury or fatality as workers are progressively exposed to the equipment to perform cleaning, maintenance and to fabricate short-term fixes to long-term problems.

A total system replacement is cost prohibitive, but to remain compliant and/or meet ever-increasing production demands, upgrades and repairs are typically unavoidable.

The consensus among safety professionals is that the most effective way to mitigate risks is to design the hazard out of the component or system.

This usually requires a greater initial capital investment than short-term fixes but yields more cost-effective and durable results.

THE SCIENCE: HIERARCHY OF CONTROL METHODS Studies have revealed that the highest prevalence of accidents are near locations where cleaning and maintenance activities most frequently take place: take-up pulley, tail pulley and head pulley.

Designing hazards out of the system means alleviating causes with the intent to bolster safety on a conveyor system, but the methods of protecting workers can vary greatly.

In many cases, it will be necessary to use more than one control method, by incorporating lower-ranked controls. However, these lower-ranking approaches are best considered as support measures, rather than solutions in and of themselves.

PPE includes respirators, safety goggles, blast shields, hard hats, hearing protectors, gloves, face shields and footwear, providing a barrier between the wearer and the hazard.

Downsides are that they can be worn improperly, may be uncomfortable to use through an entire shift, can be difficult to monitor and offer a false sense of security. But the bottom line is that they do not address the source of the problem.

Administrative controls (changes to the way people work) create policy that articulates a commitment to safety, but written guidelines can be easily shelved and forgotten.

These controls can be taken a step further by establishing “active” procedures to minimise the risks.

For example, supervisors can schedule shifts that limit exposure and require more training for personnel, but these positive steps still do not remove the exposure and causes of hazards.

Warning signage is generally required by law, so this is less of a

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Safety improves as the type of hazard control moves higher up the hierarchy of methods.

method than a compliance issue.

It should be posted in plain sight, clearly understood, and washed when dirty or replaced when faded. Like most lower-tier methods, signs do not remove the hazard and are easily ignored.

Installing systems such as engineering controls that allow remote monitoring and control of equipment – or guards such as gates and inspection doors that obstruct access – greatly reduce exposure, but again, do not remove the hazard.

Some operators go as far as installing interlocking guards connected to switches to discourage removal or proximity sensors to detect workers who break the safety plane of the conveyor.

Using the substitute method replaces something that produces a hazard with a piece of equipment or change in material that eliminates the

“The consensus among safety professionals is that the most effective way to mitigate risks is to design the hazard out of the component or system.” hazard. For example, manual clearing of a clogged hopper could be replaced by installing remotely triggered air cannons.

Examples of eliminate by design are longer, taller and tightly sealed loading chutes to control dust and spillage or heavy-duty primary and secondary cleaners to minimise carry back.

By using hazard identification and risk-assessment methods early in the design process, engineers can create the safest, most efficient system for the space, budget and application.

These designs alleviate several workplace hazards, while minimising clean-up and maintenance, reducing unscheduled downtime and extending the life of the belt and the system itself.

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF PREVENTION THROUGH DESIGN (PTD) Another way of saying eliminate by design is PtD, the term used by The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the US which spearheaded the PtD initiative.

In its report, the institute points out that, while the underlying causes vary, studies of workplace accidents implicate “system design” in 37 per cent of jobrelated fatalities.

Although injuries are the focus of the NIOSH report, the prevention aspect of design also greatly impacts production.

In most cases, workplace hazards produce consequences such as downtime, product loss and reduced efficiency from spillage, dust

and early equipment failure.

Cost is most often the main inhibitor to PtD, which is why it’s best to implement safer designs in the planning and initial construction stages, rather than retrofitting the system later.

The added engineering cost of PtD is often less than 10 per cent of engineering but has enormous benefits in improved safety and increased productivity.

The biggest cause of expensive retroactive improvements is cutting corners initially by seeking lowest-bid contracts.

LOW-BID PROCESS AND LIFE CYCLE COST Although the policy is generally not explicitly stated by companies, the lowbid process is usually an implied rule that is baked into a company’s culture.

It encourages bidders to follow a belt conveyor design methodology that is based on getting the maximum load on the conveyor belt and the minimum compliance with regulations using the lowest price materials, components and manufacturing processes available.

“When companies buy on price, the benefits are often short-lived, and costs increase over time, eventually resulting in losses,” Martin Engineering process engineer Daniel Marshall said.

“In contrast, when purchases are made based on lowest long-term cost (life-cycle cost), benefits usually continue to accrue and costs are lower, resulting in a net savings over time.”

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 25 MAY-JUN 2022

THE ART: DESIGN HIERARCHY To safely maximise production, designers and engineers are urged to approach the project with a specific set of priorities.

Rather than meeting minimum compliance standards, the conveyor system should exceed all code, safety and regulatory requirements using global best practices.

By designing the system to minimise risk and the escape and accumulation of fugitive material, the workplace is made safer, and the equipment is easier to maintain. Life cycle costing should play into all component decisions.

BEST PRACTICES: THE EVOLVED BASIC CONVEYOR Using the hierarchy of controls along with the design hierarchy, engineers will be able to construct an evolved basic conveyor that meets the needs of modern production and safety demands.

There are several key points that should be considered when designing a safe and efficient conveyor system.

Built competitively with a few modifications in critical areas, an evolved basic conveyor is a standard bulk material handling conveyor designed to allow easy retrofitting of new components that improve operation and solve common maintenance problems.

One key to designing an evolved basic conveyor is knowing the most critical requirements for the current operation and anticipating later production needs.

Installing or providing for

Components of an evolved basic conveyor facilitate operations, maintenance and safety.

Materials handling

An enlarged settling zone retrofitted onto an existing conveyor enhances airflow control at a transfer point.

maintenance-minded solutions in the loading zone can greatly improve safety and reduce man-hours and downtime.

Dust, spillage and belt tracking are top concerns for many safety professionals.

Field tests have shown that enlarged skirtboards and engineered settling zones promote dust settling and reduce fugitive material.

Curved loading and discharge chutes control the cargo transfer for centred placement and reduced turbulence. As the load is centred on the belt, guides ensure even travel through the take-up to promote consistent belt tracking.

Any transfer point is prone to build-up and clogging under the right conditions, be it ambient humidity, material wetness, volume or surface grade.

Flow aids such as vibrators or air cannons on chutes can sustain material movement, improve equipment life and reduce the safety hazards associated with manually clearing clogs.

The mounting brackets for flow aids can be included in the original design without a noticeable price increase but greatly reduce retrofit time and cost when they are needed.

CASE STUDY A mine in north central Mexico was experiencing excessive spillage and dust emissions at the loading zone of its tower-mounted conveyor transporting raw gold, silver, zinc oxide, copper, lead, molybdenum and sulphides.

Despite installing various transfer

and loading chute components from a previous supplier, workers found that dust filled the tower and chunks of raw material 51-76 mm in diameter spilled from the transfer chute onto the stairs, partially blocking access to the area and creating a potential workplace hazard.

Twice per month operations had to be disrupted for 12-24 hours so that a 4-to5-person team could clean spillage and return it to the cargo flow.

Technicians from Martin Engineering Mexico were invited in, and after a thorough inspection designed a conveyor plan based on the principals of Production Done Safely.

It addressed all aspects of the bulk handling process for properly guiding the cargo through the transfer chute.

Impact cradles centred the material and promoted belt health. Slider cradles improved safety for external maintenance.

The project also included skirting and dust bags to contain emissions and spillage throughout the settling zone.

