Safe To Work Jul - Sept 2019

THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY

ISSUE 4 - JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019

Personal protection The considerations for coal Technology

Environment

Materials handling

Working at heights

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Comment Safety and environmental change moves underground TECHNOLOGY IS BRINGING WELCOME CHANGES TO UNDERGROUND MINING THAT AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES ARE ONLY JUST STARTING TO INTRODUCE.

BEN CREAGH

T

his issue rounds out the first year of Safe To Work since its launch last year.

In that time, it has been intriguing to gauge the trends and moves being made to improve the safety, health and environmental performance of mining companies.

An ongoing development that stands out is in underground mining, which is experiencing the gradual introduction of battery electric machinery.

Up to this point, battery machinery has been overlooked due to the slow progress of the technologies needed or because of its economic challenges.

While widespread use of battery electric machinery is some time away in Australia, we are starting to see the beginnings of this transition.

An OEM like Epiroc, inspired to make underground mines cleaner and safer by removing diesel engines, is demonstrating this move as good as any.

Epiroc has already unveiled its second generation of battery electric equipment. It is also set to launch a batteries service business model that will alleviate

EWEN HOSIE Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ewen.hosie@primecreative.com.au PUBLISHER CHRISTINE CLANCY MANAGING EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALISTS ALEXANDER GLUYAS Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: alexander.gluyas@primecreative.com.au

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

the responsibilities that investing in battery machinery place on mining companies.

Importantly, for the Australian market, the second generation of Epiroc’s equipment includes larger models after the first generation focused on smaller versions not suited for our mines.

Epiroc isn’t alone in this pursuit ether, as it also extends to light electric vehicles used underground. As you will read in this edition, Safescape has started an Australian trial of an electric vehicle based on a Brazilian army utility.

BHP has also been trialling light electric vehicles at its Olympic Dam mine.

Australia has been a pacesetter in the introduction of autonomous trucks and drills in recent years, but it has lagged behind from an electric machinery perspective.

On the flipside, a mining nation like Canada has moved quickly into the realm of battery electric machinery as the technology better complements its mines.

As electric equipment programs continue to evolve at

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SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 3 JUL-SEP 2019

OEMs, however, this may be set to change, possibly even in the short term.

With Australian mining companies looking for every opportunity to improve safety and reduce their environmental impact, it’s mainly the economics that stand in the way.

And even that challenge is slowly moving in their favour as batteries become cheaper.

Ben Creagh Managing Editor

FRONT COVER New technologies and strategies are giving safety in coal mines a boost.

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

In this issue Features 20 Walking safely at mine sites

Blundstone gives advice on foot protection

22 Measuring safety gains

Nivek provides a safety boost for fitters

44 A drain on resources

Dealing with the issue of acid drainage at mine sites

38

46 Handling the pressure

ESS unveils its safest air cannon yet

26 Stopping dropped objects Dropsafe extends its safety net

48 Innovation for underground mining

32

Mining greener and safer with new machinery

50 Embracing technology in mining

How technology is continually being integrated

52 Taking water to the environment

Cleaning contaminated wastewater at mines

54 Rio Tinto launches ‘world’s

28 People and technology

Zooming in on autonomous integration

30 Next in research

Lightning strikes and air quality on Curtin’s agenda

biggest robot’

Autonomous trains increase safety in Pilbara region

57 Trends in mining workplaces Hays reveals tips for progressing in the workplace

60 Prospecting in Western Australia

A guide to a safe 2019 prospecting season in Australia

62 Capitalising on waste

The vast benefits of industrial recycling

64 The medical metal

The use of titanium in implant surgery

52

32 Passing the test

Mining’s drug dangers under the microscope

36 Underground safety from the surface

Minova discusses its ‘surface to seam’ approach

38 Underground gas danger Keeping aware of the risks despite improvement

40 Dust control in action How to keep work dust-free

42 Training and working at heights

Preparing for the risks of a major safety concern

REGULARS

7 NEWS

16 PRODUCTS

SAFETOWORK 4 JUL-SEP 2019

66 EVENTS

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News Picture evidence shows Pike River finally re-entered The Pike River coal mine in New Zealand has been re-entered after a series of delays and failures over the past eight years.

A re-entry crew of up to six miners breached the 30-metre seal and entered the mine drift in the presence of families of the victims in May. “New Zealand is not a country where 29 people can die at work without real accountability … and that is why today we have fulfilled our promise. Today we have returned,” minister responsible for Pike River re-entry Andrew Little said.

Twenty-nine lives were lost on November 19 2010 when multiple explosions hit the Pike River mine drift due to a cause that is yet to be discovered.

Little blamed the unfortunate deaths on ‘corporate and regulatory failure.’

“Fulfilling the promise to do everything possible to safely re-enter is an act of justice for families who have waited for far too long,” he said.

The latest re-entry attempt was scheduled for May 3, but was delayed following a false oxygen reading from a

failed sampling tube.

Three agency teams carried out Pike River’s re-entry and recovery, with initial work on ensuring the drift was safe before a second ‘forensicallyfocused’ mining team entered to examine and remove any evidential

material. The teams advanced until the drift was recovered.

“There is still much to do. We must find out what happened at Pike River.

However long that takes, the recovery project will be done professionally,” Little added.

A loader going into the Pike River mine portal.

Safe Work to halve exposure limits for respirable dust Safe Work Australia is expected to recommend that the regulated occupational exposure limits for respirable dust be slashed.

Exposure limits for toxic silica dust are currently sitting on 0.1 milligram per cubic metre over an eight-hour period – this could be halved when the recommendation is passed.

Dust suppression expert RST stated that solving dust-related issues over the past 30 years had been challenging, but the silver lining was companies were increasingly successful in complying with current

limits for respirable dust.

RST uses crusting agents to coat fine particles to prevent them from being blown or washed away; foaming formulas to suppress dust at transfer points and crushing operations; and water additives to bind fine particles and stabilise the materials being mined.

“Fine particulate of varying material types in a dry state create numerous health, environmental and operational challenges for our clients,” RST operations and technical director David Handel said.

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 7 JUL-SEP 2019

“We have been able to develop dust suppressants that are super concentrated and highly effective through ongoing research and development, with continual improvement programs and strategic alliances providing RST with the data to develop leading-edge solutions.

“It is about finding the best solution that is cost effective and achieves immediate and long-term results.”

The solutions could also promote significant reductions in water consumption, erosion mitigation and decreased operational costs.

News BHP builds strong culture through flexible work Flexible work arrangements have delivered a positive impact on BHP’s workplace culture, according to David Ruddell, Minerals Australia vice president for planning and technical at BHP. Ruddell experienced firsthand the benefits of providing his team with the opportunity for flexible work after an internal employee survey revealed more than 60 per cent of his team felt they worked flexibly.

The average across BHP for the same survey was 45 per cent, giving Ruddell and his planning and technical team a huge boost in

productivity and job satisfaction.

“For me and my team, the real benefit is a total cultural change, with everyone being more trusted, respected, more productive and, most importantly, more engaged,” Ruddell said.

“This is absolutely reflective of an inclusive and diverse workplace, somewhere that everyone enjoys coming to work – it is simply fantastic and great to see the impact flexible work is having on the culture at BHP.” For Ruddell, flexible work included a variety of arrangements, including job sharing, working part-time, returning

from parental leave, different start and finish times or simply working from home occasionally.

“It is not just for parents with children.

We all have commitments outside of work, we might have ageing parents that need our support, external interests we are keen to pursue, or we might work better at different times than others,” he said.

In order to optimise performance and satisfaction, Ruddell emphasised that it’s about supporting team members to work flexibly and balancing the individual need with the business requirement.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is taking its Going for Gold recovery technology out of the trial phase and into the real-world market.

Cyanide leaching is the most popular gold leaching reagent in many countries, but CSIRO’s method — which took 20 years of research and around $10 million in investment — proposes a non-toxic alternative.

The research body’s Going for Gold initiative is based around the notion of designing alternative extraction reagents that “don’t cost the Earth”.

“Cyanide is used in about 75 per cent of global gold production, and while the industry works to manage the associated risks, there have been recent toxic spills overseas that have caused great concern to communities,” CSIRO research program leader Chris Vernon said.

“Developing an alternative process, which eliminates hazardous chemicals while maximising gold recovery, meets

Image: CSIRO.

CSIRO cyanide-free gold recovery technology goes live

CSIRO’s commemorative ingot made using its non-toxic process.

industry and consumer demands for more sustainably produced gold.”

CSIRO’s method, which eschews the use of cyanide and mercury in the gold leaching process in favour of non-toxic thiosulfate, was used to create its first gold ingot in August 2018 following extensive trials. Now, the system is set for rollout at Western Australian-based company Clean Mining.

The environmentally-focused company is in negotiations with Northern Territory-based ICA Mining Services and WA-based Nu-Fortune Gold to commission the technology.

SAFETOWORK 8 JUL-SEP 2019

Clean Mining plans to distribute CSIRO’s method to a global mining market, offering licences, equipment, product support and turnkey processing plant options.

Clean Mining managing director Jeff McCulloch said CSIRO’s method was useful for new greenfields sites, existing mines looking to upgrade and regions where cyanide use is banned.

“This technology provides gold miners with an opportunity to proactively evolve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards,” McCulloch said.

News New taskforce to tackle biggest crisis since asbestosis The Morrison Government pledged a $5 million investment in response to the increase in cases of accelerated silicosis ahead of the Coalition’s successful federal election.

The investment will be used to establish a taskforce and national dust diseases register, and to commission research into understanding, preventing and treating occupational lung diseases. Australia is in the grips of a silicosis epidemic, potentially representing the biggest lung disease crisis since asbestosis.

Over 100 stonemasons have been

diagnosed with the lung disease, with one person dying because of the condition, according to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and other health bodies.

“While 100 stonemasons have already been diagnosed in Queensland, there is likely to be several hundred, and possibly more than a thousand affected workers across Australia.

Most remain undiagnosed,” occupational physician and RACP fellow Graeme Edwards said.

A new taskforce will be deployed to tackle the increase in silicosis cases.

“If there is a coordinated national response, we have a chance of making a real difference for these workers.”

The Liberal Party vowed that members of the taskforce would include the medical community, industry, researchers and government, and be chaired by a leading medical expert.

The taskforce will commence in July 2019 and provide a final report by December 31 2020.

Silicosis is a preventable lung disease experienced by workers due to exposure to silica dust.

A significant number of workers have also been diagnosed with a rapidly progressive form of this disease, progressive massive fibrosis (PMF), according to the RACP. “While some jurisdictions are putting measures in place, what we really require is national leadership on the issue and a coordinated collaborative response to avoid unnecessary duplication and inconsistencies between jurisdictions,” TSANZ spokesperson Ryan Hoy said.