Strategically placed tracking equipment aligned the belt along the entire path, and heavy-duty primary and secondary cleaners that slide in and out for service were installed at the discharge zone to reduce carry back and promote safer blade replacement.

The entire system was designed with innovative safety features and ease of maintenance in mind. Each

The reconfigured conveyor controls emissions for improved safety and easier maintenance.

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 26 MAY-JUN 2022

of the components work together to deliver a comprehensive bulk handling solution that promotes efficiency and a safer workplace.

Following installation, fugitive material was significantly reduced and spillage no longer blocked access to the area.

The air around the transfer point and throughout the tower was much clearer.

“We no longer need scheduled shutdowns just for cleaning,” an operations manager said.

CONCLUSION Engineering safer conveyors is a longterm strategy.

Although design absorbs less than 10 per cent of the total budget of a project, engineering / procurement / construction management (EPCM) services can be as much a 15 per cent of the installed cost of a major project, additional upfront engineering and applying a life cyclecost methodology to the selection and purchase of conveyor components proves beneficial.

By encouraging the use of the hierarchy of controls at the planning stage, along with the design hierarchy at the design stage, the installation of an evolved basic conveyor can be achieved.

The system will likely meet the demands of modern production and safety regulations, with a longer operational life, fewer stoppages and a lower cost of operation.

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Materials handling

Fenner sets its sites on fatigue management SAFETY IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING FENNER DOES. FOLLOWING A BIG SAFETY WIN AT THE PROSPECT AWARDS EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE COMPANY HAS PUT ITS FOCUS ON MANAGING FATIGUE WITHIN ITS EMPLOYEE NETWORK.

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enner Conveyors can manufacture and supply complete conveyor systems from head-to-tail – all done in-house. Where the company is really shining its competitive advantage though, is its commitment to safety.

At Fenner, employee health and safety rates are the prime objective, and the company has launched an industryleading fatigue management program to ensure its workers are safe.

Fenner Conveyors general manager – safety, training and technical Vicki Wust said the program is a revision of the fatigue management standard.

“We’ve implemented a mobile app using a QR code, there is an education program, and we’re also monitoring via live timesheet data from payroll that cross matches to the mobile app data,” Wust said.

“This includes journey management plans, not just fatigue risk assessment.”

The program provides employees with a way of managing fatigue while in the field, by conducting risk assessments without needing to log into a computer.

“The QR code can be scanned straight from a smartphone camera. So, that means that no matter where our people are in the field, whether up in the Pilbara or in remote parts of the EastCoast, they’re always able to check their fatigue,” Wust said.

The app eliminates the paper-based side of things, and immediately notifies

The program provides Fenner employees with a way of managing fatigue.

the supervisor if the employee completes the assessment with a risk rating.”

Fenner OHS advisor Kyle Graham told Safe to Work the company started the design in September 2021 following a near miss incident where the root cause was determined to be fatigue.

“Our Mackay Branch trialled the application during the remainder of 2021, and with feedback gathered fortnightly from our people, we were able to finetune the functionality of the application,” he said. “Our aim was to make it as user friendly as possible, so engaging our workforce during the development and soft trial period was key the success of the application.”

The first phase is to rollout the program within Fenner nationwide, with further plans to expand to other companies within the Michelin group.

Alongside the mobile app is an eLearning platform, and the first month of the rollout will be focused on communicating the elements of the new program.

Fenner considered adopting existing

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 28 MAY-JUN 2022

fatigue management programs into its processes, however the company concluded that the programs didn’t meet all the requirements for the industry.

“Both of those workforces are so unique, and the standard ‘off-theshelf’ programs, so to speak, weren’t meeting our needs. So that’s why we’ve gone ahead and developed our own,” Wust said.

Wust recently won the Safety Advocate of the Year Award at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards for her work with Fenner, and this program is another step further confirming Fenner’s commitment to safety in the industry.

“With this fatigue monitoring process, we’re targeting certain key areas to mitigate risk,” Wust said.

“With the make-up of our workforce – whether they’re working remotely, doing lots of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work, or drivein drive-out (DIDO) – it is what we see as one of our critical risk protocols that we really need to now focus on and take our employees on the journey to managing their own fatigue.”

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Technology

Pegasus and Avetta unite PEGASUS AND AVETTA HAVE JOINED FORCES, COMBINING THEIR WEALTH OF EXPERTISE INTO ONE INDUSTRY-LEADING PLATFORM THAT IS REVOLUTIONISING ON-SITE SAFETY.

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egasus and Avetta have announced the addition of the Avetta One platform to their offering – a singlesource solution for managing operational, reputational, and regulatory compliance risks on-site.

Pegasus was acquired by Avetta last year, creating the world’s largest provider of workforce and supply chain risk management solutions. The integration of the two product offerings into Avetta One now provides a global platform that manages critical risks across the entire supply chain.

The Avetta One platform manages safety, liability, sustainability, workforce, cybersecurity and financial risks for corporations, suppliers, contractors, and their workers.

Avetta Senior vice president for APAC and Workforce and former Pegasus chief executive officer Adam Boyle said Avetta One is the industry’s most comprehensive supply chain risk management platform.

“Pegasus was a significant acquisition for Avetta. We started out as mostly a safety-based company. Pegasus was managing a lot of safety pre-qualification for suppliers, and through that started to develop other products in that particular suite,” Boyle said. “Now, we’ve added a few more strings to the bow. With the acquisition, we’ve created a platform that enables both our clients and suppliers to benefits from workforce and supply chain risk management products.”

Avetta One has a multi-pronged approach starting with supplier prequalification to evaluate how companies are compliant in the health and safety

space, how they are compliant to ESG and whether they present any financial risk or liability.

Then it has Workforce Management, which enables Avetta to check the competencies of workers and contractors prior to them accessing worksites.

“There’s a series of information that we can gather from each worker to guarantee that they’re competent to do the job they’re supposed to be doing,” Pegasus Head of Mining John Furner said. “And linking to that, the Pegasus Learning Management System (LMS) allows clients to deliver inductions, online training, and classroom-based training.”

Avetta president and chief executive officer Arshad Matin said business is shifting from a digital transformation to a societal one, as markets demand corporate accountability regarding safety, security, sustainability and ESG, ethics, and social initiatives.

“Avetta One provides organisations analytical insights into how they measure up to their risks and goals across the entire supply chain,” Matin said.

For clients, Avetta One provides a unified platform that manages risk across safety, liability, workforce qualifications, sustainability and ESG, diversity, financial health, and cybersecurity programs.

For suppliers, it reduces time and cost by demonstrating its superior business qualifications across many clients from a single system.

For workers, it offers a central workforce portal to digitally store their required job roles, training competencies and certifications.

And for partners, it creates an open marketplace and community to provide

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 30 MAY-JUN 2022

Pegasus Head of Mining John Furner.

Avetta Senior vice president for APAC and Workforce and former Pegasus chief executive officer Adam Boyle.

services on the world’s largest supply chain risk management platform.

The platform uses almost two decades of data from millions of collected data points to provide realtime views on risks and delivers alerts on deviations from baseline measures.

“The crux of it is we do analysis of the data, but we also do verification of the data, which is the difference between us and a lot of our competitors,” Furner said.

“We physically verify the documents that go into the system. When a supplier uploads their documents our verification team actually goes through those documents to make sure they’re valid.”

“We also offer analytics software which includes customisable, interactive dashboards to gain insights that help build supply chain confidence.”