Mobile equipment top cause of mining fatalities Mobile mining equipment has been rated as the single highest cause of industry fatalities in 2018, as incidents of this seriousness fell for the second straight year.

Fifty fatalities were recorded among approximately a million workers and contractors last year, a decrease from 51 fatalities in 2017 and 63 fatalities in 2016.

Fifteen fatalities (30 per cent) were caused by transportation or mobile equipment in 2018, four higher than the 11 fatalities recorded in the previous year. This is followed by nine fatalities (18 per cent) caused by fall of

ground in underground mines.

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) collected this data through its company members.

“ICMM and our company members are determined to eliminate fatalities from their operations. The single highest cause of deaths in 2018 was from mobile mining equipment, which is why we are exploring collision avoidance technology in our innovation for cleaner, safer vehicles program,” ICMM chief executive Tom Butler said.

The highest number of fatalities (14) occurred in South Africa, where 400

SAFETOWORK 10 JUL-SEP 2019

million hours were worked. Chile and Ghana reported six fatalities where 281 and 51 million hours were worked, respectively.

ICMM’s safety report does not include fatalities from the Brumadinho tragedy, which occurred in January 2019.

Eleven of ICMM’s 27 company members reported zero fatalities in 2018 compared to eight in 2017.

The 11 companies were Africa Rainbow Minerals, Barrick Gold, Freeport McMoRan, Goldcorp, JX Nippon, Minera San Cristóbal, Minsur, Mitsubishi Materials, Newcrest Mining, Orano and Sumitomo.

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News Western Australia to receive new FIFO mental health code The Western Australian Government has launched a code of practice that focuses on promoting and maintaining mentally healthy workplaces for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers in the resources and construction sectors.

The code aims to address hazards and risk factors in FIFO workplaces and encourages organisations to adopt a risk management process.

This includes identifying potential psychosocial hazards, establishing a positive and supportive workplace culture, providing suitable accommodations and rosters with sufficient time for rest and relaxation.

It was developed following extensive public consultation and created following recommendations from a legislative assembly committee report on the impacts of FIFO practices on workers’ mental health.

Government funded research, released

by Western Australian minister for mental health Roger Cook, found FIFO workers experience higher levels of psychological distress than non-FIFO workers.

“The code identifies a number of potential hazards and risk factors, such as work demands and low levels of control, and it promotes strategies

to deal with these issues,” Western Australian mines and petroleum minister Bill Johnston said.

“A positive, mentally healthy workplace not only benefits employees but also enhances an organisation’s reputation for supporting and respecting its workforce.

“The McGowan Government is committed to driving change in mental health and improving the wellbeing of FIFO workers and their families. It’s especially pleasing the Mining Industry Advisory Committee and Commission for Occupational Safety and Health unanimously endorsed the code.”

Rio Tinto, Alcoa to build $198m environmental research facility Rio Tinto has partnered with Alcoa to commercialise a breakthrough technology that will eliminate all direct greenhouse gases (GHG) from the traditional aluminium smelting process by 2024.

Technology developed in the Elysis joint venture will produce pure oxygen, Rio Tinto will build an environmental research facility to eliminate greenhouse gases.

reducing the environmental footprint of the aluminium industry on a global scale.

Elysis can play an important role in helping to address the climate change challenge by delivering carbon free aluminium smelting, according to Rio Tinto Aluminium chief executive Alf Barrios.

In Canada alone, the Elysis technology has the potential to reduce GHG emissions by seven million tonnes, the equivalent of removing 1.8 million cars from the roads, Rio Tinto stated.

Elysis will directly employ more than 25 experts when fully operational, expected in the second half of 2020.

“With the development of this research centre, we can proudly root our company in Québec, and in Saguenay– Lac-Saint-Jean in particular,” Elysis chief executive Vincent Christ said.

“Our team is enthusiastic about working collaboratively to refine our technology so we can help bring the aluminium industry to new levels and make it even more sustainable.”

SAFETOWORK 12 JUL-SEP 2019

The research centre will be located in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean in Canada because of the region’s notable expertise in the aluminium sector and financial backing from both the Quebec and Canadian governments.

Alcoa, Rio Tinto, the Quebec and Canadian governments provided a combined investment of $C188 million ($198 million) to create and see Elysis reach commercial maturity in 2024.

Elysis will reduce operating costs of aluminium smelters while increasing production capacity. It could be used in both new and existing aluminium smelters.

The development will also sell next-generation anode and cathode materials, which will last more than 30 times longer than traditional components.

“The Elysis technology is undoubtedly one of the most important innovations within the aluminium industry and a major step forward in tackling climate change,” Quebec Minister of Economy and Innovation Pierre Fitzgibbon said.

Newcrest strives to solve staff dehydration Newcrest Mining is looking into new ways to keep workers hydrated after a random urine test revealed that many staff didn’t start the day with adequate hydration levels.

The company has partnered with Australian start-up community Unearthed to find a solution for hydration monitoring at the Telfer gold-copper mine in the Pilbara, Western Australia.

Newcrest and Unearthed are running a competition labelled ‘Stay hydrated: improving hydration monitoring at Telfer’, in which start-ups will compete for an investment of $10,000 to develop a solution.

The initiative follows a recent random urine hydration test that sampled 30 per cent of approximately 500 shutdown workers in the morning prior to the day shift.

It found that three per cent were dehydrated and had to be stood down from work or needed further medical attention, while up to one-third of

all workers didn’t start the day with sufficient levels of hydration.

The Telfer gold operation, in the Great Sandy Desert, is often exposed to extreme outside temperatures in excess of 40 degrees, with maximum temperatures reaching 50 degrees.

Workers are often on 12-hour shifts and dehydration can often impact cognitive functions and decrease decision-making abilities.

While self-testing hydration urine test strips are available in toilets, an inherent issue has been that it requires a toilet for testing to occur.

This makes it necessary for the person who requires a test to leave the job site to carry it out, meaning people aren’t testing as often as the company would like.

Applications will be judged on the basis of the accuracy of monitoring, the readiness of the product to be introduced and how effectively it will work with the company’s existing infrastructure.

Three winners will be selected and will be mentored by Newcrest’s senior safety adviser, Troy Reynolds.

Newcrest is aiming to improve the hydration levels of miners.

Employees to receive protections from bullying, unfair pay in the workplace Workers are empowered to seek an order from the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC) to stop workplace bullying, as part of the state government’s proposed industrial reforms.

The government is endeavouring to introduce anti-bullying powers to the WAIRC that mirror those of the Fair Work Commission.

According to research, 33 per cent of fly in, fly-out (FIFO) workers experienced high levels of psychological distress compared with 17 per cent of non-FIFO workers.

Further, the government will aim

to provide a legislative equal remuneration framework for the WAIRC and require it to develop an equal remuneration principle.

These key reforms are part of 85 recommendations to ensure the state industrial relations system is modern, fair and accessible.

“The McGowan Government is pleased to announce our plans for the first round of reforms to modernise the state’s industrial relations system,” Western Australian Mines and Petroleum and Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston said.

“The government is committed to a fair

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 13 JUL-SEP 2019

safety net of wages and entitlements for all workers and these reforms will improve protections for workers across the state. The McGowan Government strongly believes in equality, so we want to give the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission the power to consider applications from groups of workers, almost certainly women, on whether they are receiving equal pay.”

It will also seek to modernise the long service act and introduce penalties for non-compliance.The state government will aim to increase penalties for breaches of employment laws and strengthen industrial inspector powers.

News Mine safety, Great Barrier Reef winners of QLD budget The Queensland Government has focused on mine safety and protection of the Great Barrier Reef in its natural resources, mines and energy budget in 2019.

Queensland has placed a spotlight on mine dust lung disease by allocating $10.4 million to deliver reforms to the regulatory framework that addresses this issue.

A further $1.2 million will go to a mobile screening service to help improve the detection of coal workers’ black lung, silicosis and other mine dust lung diseases.

The Queensland Government will conduct more inspections and audits, boosted by a $1.7 million investment over the next two years.

It will also invest $28.5 million to continue remediating the state’s disclaimed mine sites and research into new techniques.

Queenslanders “care about the environment” and this year’s budget is ensuring it continues to be protected, according to the Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science Leeanne Enoch.

An investment of $75.4 million will go to the protection of the Great Barrier Reef as part of the $330 million record funding over five years from 2018-19.

“Our investment in both the mining sector to support the burgeoning renewable industry and protections

for the Great Barrier Reef will help boost exports and jobs in mining and tourism,” Queensland’s Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Minister Anthony Lynham said.

For the transition to a renewable energy future, a renewables industry could not go without the high-tech metals (like cobalt and vanadium) needed for electric and hybrid vehicles, lithium batteries, wind turbine generators, Lynham added.

The Queensland Government is, therefore, investing $12.7 million to provide explorers with the best available data to help find zinc, nickel and copper to meet an “everincreasing thirst” for new technology minerals globally.

Mining giants reveal tailings storage facility details Global mining companies have responded to requests to give greater disclosure of details relating to their tailings storage facilities (TSFs).

The details were requested by the Church of England Pensions Board and the Swedish Council on Ethics for the AP funds, representing 96 institutional investors.

Mining companies were given 45 business days to disclose a list of all tailings facilities, so investors could analyse the risk that the facilities represented.

BHP, Anglo American, Gold Fields and Vale were among the leading companies that presented information on TSFs, with Vale most notably investing heavily in the safety of its facilities.

Vale outlined it would spend $US1.9 billion ($2.73 billion) in the decommissioning of upstream dams with chief executive officer Eduardo Bartolomeo emphasising it would

Tailings dam breaches are a major risk factor in mining.

continue to support communities affected by its tailings disasters.

“As the company has demonstrated over recent months, we have not spared – and will not spare – resources or efforts to repair any damages caused to the families involved, to the infrastructure of the communities and to the environment,” he said.

Anglo American outlined details of its 91 managed TSFs and an additional 62 TSFs at non-managed joint venture operations in which it has an interest.

Anglo chief executive Mark Cutifani

SAFETOWORK 14 JUL-SEP 2019

said the information highlighted the company’s focus on the safety of its TSFs, after revising and updating its TSF safety management in early 2014.

“We have confidence in the integrity of Anglo American’s managed TSFs which are subject to the highest global safety and stewardship standards, using appropriate advanced technologies such as satellite monitoring, fibre optics and micro-seismic sensors,” he said.

He also said Anglo American would focus on advancing technology to reduce waste.

NSW mines regulator gets set for compliance rampage The New South Wales Resources Regulator has conducted a state-wide compliance blitz, targeting more than 100 mine sites.

Around 85 safety and compliance inspectors carried out unannounced, high visibility inspections at coal, metalliferous and quarrying operations throughout the state.

The inspections focused on general compliance with regulations and site safety management systems, the standard supervision and the behaviours of supervisors in dealing with noncompliance and mine site rehabilitation.