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Materials handling

Conveyor guarding built to last PROVIDING THE SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO STEEL CONVEYOR GUARDS, DIACON’S SIGNATURE YELLOW PLASTIC MESH GUARDING IS TRIED, TESTED, AND TRUSTED IN THE MATERIAL HANDLING INDUSTRY.

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iacon Australia has been designing and manufacturing plastic conveyor guarding since 2010, after identifying a need for improvement in the areas of conveyor productivity and safety.

All Diacon products are produced on a special-order basis, as sizes are customised to suit the individual needs of each mine site.

Diacon established its plastic guarding as an alternative to steel, originating from the sugar industry in Diacon’s hometown of Mackay in Queensland.

Diacon Australia General Manager Matt Kennett said its systems are about safety for all conveyors, plain and simple.

“It’s all about making the area safer for workers around it by providing guarding, spillage control and keeping dust in,” Kennett said. “Not only to keep people safe, but also to ensure the product stays on the belt for better efficiency, and it has a positive environmental impact from dust control too.”

Keeping people safer around moving equipment for materials handling is the number one goal for Diacon, as there was previously a high risk of entanglement.

With safety at the forefront of Diacon’s ethos, the plastic mesh guarding, with its lightweight design, is suitable for a oneman job and a system customised to fit the exact belt it is being used on.

“Being lightweight, it makes it a lot easier for people working on the belts themselves,” Kennett said. “In high maintenance areas, it’s a lot easier for

Diacon conveyor guards are yellow to improve visibility and safety.

people in the materials handling area to do their job efficiently. It’s less impactful on their bodies and reduces labour costs by only needing one person to remove the Diacon guarding system.”

Diacon conveyor guards are also corrosion-free, which means the guarding is more durable, lasting far longer than its steel counterparts and removing the need for painting or protective coating.

“Not only is the guarding corrosionfree, but the maintenance is also much simpler as there is no maintenance on steel work, and no repainting.

“The bright yellow colour was chosen for the guarding as a safety measure and to improve visibility, especially in reduced lighting or harsh conditions.”

Diacon custom builds each conveyor guarding system and conveyor belt themselves, differentiating them from other off-the-shelf options in the market.

“One of the things we pride ourselves on is custom fitting. We guarantee the safety and accuracy of our products, as

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 32 MAY-JUN 2022

we know firsthand that the job was done exactly to specs,” Kennett said.

“Following an enquiry, we visit the site and provide a quote for that specific conveyor, and then 3D scan their unique conveyor belt and turn it into a full 3D model. Based on that model, we design all the guarding and supply the models to clients to view their guarding.

“That’s how we ensure the accuracy of our guarding. We aren’t relying on guesswork, it’s scanned down to the millimetre which removes the margin for error.”

Diacon has seen a lot of growth so far in 2022 and there is also a new product set for release by the end of the year.

“It’s still in the trial phase; we are doing tweaks on it during this market testing phase, but it has been received really well so far,” Kennett said. “A lot more orders have been coming in over the last three months, and we have been very focused on production. We are looking forward to releasing the new product to the market very soon.”

2100Nm NUT BUSTING TORQUE

MADE FOR MINING For more information visit : www.metabo.com/au/en/

Mining equipment

Mining’s safest power tool partner A PROVEN SAFETY PERFORMER, METABO’S ANGLE GRINDERS HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. NOW THE COMPANY IS ABOUT TO RELEASE A NEW PRODUCT FOR THE SECTOR.

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ngle grinders are a widely used power tool in the mining industry, but they can also be dangerous if the right safety precautions are not taken.

Founded in Germany in 1923, Metabo has become a trusted partner of the mining sector over the years, maximising power tool safety and reducing injury as a result.

Metabo’s angle grinders are a key offering to the market, with the company’s WEPBA 17-125 Quick safety grinder supporting many different mining applications.

The grinder includes a Marathon motor, fast brake system, a paddle switch and an auto balancer providing up to 50 per cent less vibration which culminates in a more robust, durable tool with longer disc life.

First and foremost, it’s the WEPBA 17125 Quick’s safety attributes that make it so popular in mining.

“The paddle switch has a dead-man

The WEPBA 17-125 Quick’s safety compliance is what makes it stand apart.

function,” Metabo Australia product manager Tony Brown told Safe to Work. “The brake system comprises a mechanical disc brake that stops the disc within two seconds after switching off. “(The WEPBA 17-125 Quick’s) mechanical clutch is another important safety feature … if something is being cut and the disc jams, the clutch disengages the motor from the gears which stops the cutting disc from turning, preventing it from breaking, The WEPBA 17-125 Quick’s safety clutch prevents dangerous kickback.

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and shattering into people’s faces.”

Mining companies are required to adhere to the utmost safety standards to ensure they are operating above board. Given hand injuries are one of the sector’s most prevalent safety concerns, this is heightened ten-fold.

Metabo Australia managing director Aaron Jamieson told Safe to Work that the WEPBA 17-125 Quick’s safety compliance is what makes it stand apart.

“What we see with mining – or the engineering industry that supports mining – is it has created a specification requirement that, in many cases, mimics the description of our product,” he said.

“In some cases, the specification suggests that certain safety features are required and the WEPBA 17-125 Quick has all of that.

“Safety officers on mine sites have obligations and once they know of a tool that has an additional safety element, that’s the one to go for because it is safer than the one before.”

Maintenance teams could use an

angle grinder to repair draglines or buckets on mining machinery – heavy activities which necessitate the strongest tool possible.

With 1700 watts of power, the WEPBA 17-125 Quick packs the punch of a large grinder and has a compact frame for ease of handling and manoeuvrability.

To be able to complement safety with muscle and durability is another key selling point for the WEPBA 17-125 Quick.

With patented dust protection, the Metabo Marathon motor provides up to 20 per cent more overload capacity and 50 per cent more torque than other angle grinders of similar capacity.

“It’s not just about being safe that’s critical. The environments miners are working in are tough and the grinder needs to be built tough to handle that,” Jamieson said.

“Running continuous shifts across multiple days, the tool gets used hour after hour after hour. They don’t get any downtime so to speak as it might be passed onto a different operator, so they have to be well constructed.”

For such a compact tool to be able to operate for extended periods of time is testament to its smart construction and Metabo’s eye for efficiency. This is boosted by the auto-balance feature which reduces the risks of vibration injury and saves a lot of money in cutting and grinding discs in the long run.

“The machine’s auto balancer enables discs to last longer,” Brown said. “So that saves the business money on how often the disc needs to be changed – they wear better when they’re balanced.

“Like with a car. Tires are balanced so they wear evenly which means they last longer. Same with a disc on the grinder.

If the disc is balanced, it’s going to wear more evenly and it’s going to last longer.”

While the WEPBA 17-125 Quick is a powerful tool for its size, Brown hinted the next evolution of the grinder would up the wattage even more and come with new technology to enhance the durability

of its brushes. This is set to be released in the second half of the year.

While angle grinders are central to Metabo’s mining offering, the company has launched a new heavy duty 18 Volt impact wrench which will be its first high torque wrench for the sector.

Wrenches are used to remove nuts from all kinds of mining machinery, whether it be a haul truck, earthmoving equipment, or anything in between, and while the 18 Volt impact wrench will be the first solution of its kind for Metabo, it has all the makings of a quality product.

“In mining applications, there’s a lot of corrosion and nuts and bolts can really seize up, so you need a lot of power to loosen them,” Brown said. “The wrench has the highest nut-busting torque on the market for that type of tool – 2100 newton metres.”