In the case of non-compliance, a mine or operator, contractors or particular workers may have been subjected to a penalty, compelled to a civil proceeding or had his or her licence suspended.

“Annual compliance blitzes are an integral part of the Resources

Regulator’s strategy to ensure compliance with work, health and safety laws and the Mining Act by miners operating in NSW,” chief compliance officer Anthony Keon said.

“We want the community to be confident NSW has a safe and responsible mining industry and compliance operations such as this show how we’re achieving this.

“They also serve as a strong reminder

that operators must remain vigilant and should constantly review their operations to ensure their obligations to workers and the community are met.”

Mine operators are urged to review their operations to ensure they are compliant with all work health and safety and Mining Act legislative requirements.

The Regulator will release the results of the compliance operation in July.

Regulators inspected over 100 mine sites.

Sandfire partners with Youth Focus for mental health Western Australian not-for-profit organisation Youth Focus has partnered with Sandfire Resources to help more young people access mental health care in the state’s Murchison region.

Sandfire will provide $150,000 over the next three years to strengthen Youth Focus’ psychological care offerings through its Murchison youth severe service. The miner’s contractors, Sodexo and DDH1 Drilling, have also committed $30,000 over the three years.

The program, which services the Murchison communities of Meekatharra, Mt Magner, Cue, Yulga Jinna and Buttah Windee, provides free counselling support for disengaged young people with severe anxiety, depression, early psychosis and other mental health illnesses.

The arrangement includes the recruitment of a part-time female Aboriginal youth engagement officer, in addition to two clinical psychologists who visit the region each week to provide free one-on-one counselling.

It will also include a full-time Aboriginal youth engagement officer based in Meekatharra.

Youth Focus chief executive officer Arthur Papakotsias said the partnership would enhance outreach services in the region and allow Youth Focus to build community understanding about mental health.

“Our tailored Murchison program uses the fundamentals of song, art and traditional Aboriginal culture to engage with young people and broach important discussions about mental health, this has proven very effective in connecting with at-risk

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 15 JUL-SEP 2019

youths,” he said.

“Research shows that suicide rates are five times higher in Aboriginal and Indigenous communities, for this reason, it is imperative that we have trained clinicians working with local communities to help arrest this trend.”

Sandfire chief executive officer Karl Simich said the company was excited to partner with Youth Focus and expand the initiative.

“Sandfire is very pleased to be involved with this initiative, which is consistent with the overall focus of our community contribution and partnership programs to support health and wellbeing in remote communities,” he said.

“We are particularly committed to sustainable partnerships that work to deliver enduring benefits that extend beyond the life of our operations in any particular region.”

Products BOLLÉ SAFETY LAUNCHES NEW SILEX MODEL Silex’s 160-degree Flex technology creates a perfect fit for every face. It features flexible bi-material temples and gives absolute support without any pressure points.

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The lenses showcase a refined design and coloured temples by Bollé Safety.

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ECOTEK COMBINES BIODEGRADABILITY WITH PERFORMANCE Australia’s leading supplier of hand and eye protection, Safety Mate, brings unprecedented innovation to the disposable work glove with Ecotek proprietary.

Ecotek is an innovative nitrile treatment that accelerates break-down in landfills without performance loss. Once disposed, Ecotek treated gloves are proven to biodegrade into natural elements in 2.5 years as certified by independent laboratories and institutes for biodegradability, ecotoxicity, safety, quality and performance in accordance with ASTM D5526. This is the standard biodegradability test for determining biodegradation of plastic materials in landfill conditions.

From an environmental perspective, Ecotek changes the future of disposable gloves. With more disposable gloves sold in the world than every other type of glove combined, biodegradability in a relatively short time frame is critical in the ongoing preservation and conservation of the environment for a better tomorrow.

Ecotek is now a standard feature on all of Safety Mate’s disposable glove range. safetymate.com.au

METSO CONCAVE CAROUSELS TESTED BY EXPERTS Metso provides a set of special tools for the replacement of crushers’ mantel and concave liners, including concave removal trays and burning platform, concave installation carousel, crusher safety platform, spider access platform and crusher access ladder.

Concave removal trays promote safe and efficient removal of worn concave liners using a system with three lifting trays.

The crusher safety platform increases crew comfort, mobility and productivity by allowing them to work in the crusher dumping pit without a lifeline, while reducing the risk of accidents.

Liners can also be installed at an entire row at a time instead of positioning and lifting each concave liner individually with the concave installation carousel. This delivers a dramatic improvement in the time required to install concave liner while improving safety. metso.com SAFETOWORK 16 JUL-SEP 2019

SANDVIK DIGITAL DRILLER ALLOWS SAFE TRAINING With Sandvik’s digital driller, operators learn to operate a rig in a safe environment – a realistic simulator that optimises transition to the real machine. Digital driller acts like a real rig, operates with authentic controls combined with the same control system software as the one installed on the machines.

Training sessions can be conducted for multiple participants in a safe environment, keeping everyone away from any injury risks or material damages.

The sessions can be tailor made to fit with the audience level using a wide range of exercises, mine conditions and situations.

Sandvik’s digital driller is facilitated with a transportation case and wheels, and set-up time for the training room installation is very short.

Operator training no longer needs to impact mine productivity. rocktechnology.sandvik

VAYERON SMART-IDLER PROVIDES 24/7 MONITORING The smart-idler is a sensor technology that monitors rollers 24/7 with a wireless, automated system at a user’s fingertips.