The wrench is cordless and has an automatic power shift (APS) function which enhances the safety of the product.

“If you hit something with a lot of force and it suddenly breaks away, you could have flying nuts all over the place. Our machine has a built-in feature so that as soon as it’s loosened, it slows down and the nut stays within the socket,” Brown said.

“Without a lead or hose, you remove the tripping hazard and it’s more portable which is practical in mining applications. If you move from site to site to site, you may not have access to power or compressed air, so the 18V tool is very handy.”

As a German company, Metabo is steeped in strong manufacturing roots, giving it the added upside of heritage.

“There is something to be said for German manufacturing over other countries and people understand that,” Brown said. “When it comes to all manner of things, the German manufacture is generally a higher quality.

“We manufacture a large number of our products in our Nürtingen

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The drop secure lanyard provides a safety harness for the WEPBA 17-125 Quick.

factory. In the case of our WEPBA 17-125 Quick, we make our own motors, all the aluminium gear housings, the plastic mouldings… just about everything bar a few components are manufactured in our factory.”

Whether it’s Metabo’s angle grinders, wrenches or other power tools suitable to the mining sector, the company is an industry leader when it comes to product quality and safety.

And as Metabo continues to incorporate new technologies and advancements into its products, it’s becoming a research and development (R&D) powerhouse as well.

Materials handling

Bend-tech brings the efficiency BEND-TECH IS THE LEADING END-TO-END PROVIDER WHEN IT COMES TO CERTIFIED SAFE SOLUTIONS FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY. ENABLING CUSTOMERS TO DO IT ALL IS WHAT THE COMPANY DOES BEST.

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end-tech delivers intelligent design and custom-certified safety systems, industrial solutions and steel products to the mining, fabrication, marine, defence and oil and gas industries across Australia and around the world.

Through constant innovation, collaboration and a deep understanding of its customers, Bend-tech is able to deliver a high-quality experience.

Bend-tech marketing manager Rhys Werndly said the company offers a range of certified and engineered solutions for safety and efficiency, and manufacture these in house as well.

“We offer that end-to-end design, engineering, and fabrication solution.

That could be anything from access platforms for plant or machinery, it could be equipment or material racking, or it could be lifting and materials handling equipment,” Werndly said.

“We also do a range of standard parts or replacement parts for mining equipment. Handrails, panels and fenders and all that kind of thing as well.

“One of our team might go to site and scope a problem and bring back the information to create a solution. Or it could be a standard solution that can be done remotely just like any kind of B2B (business to business) sales process.”

With a team of in-house designers, engineers and consultants who go on-site to gather information, and a design team that develops a concept around that information, Bend-tech then manufactures the products itself.

Bend-tech is giving its customers safer products in a more efficient way.

All Bend-tech products are designed, engineered and certified to Australian standards, ensuring the safety of the operators and the machinery.

“With certification, products have to be able to withstand three times more than is required. So, if a product needs to lift something that is two tonnes, it needs to be capable of lifting six tonnes,” Werndly said.

“It creates peace of mind in the guarantee of safety. So, the personnel on-site are using something that is designed and fit for purpose.

That’s the key.”

What sets Bend-tech apart is that it does it all.

“It’s all handled with us. There’s a range of advantages for that. For the client, they can say ‘here sort this problem out for us’, which is something we love doing.

“That’s why we’ve got such loyal customers and have for years, and we’ll continue to do so,” Werndly said.

“But also, for us that means we have

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a range of IP that we can sell again and again, so the thing that sets us apart is that end-to-end solution. That’s the key advantage against our competitors that do offer similar solutions.”

Bend-tech is giving its customers safer products in a more efficient way, eliminating the need for multiple companies.

“Efficiency is our big thing and through designing, engineering and manufacturing safe equipment, that then drives efficiency. Because people can operate with confidence knowing that they’re using equipment that is fit for purpose,” Werndly said.

“We want to make sure our customers and potential customers are using equipment that is that is going to make sure they get home at the end of the day, especially when you’re talking about lifting and handling large equipment.

“Everything that we do is certified and complies with Australian standards. So, if it can’t be certified and or it can’t be compliant, then we won’t provide it.”

Dust suppression

Leading the way for safe and efficient ports SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2001, FLINDERS PORTS HOLDINGS HAS ALWAYS HAD A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S BULK EXPORTERS, NOT LEAST THE STATE’S MAJOR MINERS.

DF MISTING system in use at Berth 29 (Port Adelaide).

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he company facilitates bulk exports and imports from each of its seven ports including Port Adelaide at the purpose-built minerals’ precinct at Berth 29, from Port Pirie - location of the globally significant Nyrstar smelter, and Thevenard – for the largest exporter of mineral sands in the southern hemisphere.

Over the last 20 years, the company has sought to work with customers to ensure the bulk export process can be as safe, sustainable, and efficient as possible.

This led to several innovations born out of Flinders Port Holdings operations and adopted nationally.

The best example of the company’s innovative solutions is linked to the perennial problem facing mineral concentrate exporters: dust.

The challenge of suppressing dust emissions during the transport of concentrates were especially acute

at Port Adelaide where the Flinders Ports mineral precinct handles close to a million tonnes of minerals sands, copper concentrates and iron ore annually. From the outset, the company has consistently looked for ways of minimising dust emissions and exceeding environmental standards.

To this end, the company was one of the first port operators in Australia to install the industry leading DF MISTING® Misting System at its Port Adelaide facility and it has been working collaboratively with customers to refine and improve the system ever since.

One of those customers is OZ Minerals, owner and operator of the Prominent Hill copper-gold mine, located 650 kilometres north-west of Adelaide in South Australia.

Copper-gold concentrates produced at Prominent Hill are transported by road to a rail siding and then by rail to Port Adelaide. The concentrate is then shipped to customers in Asia and Europe. Flinders Logistics, a part of Flinders Port Holdings Group, and OZ Minerals started working together in 2012 and over the years they have partnered on projects to continuously refine and improve the technology – making it more efficient and environmentally sound.

The misting system now features several different types of nozzles with bespoke filters, and a water-wise innovation that has reduced the amount of water used to generate the fine mist spray. Flinders Port Holdings is also

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investing in innovation within Flinders Logistics to drive efficiencies in the bulk container loading process but also, critically, to improve worker safety.

The company has developed a proprietary Container Spreader Guidance Apparatus to eliminate the manual handling risks to personnel.

The guidance system has made vessel loading faster and more efficient.

Cost savings have also resulted through reduced damage to containers.

These efficiencies have enabled the company to demonstrate to customers and competitors that striving for the highest possible safety standards is not just about excellent business ethics – it makes financial sense too.

This logic also led Flinders Port Holdings’ investment into, and collaboration with, Complexica, a leading provider of AI Software for supply and demand optimisation.

The two companies have been collaborating for the past two years to develop AI software to dynamically improve container movements through a 24/7 optimisation process.

Ambitious short term and stretch goals have been set across the business with the company also committing to launch an employee engagement and innovation program to enable all staff to contribute and help shape its approach to work health, safety and wellness as well as its wider plans for addressing environmental, social and governance challenges over the coming years.

Materials handling

Recycled plastic conveys a strong message DYNA ENGINEERING’S HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE PLASTIC CONVEYOR GUARDS ARE NOT ONLY HELPING TO REDUCE RISKS ON-SITE, BUT ALSO HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT, AS THEY ARE MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE SITTING IN LANDFILL.

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aterials handling is one of the most crucial parts of the mining process and doing it safely and efficiently is an art that DYNA Engineering has perfected.