Vayeron’s smart-idler features an interface that’s easy to operate, keeping team members out of harm’s way while monitoring roller temperature, vibration faults, acoustics and roller shell-wear to predict roller failure.

Operational safety is improved as operators monitor the rollers’ status from a control room rather than in the vicinity of the conveyor.

The smart idler reduces idler roller change outs, maintaining productivity instead of experiencing production stoppages as people work to replace the components. vayeron.com.au

ROTOCLEAR OFFERS CLEAR VISION INTO PRODUCTION Leader in spin windows Rotoclear provides a clear and remote view into production with its latest model, the S3.

The maximum field of view is achieved via a revolutionary and patented drive concept, while high torque guarantees a clear view of the production process, even under the toughest milling conditions.

It works, as with previous models, by a rotating disc flinging off striking coolants and cuttings, whether water-soluble or water-insoluble.

The S3 features the world’s lowest installation height of just 34 millimetres, allowing simpler installation compared with the previous Rotoclear models.

It is always mounted on the inside of the inspection window with safety being maintained. Installation of different machining centre windows can be done via bolt-on or adhesive-mounted versions. rotoclear.com

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 17 JUL-SEP 2019

Products BROKK 520D A DEMOLITION MACHINE The Brokk 520D outperforms everything in its size. It has 40 per cent more hitting power and the ability to size up attachments.

This diesel-powered machine is stronger, faster and has a longer reach, while keeping key compact dimensions of its predecessor Brokk 400D. All these advantages come with keeping demolition jobs from a safe, comfortable position with no risk of injury from falling debris.

Brokk 520D also features the Brokk SmartConcept – the reliable SmartPower, the clever Smart Design, the ergonomics and productivity of SmartRemote – making the machine optimal for the heaviest of tasks in any industry, according to the supplier of radio and remote controlled demolition robot.

It is also the greenest diesel demolition robot on the planet, meeting new emission standards (EPA Tier 4 Final/EU Stage IV). brokk.com

MST MAKES PORTABLE WI-FI POSSIBLE IN COAL MINES MST Global’s wireless repeater node fulfils the need for reliable, highbandwidth connectivity being maintained right to the working face. The WRN is a key part of MST’s mine-wide digital solutions to ensure this connectivity is achieved as automation and Internet of Things (IoT) become more embedded into operations.

The wireless repeater node is cable-free, lightweight and portable, which could easily and quickly take the network to every active corner of a mine.

It is used in conjunction with a mine’s existing fixed Wi-Fi network, is designed to bridge the signal between a cabled network access point and the dynamic mining areas where cabling is not practical or economical to implement.

It has also received Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and MA Chinese certification, being hailed as a breakthrough in wireless mesh technology for mines, according to MST Global. mstglobal.com

MODULAR MINING SYSTEMS’ NEXT-GEN POSITIONING TECH The supplier of real-time computer-based mine management solutions has released the MM2 high-precision global navigation satellite system (HP-GNSS receiver), the latest addition to its high-precision machine guidance platform.

MM2 HP-GNSS receiver is used to determine centimetre-accurate location and positioning for its ProVision machine guidance solutions for drills, shovels, loaders and dozers.

It supersedes Modular’s previous version, the MM1, to provide vastly improved satellite coverage – even in deep or otherwise challenging pits by gaining access to and using all four GNSS constellations – GPS (the United States), GLONASS (Russia), BeiDou (China) and Galileo (the European Union).

The Topcon-powered receiver will also help optimise the performance of Modular’s latest and future innovations, including the ProVision guided spotting system which guides haul truck operators as they reverse for loading at the shovel. modularmining.com SAFETOWORK 18 JUL-SEP 2019

OUTOTEC INTRODUCES SECOND-GEN PASTE THICKENER The second generation paste thickener from Outotec maximises underflow density regardless of challenging mineralogy and tailings feed rate variation.

It enables consistent and efficient dewatering performance, even with changing process conditions. The paste thickener maximises beaching angle in the tailings storage facility to provide safer operations and to maximise lifespan.

The new paste thickener provides ease of operation, reliability for applications that demand a high degree of dewatering and can address environmental concerns, tailings management and regulatory requirements.

Outotec equips the paste thickener with vertical load monitoring with smart rake lift system, making it one of the world’s only systems that can detect early formation of rotating beds, enabling counteractions to be taken early.

It can also be configured to manage the effects of variable feed types to ensure optimum performance despite changing inputs to the process. outotec.com

A WORLD-LEADING MAPPING DRONE Delair’s UX11 fixed-wing, commercial drone technology is a solution for mapping applications in the mining industry.

The flagship Delair UX11 post processed kinematic (PPK) is widely considered the world’s most advanced fixed-wing mapping drone. For accurate mapping with greatly reduced survey ground control, the UX11 has embedded PPK technology and a purpose-designed mapping camera.

Its on-site ease of operation (hand launching) and deep stall landing technology also make the UX11 PPK one of the most efficient fixed-wing solutions on the market, according to Australian distributor Sphere Drones.

This unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of onboard data processing and fitted with wireless and 3G/4G communications.

Coupled with the one-hour flight time, mapping flights in all environments are made easy and safe. spheredrones.com.au

TROLEX DESIGNS GAS DETECTOR FOR HAZARDOUS WORKPLACES TX7000 GasHawk from Trolex is a personal gas detector for mining, with up to seven days battery life even with infrared sensors installed.

The detector can monitor up to six gases simultaneously and has inductive charging system with no exposed contacts, eliminating charge failures. Its battery can also be changed in potentially flammable or explosive environments, thanks to its intrinsically safe battery pack.

GasHawk is equipped with a bright, clear illuminated display and optional integrated pump for remote sampling and confined space entry applications The gas detector is tough, reliable and easy to use, providing protection to team members in mining, tunnelling, trenches and process plants. trolex.com

SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 19 JUL-SEP 2019

PPE

Walking safely at mine sites IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BOTH THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE TO ENSURE THAT THE CORRECT PPE IS WORN IN THE WORKPLACE. BLUNDSTONE REVEALS POINTERS FOR ULTIMATE FOOT PROTECTION.

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here is sometimes a degree of complacency across the mining industry when it comes to footwear protection.

People have favourite brands and styles that they have worn for years, not knowing it may be inappropriate for today’s evolving environments and the better options available.

Accident prevention is fundamentally important, but it needs to be met with increased awareness of long-term occupational health issues.

Inadequate foot protection may be detrimental not only to a wearer’s physical health, but also to his or her mental health.

In fact, footwear has a strong bearing

Wearers need to ensure their footwear’s design provides excellent ankle support and stability.

on a wearer’s comfort and wellbeing, possibly more than any other item of apparel, according to footwear supplier Blundstone.

A mine site has the potential to be a hazardous workplace due to its physical nature and interaction with natural elements.

The underground mining environment requires especially unique protective features due to its harsh and wet nature.

Working in, on and around mobile equipment also carries its own highrisk potential.

The advent of longer shifts, changing work practices, varied environments and the implications of an ageing workforce are all things that need to be considered when designing safety footwear for the mining industry.

According to Blundstone, one of the best ways to encourage workers to wear protective footwear each and every day is to create a fit-for-purpose product that is both comfortable and easy to wear, and still provides adequate protection as unobtrusively as possible.

The company works with both employers and employees to establish what features of safety boots they need for a particular environment, marking the start of process in creating better ongoing protection for workers.

By working directly with miners who experience their work environment first-hand, Blundstone could create a boot that will stand up to the harshest of conditions and still be comfortable and safe.

Blundstone’s #980 mining boot, for example, has been designed

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with miners for miners using worldleading technologies.

Its steel toe caps and fully enclosed metatarsal guard of moulded XRD extreme impact protection material provide utmost protection against impact, cuts, penetration and rolling forces without reducing flexibility and comfort.

The non-metallic penetration resistant insole also provides extra protection from penetration, while the waterproof leather is soft and pliable, offering superior waterproofing, abrasion, puncture and tear resistance.

WAYS TO A BETTER FIT While all safety footwear must comply with the AS/NZS 2210.3:2009 standard, there is a limit to which this standard can be relied upon to determine fitness to specific requirements.

As a start, composite toe caps comply to the above standard but are more suited to light industries as opposed to mining work environments.

For increased heat resistance, one should opt for a safety boot with a sole that is manufactured to withstand up to 300-degrees Celsius, and provides slip resistance in varied environments. The sole should be resistant to cuts, abrasion and microbial attack, and resistant to oil, acid and organic fat.

Heavy duty tread patterns enhance stability in muddy, rugged and outdoor conditions, due to its ability to self-clean and naturally dislodge smalls rocks and dirt.

A superior thermal regulating lining such as bamboo is also anti-bacterial,

anti-fungal, breathable, quick drying and deodorising. This is imperative to ensure long-term foot health.

Additionally, Blundstone points out it is important to have an upper design that provides excellent ankle support and stability, an upper material that is durable and a lacing system that precludes trip potential such as open hooks.

For the greatest protection against electrical hazards, Blundstone recommends ASTM F2413-17 electrical hazard resistant footwear.

There are three categories of electrical conductivity in safety footwear: insulating (also known as electrical hazard

“Having products that are comfortable, relevant and embrace latest technologies is paramount.” resistant), anti-static and conductive.

According to Blundstone, it’s a common misconception that metal in a boot is bad when working around electricity. Metal is conductive when it’s in contact with other metal, but steel toe caps and shanks are enclosed by non-

Personal protective equipment is the first line of defence to environmental hazards.

SAFETOWORK 21 JUL-SEP 2019

conductive materials such as leather and rubber, and are therefore safe to wear in environments where there are live circuits.

Most industries must comply with relevant government regulations regarding the provision and suitable wear of PPE, not the least safety footwear.

Mining Equipment

Measuring safety gains – a safer workplace is a more efficient workplace MANY FITTERS NO LONGER NEED TO WRESTLE WITH AND UNDER HEAVY MACHINERY WITH THE TRACKED ELEVATING DEVICE (TED) AT THEIR SERVICE ONSITE. SAFE TO WORK EXPLAINS.

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“The fact that TED is remote control-operated takes the danger out of the possibility of unplanned movements, as the fitter is out of the line of fire when lowering things like belly plates. ”

ivek Industries has disrupted the way earthmoving maintenance operations are conducted across Australian mine sites. Its breakthrough equipment, tracked elevating device (TED), is designed by a fitter for fitters – Kevin Cant, Nivek founder.

TED is a battery operated, selfpropelled, all terrain belly plate jack that removes mining fitters from the line of fire. Safe To Work speaks to Nivek operations manager and former maintenance fitter Jeff Merchant and general manager Derrick Cant about opportunities to improve onsite maintenance applications.

are a very big consideration when working on mining machinery.

Reflecting on your years working on mine sites, are there any prevailing problems with maintenance practices at mine sites?