DYNA Engineering’s range of highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) plastic conveyor guards provides all the benefits of the older steel alternatives, but in a more robust, lighter and sustainable package.

Steel guarding has been used in the industry for decades, and there have always been issues with safety and longevity with these products, including corrosion and rust, resulting in some hefty maintenance costs.

DYNA Engineering general manager Thomas Greaves said the company saw a niche in the market to design and make conveyor guarding out of recycled plastic as an environmentally friendly, sustainable alternative to steel guarding with all the other benefits tied in with it.

“While DYNA has competitors in the market, no one else is using recycled plastic for the guarding like DYNA is,” he said.

“We’ve got that sustainability focus by trying, as much as possible, to use recycled material. We have used large volumes and get a really good life out of it.

“A lot of the plastic that we’re using is commonly used to make plastic drink bottles, milk bottles and juice bottles.

That sort of plastic only has a month or

two of life and then it gets thrown away.

“So having a product that uses a really large volume of that, and for such a long period of time, 10+ years, is a real benefit of our product over our competitors.”

The HDPE guarding meets all the Australian standards, but a major difference between it and steel guarding is that HDPE is a robust and flexible material.

One issue that often arises on-site is when steel guarding gets hit by rocks or gets bent, it generally has to be cut out to do maintenance and it doesn’t fit back in properly, or it has sharp edges and bits of wire sticking out.

“HDPE solves quite a few of those issues because if the guard gets impacted it flexes back into shape rather than being permanently damaged,” Greaves said.

DYNA Engineering’s lightweight HDPE guarding allows workers to easily put it back in place following a shutdown.

Whilst having a standard design that’s applied to every application, DYNA operates under the statement ‘no conveyor is identical.’

“When we do guarding, we go onsite, we measure, we design and we supply the guards for that particular application,” Greaves said.

“Because you have to guard around the conveying equipment, the monitoring equipment, and all that sort of stuff as well. You can’t just get one

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DYNA conveyor guarding is made out of recycled plastic as an environmentally friendly, sustainable alternative to steel guarding.

design and slap it on everything. It just doesn’t work that way. Every conveyor is different. So, even using our base design it still needs to be made for each application to make it work properly.”

HDPE is corrosion-resistant and immune to rust and is the common choice when it comes to working in high-corrosive mining environments.

“We’ve done jobs for iron ore, coal, gold, copper, nickel, a lot of different sites. But we’ve had the most interest from those who are operating in a corrosive environment or are using corrosive chemicals,” Greaves said.

“Since we released our product, we’ve seen increased interest and implementation of HDPE guards on-site and we don’t see that slowing down.

We get more and more inquiries from different companies each day.”

Dust suppression

Conveying the importance of dust solutions KINDER MECHANICAL ENGINEER JACK CAIN HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBDUING THE BEAST THAT IS DUST.

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ust is inevitable.

Whether from grinding up ores to extract the minerals inside, or from crushing, what are essentially boulders, into tiny, little rocks that are a much more manageable size for handling and transport, or even just when handling the super fine aggregates so often used in construction, the emission of at least some amount of dust is unavoidable.

And dust just gets everywhere.

The formation of this dust is not entirely unwelcome, however, and in some cases, the dust is the intended product; so, efforts to negate it are rarely required, nor are they entirely plausible.

Therefore, the more auspicious approach is to control the spread of this biproduct by removing any possible avenues of emission into the environment.

It doesn’t matter how much dust you produce if it never gets a chance to see the light of day.

The great escape of dust tends to be most prevalent in some rather specific locations: transfer points, where the product is in its most turbulent state.

At the end of the belt where the material is discharged, especially when into open air, such as onto stockpiles, rather than into sealed chutes or hoppers.

In areas where product is exposed to environmental factors, primarily wind, which can whip the top layers up into a violent frenzy. In any areas where vibration is common, where this jolting movement can bounce the material

PPE is imperative for dust protection.

around, causing unsettled particles to wander off the conveyor looking to wreak havoc.

In places where carryback or spillage are present, since these are unintentional there are usually few safeguards present to prevent these issues causing excessive dust to spread.

And if the particulates are fine enough, the movement of the belt starting, stopping or even just when travelling at high speeds can be all that’s needed to disturb the top layers of material and throw dust.

With all these different factors why even bother putting in the effort to stop the spread in the first place?

There are a considerable number of plaguing issues that stem from dust exposure, so it’s best to implement a few measures to keep the dust down.

Thankfully when it comes to subduing the beast that is dust, modern conveyor solutions provide quite the arsenal.

Take the transfer for example, likely

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the dustiest place on any conveyor.

Skirting is one of the most effective methods of keeping material from just spilling out of your transfer the moment it touches the belt.

Ideally you would want skirts that provide some sort of contact seal, but when the diameter of dust is measured in microns, even a 1mm gap is enough for millions of particles to escape. So, a proper seal needs this belt contact to be effective, and contact means wear, so a skirt needs a way to combat wear or it risks quickly becoming worthless.

A self-adjusting skirt, that maintains full effectiveness for its entire lifecycle without the need for direct maintenance, is incredibly cost effective.

These self-adjusting skirts are typically quite soft to allow for them to conform to the belt unhindered. This softness leaves them vulnerable to the harshness of the material stream, which can cause some serious damage as it flows by, so typically a hard internal skirt,

Dust suppression

Contactless external skirt and static rail system.

that stops just short of the belt, is used to keep the material at bay, while the soft skirt picks up the slack and completes the contact seal in relative safety.

However, if the wear and tear of contact systems rubs you the wrong way, then the innovative, contactless external skirts may be your best bet.

While they do tend to hit a higher price point in the short term, these marvellous devices tend to make up for it with their almost non-existent maintenance costs.

Using their unique geometry to manipulate the power of airflow; a continuous suction effect is created to keep dust in. These contactless skirts still require the support of an internal hard skirt to make sure they don’t clog up with the larger product, but their overall effectiveness is impressive.

Whatever your preference, having at least some basic skirting is always

better than having none.

Of course, with all this skirting it’s imperative that your belt profile is well supported to maintain consistency and prevent gaps, even more so with contactless skirting which requires a very particular spacing for the proper suction flow to be possible.

Any sag in the belt and you can suddenly find yourself wondering where you left your shovel. How you go about supporting your belt is usually determined by the conditions of your transfer point.

Systems that experience low impact from a small fall height or light products can get away with static belt support systems, which provide little in the way of impact support, but help maintain that perfect, flat surface across the transfer.

Environments that require at least some impact support should invest in an

impact bed, a large structure with flexible rubber rails that alleviate some of the impact force from the belt. For situations where severe impacts are common, a dynamic bed may be required. These utilise a trough panel suspended by spring elements to support the belt, while the static outer rails maintain the edge profile.

These systems all tend to utilise low frictions rails on the wings to create a consistent surface for the belt to move across, however, this is still an increase in friction over most rollers. While these rails typically quite resistant to abrasion, they will eventually require replacement as well.

The problem of dust cannot be solved solely at the transfer, however, as even if the dust is controlled there and the product is settled, the dust can still present new problems across the rest of the conveyor.

Compared to the transfer point, the run of the belt typically has far less structure to encase the product and protect it from the open elements, sometimes as little as just a set of stringers are present.

Therefore, special equipment adapted to these constraints must be used; belt covers are physical barriers that attach to the stringers and almost completely enclose the belt, preventing the influence of wind, and trapping dust that is disturbed by vibration and belt movement.

Belt covers typically are made from rigid materials such as steel or reinforced plastics, which are effective barriers, simple to install, and can be modified with features like inspection and maintenance windows, alternatively more flexible materials like mesh cloth can be used, which maintain airflow and a degree of visibility while preventing dust migration.

Water sprays can also be used and are very effective for dust suppression, however, the resultant

K-AllShelter Conveyor Belt Covers.

water saturation is undesirable for a lot of products and the wastewater must be delt with limiting their desirability for numerous applications.

Similarly, extraction fans can be very effective when run across the belt length, but maintenance for these is high as filters must be replaced to maintain effectiveness. Unlike the belt run, discharge points can usually be encased in structure with dust curtains to prevent any wayward dust spreading, but when material is being discharged into open space say for stockpiles, an extendable loading chute is more appropriate as it can be used to guide the material down to the stockpile without excessive dust being thrown during the fall.

Belt cleaners are also essential in preventing carry back, which causes a slow loss of material on the underside of the belt which creates opportunities for dust in unprotected areas. Effective belt cleaning in an enclosed area can alleviate this risk of carry back and thus

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prevent the dust that results from it.

Dust is an innate biproduct of the conveying process. Preventing it outright is essentially unfeasible due to costs and difficulty.

However, controlling and containing dust is both simple and affordable with an abundance of modern products for the many aspects of dust control.

Maintaining a low level of dust is important for a plethora of reasons, including the health risks associated with airborne dust, even in small quantities, wear of mechanical and electrical systems, poor visibility, and the overall loss of product.

Operators should evaluate their conveyor and determine if there are any locations that are a source of dust, so that a solution can be applied. Operators who would prefer evaluations confirmed or would prefer professional input on the severity of issues can seek conveyor inspections from the numerous available conveyor solutions providers.

Technology

Greater protection from airborne “nasties” NEW ANTI-MICROBIAL FOGGER KEEPS WORKERS SAFE AND MINIMISES MINING CLOSURES.

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eeping staff and their workplace safe has never been more important, especially in the mining industry which operates 24/7.

The pandemic has created a heightened awareness of the need for good sanitisation, so a new Australianmade and owned invention is the perfect product for our times.

The ViroCLEAR Sanitiser & Protectant Fogger is designed to sanitise and protect large areas with the touch of a button. Working much like a cockroach bomb, the ViroCLEAR fogger dispenses a fine mist of anti-microbial sanitiser that gets into every crack and crevice to create a protective layer covering up to 40m2.

The fogger is ideal for use after every shift to clear the air and to sanitise surfaces, for use in FIFO living quarters, to sanitise heavy vehicles and transportation, and to protect common areas and meeting rooms.

The revolutionary plant-based technology is powered by botanical extracts of chamomile and Australian native lemon bush, and kills 99.99 per cent of germs and bacteria.

The formula is also non-corrosive to materials and machinery, thus extending the lifespan of equipment and saving money.

Daniel Seldon from Aussie Pharma Direct, which distributes the fogger, said it is another tool in the protective armoury to keep everyone safe and healthy.

“Not every indoor space lends itself

The fogger is ideal for use after every shift.

to good ventilation, but the ViroCLEAR fogger offers an alternative means of killing airborne ‘nasties’,” Seldon said.

“Its protective prowess minimises the chance of mining closures by keeping staff safe and healthy, saving time, money and manpower, whilst providing peace of mind protection.”

DIRECTIONS FOR USE Shake the can vigorously for 30 seconds, then place the fogger in the centre of the room. Ensure all windows and doors are closed. Turn room air conditioning on to full (where available) to clean the filter

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and vents from any germs and bacteria.

Press the button to activate and leave the room for 10 minutes while it is dispensing mist. Let the room settle for 30 minutes and do not wipe down surfaces after sanitising. Sensitive smoke detectors may need to be covered.

The fogger is available in two sizes: 105g which covers up to 25m2, and 160g which covers up to 40m2.

For enquiries, please visit the Aussie Pharma Direct website – www. aussiepharmadirect.com.au, or email sales@aussiepharmadirect.com.au

Equipment repair The humble hose is a crucial component in any hydraulic system.

Safe and efficient assembly of hydraulic hoses onsite IN ORDER TO GIVE THE MINING SECTOR SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR REPAIRING OR MAINTAINING HYDRAULIC HOSES, BOA HYDRAULICS HAS DESIGNED ITS INNOVATIVE BOAPOD WITH SAFETY AND EASE OF USE AT ITS CORE.

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he majority of mining equipment requires the use of hydraulic hoses. Thanks to new ways of thinking and development approaches that focus on systems, hydraulic technology is becoming more efficient, versatile and precise. Therefore the humble hose is a crucial component in any hydraulic system. However, like all equipment, regular maintenance is required and, when the component breaks, a replacement must be sourced quickly in order to keep the crucial machinery running to avoid costly downtime.

Family owned and run, BOA Hydraulics has transformed and evolved to become one of the fastest growing hydraulic companies, providing a turn-key hydraulic hose repair and maintenance solution to those working around heavy machinery.

BOA Hydraulics chief executive officer and co-founder Simon Boakes said his company is pushing the bounds of innovation in the hydraulic industry.

“We aim to deliver a solution that eliminates downtime and empowers companies to take control of their hydraulic hose management,” he said.

“Personnel and machine safety are at the forefront of this innovation. The BOA Integrated Solution ensures that

operators have the right tools, training and technology to safely assemble and replace hydraulic hoses.”

As one of the company’s prime innovations, the BOApod is an allweather, all-terrain mobile unit that enables the user to assemble hydraulic hoses following the same principles used in original manufacturing facilities.

“Our mobile hydraulic repair solution - The BOApod - is built with safety in mind. Knowing that machinery operators are a large part of the industry and experience risk every day when operating heavy machinery, we made sure that this new technology is safe and easy to use,” Boakes said. “At BOA Hydraulics, we understand those concerns and so when it came to designing and building our integrated solution for hydraulic hose repair and maintenance safety was at the top of the list.”

The BOApod’s key features and tools include European-precision crimping and cutting machinery, a remote hose reel system for controlled hose management, elevated hose support stand, vice and air compressor.

The design combines a unique on-site solution for hose repair and maintenance, with the necessary safe and efficient assembly of hydraulic hoses.

The BOApod has also been designed

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with key safety features in mind, including ergonomic height for optimal access and remote-controlled reels for prevention of lifting heavy hose coils.

The system incorporates the KNOTT trailer system for greater towing stability and control, sealed doors for a contamination-free workspace; reducing hose contamination, as well as a separate oil tray for further reduction of contamination.

“As part of the BOA Integrated Solution, our team provides comprehensive training and ongoing support to ensure our customers can safely and correctly operate their onsite hose repair facility,” Boakes said.

“This includes safety guidance for measuring, cutting, assembling, and crimping hoses for correct application.

“Our team of experienced professionals provide readily available ongoing support so we can help you maintain the integrity of your heavy machinery. This support is ongoing with onsite and over the phone advice, as well as the supply of quality hose and fittings.

“With multiple different set up options to suit your type of business, your location, and your mobile opportunities whether you are in New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, or the Pacific Islands.”

Events

Long-awaited 2021 Prospect Awards returns THE 2021 AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS WERE FINALLY HELD IN BRISBANE IN MARCH, AFTER COVID-19 POSTPONED IT.

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oy Hill’s iron ore mine in the Pilbara has taken home Australian Mine of the Year at the 2021 Prospect Awards.

Yancoal won Coal Mine of the Year for the second year in a row, with the Yarrabee coal mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin honoured with this year’s gong. Yancoal’s Moolarben coal operation in New South Wales was successful at the 2020 Prospect Awards.

“It is absolutely amazing to have won this award for the recognition of the last two to three years’ worth of effort,” Yarrabee coal operations manager Chris Shadbolt told Safe to Work at the awards.

“This is a really good reward for the team on-site, the corporate team for supporting us and the mining industry in general. Yancoal plans to head in the same direction for 2022. The people are first because without them the operation means nothing, so let’s put them first.”

The Hard Rock Mine of the Year also went to Roy Hill’s iron ore operation, while Hancock Prospecting executive chair Gina Rinehart was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.

It comes after Rinehart was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division, as part of the Australia Day 2022 Honours list.

The mining magnate, who was one of only 25 Australians selected for the honour this year, was recognised for “distinguished service to the mining sector, to the community through philanthropic initiatives and to

Sandvik took home the Indigenous Engagement Award for its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan.

sport as a patron”.

Other 2021 Prospect Award winners included Sandvik, which took home the Indigenous Engagement Award for its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which the company launched in 2020.

In late 2021, Sandvik released a progress report on the RAP, indicating that 70 per cent of its deliverables were complete or on track to be completed.

“First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you on behalf of Sandvik and everyone here to the Australian Mining Prospect Awards for putting on a great event. We are so grateful to be recognised in the category of Indigenous Engagement,” Sandvik community engagement and indigenous participation advisor Melita Hegarty told Safe to Work.

“Secondly, a huge congratulations to the other finalists iCutter Industries and Atlas Iron. This really is an award where everyone wins as this work is

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so important to not only the business and First Nation’s businesses but it’s creating a better Australia for everyone.

“Finally, thank you to everyone at Sandvik and those who came before me as my role would be nowhere near as easy without your ongoing support and passion for First Nation’s peoples, communities and initiatives.”

Mader Group was honoured as Contract Miner of the Year, while Geographe took home the Innovative Mining Solution award for its ball stud removal tool (BSRT).

The BSRT is a hydraulic pressing system designed to safely and efficiently remove ball studs from mining haul trucks.

Metso Outotec won the Minerals Processing of the Year award for its HIGmill fine grinding solution, which was recognised for its gold recovery capabilities at AngloGold Ashanti’s Sunrise Dam gold mine in Western Australia.

Fenner Conveyors safety, training and technical general manager Vicki Wust was honoured with the Safety Advocate award, acknowledging the win was not just for her, but the whole Fenner team.

“It is such an honour to win this award, but it isn’t just for me, but for everyone in the team because we can’t change the safety culture in Fenner if it’s not from the ground up all the way to the director level,” Wust told Safe to Work.

“The support that everyone has had in order to improve our safety culture has come from a lot of hard work.”

Mine Manager of the Year went to Yancoal’s Cris Shadbolt, who also recognised the whole team behind the operations.

“It means a lot to me, I am speechless. It is the recognition

for some work, but it is not just me. It has been me and a whole team,” Shadbolt said.

“That is the most important part. It is recognition for the team, and I am just lucky enough to get the award for it.”

Rounding out the 2021 Prospect Awards, Gold Fields and EDL’s joint Agnew renewable energy project was recognised as the winner of the Excellence in Environmental Management award.

EDL’s owned and operated hybrid renewable microgrid operating is providing Gold Fields’ Agnew gold mine in Western Australia 50-60 per cent renewable energy in the long term.

The Excellence in IIOT Application award went to LED lighting company Coolon for its Brilliant Connected lights product, while Yancoal won the gong for Excellence in Mine Safety,

OH&S for its Yarrabee Way – Safety Culture Framework, developed by the company’s workers for risk control and understanding.

Coolon LED Lighting’s senior account manager Ben Cooper told Safe to Work this is the recognition of a lot of hard work in a space that the company is not usually renowned for.

“We have manufactured a lot of heavy industrial lighting that’s manufactured in Australia to the highest quality, but we are now pivoting into smart technologies that will leverage us as a light supplier into something that can support our customers infinitely more,” he said.

Thank you to Prospect Award sponsors National Group, Liebherr, SEW-Eurodrive, Epiroc, Austmine, Flexco, CRC and Vocus for supporting the program.

Events

Employee wellbeing focus BLUESCOPE’S STEPHANIE O’DWYER TAKES HOME THE SAFETY ADVOCACY AWARD.

T

he Women in Industry presentation evening was held in Melbourne at the beginning of April.

The awards celebrate the exceptional work that women in the industrials sector do to advance industries such as mining, engineering, road transport, logistics, rail, bulk handling, infrastructure and waste management industries.

After two years of online events, the night was full of celebration with BlueScope’s Stephanie O’Dwyer taking home the Safety Advocacy Award.

With safety a primary concern in all sectors, this award highlights individuals who work actively to improve safety for their industry.

O’Dwyer is the health and wellbeing manager at BlueScope, an innovative provider of steel materials, products, systems and technologies. She led the implementation of the company’s first health and wellbeing strategy.

Headquartered in Australia, BlueScope employs over 14,000 people and serve thousands of customers every day.

BlueScope seeks to build a sustainable business that contributes to protecting the future. Employees at BlueScope share a passion and experience for steel, and it is this passion that drives the company to create a strong and thriving workplace.

Commenting on the win, O’Dwyer expressed her excitement to win for both herself and the company, citing the great work BlueScope has done to embrace healthy workplaces and wellbeing.

BlueScope has approximately 6,500 employees across Australia and O’Dwyer said she was proud of the fact that all

employees were empowered to have conversations about wellbeing in the workplace. Their employee assistance program, Life Works, has also helped to foster a strong network within the company.

“We’ve done lots of work with the mental health movement, we’ve connected with local psychological services in Illawarra,” O’Dwyer said.

Rather than take a top-down approach to the health and wellbeing strategy, O’Dwyer was able to tailor the strategy to meet the needs of the employees by going straight to them.

“We got representation from each of the business units and just started to connect those people and empower them to go forward and have more conversations about what wellbeing in the workplace is,” O’Dwyer said.

Sharing initiatives across the different teams allowed the health and wellbeing strategy to connect the teams with different services.

“I’m proud that we’ve built a really strong network of people and professionals to tap into externally,” O’Dwyer said.

When it comes to the safety of its employees, BlueScope has a strong history. A high-risk business, BlueScope is committed to reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities and this commitment has evolved into approaching safety holistically as well.

“It’s about continuing to learn and improve and pushing ourselves to keep learning from the best people in the industry around what we can do to continuously improve,” O’Dwyer said.

Recognising that there’s no space for complacency in workplace safety,

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Stephanie O’Dwyer took home the Safety Advocacy Award.

O’Dwyer added that BlueScope isn’t content to sit back and wait for the next incident to occur.

The question of how BlueScope will continue to improve in the safety sector is a big one, but O’Dwyer is confident that the company will continue on the journey to bring a focus on wellbeing into the realm of what safety means.

“We really blend newer thinking with existing approaches to take the best from the past and continue to learn and educate ourselves on what can take us forward,” O’Dwyer said.

The company is keen to learn from industry leaders about the future of safety, with O’Dwyer adding “they’re doing a lot of work to think critically about incorporating some of the newer thinking in with our existing approaches.”

“I’m quite proud that in my role I get to work across HR and safety, so really connecting safety and the safety of our people. I’m hugely grateful to Women in Industry and it’s a fantastic award to receive.”

Events

Women in Industry get recognition they deserve THE WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS PRESENTATION EVENING WAS HELD IN MELBOURNE ON APRIL 7 IN RECOGNITION OF THE OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE MINING AND RESOURCES SECTOR.

S

afe to Work’s sister title Australian Mining partnered with the Women in Industry Awards to acknowledge the exceptional women who achieved success through leadership, innovation and commitment to their sector.

These awards serve as an opportunity to recognise the hard work and dedication of women in male-dominated industries such as mining, road transport, manufacturing, engineering, logistics, bulk handling, waste management, rail and infrastructure.

Not only the winners and nominees, but all women that work in these industries deserve to know that their commitment, diligence and exceptionalism are being appreciated – the Women in Industry Awards aim to achieve just that.

Notably, Engineers Australia chief executive officer Bronwyn Evans received both Woman of the Year and Excellence in Engineering awards, being a testament to her particular achievements, excellence and contribution to the engineering sector.

“Nights like tonight are important so we can celebrate our successes.

However, we still need to have difficult conversations about education, bias, assumptions and missed opportunities for women in industry,” Evans said.

“We know we will have succeeded when women are represented 50 per cent top to bottom.”

Category sponsor BAE Systems said it was especially proud to sponsor the

Bronwyn Evans received both Woman of the Year and Excellence in Engineering awards.

Engineering in Excellence award. “ Awards such as these are important to not only celebrate achievement but to also provide inspiration to others to break down barriers and excel in the engineering industry”, the company said.

Komatsu Mining Director of Strategy and Performance Christine Morris won the Excellence in Mining award sponsored by Weir Minerals, for her contribution and achievements within mining.

Weir said it was proud to support the category.

“The Women in Industry Awards align with Weir’s own global Inclusion & Diversity agenda to ensure we develop a culture where everyone’s voice is heard, and where we care for, respect and encourage each other, helping to champion gender equality within our business and our industry,” the company said.

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Komatsu Mining’s Christine Morris received the Excellence in Mining award.

BlueScope Steel manager of health, wellbeing and innovation Stephanie O’Dwyer was recognised with the Safety Advocacy Award sponsored by BOC. BOC said it has been proudly endorsing the Women in Industry Awards for the last seven years.

“BOC believes the Awards are an important event. It’s critical companies continue to support the participation of women in industry and shine the light on the women who are true role models in leadership,” BOC said.

Other winners from the night included Jo Withford – Social Leader of the Year, Larissa Rose – Mentor of the Year, Megan McCracken – Industry Advocacy Award, Shay Chalmers – Excellence in Manufacturing, Catherine Baxter – Excellence in Transport, Lacey Webb – Business Development Success, and Monique Yap – Rising Star of the Year.

2022

AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS

Perth, October 2022

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN Australia’s premier Awards for the mining and minerals processing industry

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

AUSTMINE MINING INNOVATION ROADSHOW BRISBANE | JUNE 2 Arriving in Brisbane on June 2, the Austmine Mining Innovation Roadshow brings together members of the mining and mining equipment, technology and services (METS) communities to network and share expertise.

The first Mining Innovation Roadshow was launched in 2017 and has gone from strength to strength since then, serving as an important platform for discussion and collaboration.

This year’s Brisbane event will feature presentations from key leading industry speakers with a focus on the themes delivered at the Austmine Smart Mining Conference held in Perth in May 2021.

Panellists will include those at the forefront of innovation in the mining industry, with attendees able to connect with professionals ranging from chief executive officers to managing directors and vice presidents.

Attendees are predominantly METS companies, industry advocates, government representatives and miners.

• austmine.com.au/web/ Web/Events/Event_Display. aspx?EventKey=RS071021

OPEN PIT OPERATORS CONFERENCE PERTH & ONLINE | JUNE 21-22 This technical conference will bring together open pit operators from around Australia and the world in a hybrid event designed to address the current and future challenges facing all in open pit mining.

The event will afford the opportunity to visit small and large pit operations in soft and hard rock, educating attendees on various practices around the industry.

Keynote speakers include Anglo American technical director Tony O’Neill, BHP vice president for technical excellence Tim O’Connor and Brady Heywood managing director Sean Brady.

A range of packages are available depending how much delegates seek to get out of the conference and exhibition, including student and online-only options.

Conference sponsors including BHP, Epiroc, Caterpillar, Dyno Nobel and Hexagon Mining, ensuring an action-packed two days for the open pit mining sector.

• ausimm.com

THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD CONFERENCE SYDNEY | JUNE 14-15

QUEENSLAND MINING INDUSTRY HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE GOLD COAST | AUGUST 21-24

Australia’s largest precious metals conference and exhibition comes to Crown Sydney in June.

The two-day Australian Gold Conference brings together every aspect of the precious metals investment industry to promote and assist everyday Australians alongside those already interested investors.

Keynote speakers will share their investment insights and look at ways one can grow and preserve their wealth going forward.

ASX-listed mining companies will be present as they provide updates on their mining investment opportunities. Bullion dealers will also be on hand for those keen to know more about how and when to purchase physical metal.

Representatives from the likes of De Grey Mining, Evolution Mining, Calidus Resources and Kin Mining are locked in to present at this year’s conference.

• goldindustrygroup.com.au

Representing an initiative to promote health and safety in the Queensland mining industry, the conference provides attendees with the opportunity to exchange information, network and foster proactive health and safety management techniques.

This year, the event returns with the theme “Together we collaborate, innovate and educate”. The conference will retain presentations planned for 2020 and promote the ingenuity of home-grown safety.

It follows a bumper year for conference attendance, with almost 1000 people joining the event when it featured seven keynote presentations, 50 concurrent presentations and 60 trade displays in 2019.

Held at The Star Gold Coast this year, the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference will conclude with the Safety Innovation Health Awards and gala dinner.

• qmihsconference.org.au

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 50 MAY-JUN 2022

BULK 2022: AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING EXPO MELBOURNE | AUGUST 24-26 The Australian Bulk Handling Expo, conference and awards will take place in 2022 to bring together the bulk handling industry into a standalone exhibition that shares the same location as MEGATRANS, which integrates intrinsically with the logistics and multimodal freight sector.

It is supported by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH), which will host an industry conference, while the trade expo will showcase the latest in bulk materials handling equipment and technologies.

Exhibitors include VEGA, SEWEurodrive, Mideco, Bonfiglioli, Minprovise and ESS Engineering.

BULK2022 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre over a period of three days. BULK2020 and BULK2021 ticketholders will be able to use their tickets to join the rescheduled expo.

• bulkhandlingexpo.com.au

INTERNATIONAL MINING AND RESOURCES CONFERENCE (IMARC) MELBOURNE | OCTOBER 17-22 The eighth IMARC comes to Melbourne Showgrounds in Victoria from October 17-22 after being postponed from its previous date in January and February.

Isuzu, Newtrax Technologies, Murray Engineering and Australasian Metals have confirmed their support and participation for the event, in addition to major sponsors Caterpillar, Toronto Stock Exchange and Sandvik.

The IMARC team continues to build content and themes to attract global leaders from across the mining, investment, and METS communities across the value chain.

Leading into October 2022, chief executive officers that were due to speak at the conference at the end of January will take part in a series of virtual interviews and keynote presentations as part of a brand new IMARC Insights series.

For those who registered for the previous event dates, the tickets will have automatically transferred to the new dates.

• imarcglobal.com

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