JM: Pinch points are everywhere and often can’t be engineered out, so they

What were the greatest hazards employees need to be mindful of when it comes to conducting maintenance operations?

JM: Some of the most dangerous things fitters must be aware of and plan prevention for on a daily

TED’s powerful hydraulic lifting ability of up to 800 kilograms.

basis are unplanned movements, hydraulic injections, crush injuries and unexpected release of stored energy.

Unplanned movements can be caused by unseen hazards, unexpected weight distribution and the removal and replacement of components.

What are the common cases of injury and/or risks associated with these duties?

JM: Muscle strain and back injuries are all-too-common issues due to the sheer weight of components and tooling, and the awkward work environment being under machinery.

How does TED offer a solution?

JM: TED takes the weight of belly

SAFETOWORK 22 JUL-SEP 2019

guards and many other components, removing a large amount of physical strain. The fact that TED is remote control-operated takes the danger out of the possibility of unplanned movements, as the fitter is out of the line of fire when lowering things like belly plates. The fact that TED is on tracks means that it can handle tough terrains, eliminating the need for fitters to be pushing and pulling whilst crawling on their hands and knees under machinery.

How does technology play a part in making innovation such as TED possible? Are there any breakthrough capabilities introduced by TED? JM: Prior to TED, the ways of removing belly plates were dangerous and taxing on the body and outdated at best. With

TED’s remote controlled operation ensures fitters’ safety by keeping them out of the line of fire.

remote control technology, however, TED can be operated with fitters being a safe distance away from the danger zone. Although TED began as purely a safe way to remove belly plates, an

array of attachments now allow TED to help with countless maintenance jobs.

It offers the ongoing safety benefits of increased control and lowered manual handling.

Mining Equipment DC: Although there were no groundbreaking technologies developed for TED, technology has still played an important part in the design and final capabilities of the machine. The wireless radio system allows users to stay at a safe distance, the skid steer track system allows the deployment of TED into the field, and the combination and layout of the scissor lift hydraulic system allows for an extremely low profile – essential for belly plate removal.

How do you measure TED’s success in mine sites?

JM: As far as we know, there has not been a single fatality or loss of a limb with the use of TED so far as we are aware. In our opinion, one serious injury or life lost in a work environment is one too many. It keeps my mates working in the pits safe. The availability of all TED’s attachments mean that TED can make a myriad of jobs quicker and easier. The reduction in downtime experienced by most workshops with TEDs is definitely impressive and supports smoother running of the mining operation overall

“Rather than just trying to prevent critical and life-threatening injuries, they seem to be looking to workers’ future health, and often times attempting to prevent repetitive strain injury (RSI), back injuries and long-term injuries.”

DC: TED’s success can easily be measured by the amount of positive feedback we receive on our social media platforms. The constant requests for additional attachments is a clear indication that maintenance staff are using TED and can see benefits the system provides, as they would like to use it for more

More than 170 TEDs are in operation across Australia.

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applications. Although TED’s biggest benefit is gained through increased safety, its efficiency gains and costsavings are also enormous. TED reduces the maintenance time of operations, required man-hours and workplace fatigue. By being deployable in the field, TED can save hours of vehicle downtime and float costs.

KEEP YOUR DUST DOWN Dust emissions constitute a significant operating, environmental and occupational health hazard that is unacceptable to the modern Bulk Materials Handling Industry.

ESS Dust Suppression systems generate a spray of fine water droplets to encapsulate dust particles to prevent the material from becoming airborne outside chute areas.

Nivek pays attention down to the smallest details when designing attachments.

How has the sector’s attitude towards worker safety shifted in recent years? What has changed since?

JM: Mine site attitudes appear to have shifted over the past 20 years. Rather than just trying to prevent critical and life-threatening injuries, they seem to be looking to workers’ future health, and often times attempting to prevent repetitive strain injury (RSI), back injuries and long-term injuries – all so that workers can enjoy their lives and families outside of work.

DC: Workplace safety has been a major part of mining culture for quite some time now. However, there are still some tasks that can be better mitigated against – belly plate and suspended load removal/installation being a prime example – especially in the field where maintenance staff had to use alternative methods.

The ESS Dust Suppression system is suitable for use with most dust producing materials where the process will allow for small amounts of added moisture.

The ESS Dust Suppression system is: - Simple, Safe and Easy to Maintain as all maintenance is performed from the outside of the chute.

- When the Quickfit Nozzle is combined with an appropriate filter, decreasing blockages and maintenance.

- A Low Water Consumption Unit, using only 2 liters of water a minute over a range of pressures. Making it suitable for drier environments.

- Supplied in Kit Form, comprising 2, 4 or 6 Quickfit nozzles, a manifold, push fit hoses and fitting.

Proudly Manufactured in Australia TED has proven to be the safest way to remove and replace belly plates in the field.

SAFETOWORK 25 JUL-SEP 2019

Working at heights

Putting a stop to dropped objects DROPS PREVENTION EXPERT DROPSAFE HAS EXPANDED ITS SAFETY MISSION IN AUSTRALIA THROUGH A NEW PARTNERSHIP. SAFE TO WORK REPORTS.

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ropped objects pose a significant safety risk at mine sites. Safe Work Australia found in 2017 that eight per cent of work-related injuries in Australia were caused by falling objects.

Incidents involving dropped objects are such a common occurrence that some firms are exclusively focused on tackling this risk.

Dropsafe has been mitigating dropped object risks in the workplace with its product range for more than 20 years.

The company identifies four major threats associated with dropped objects, including the risk of injury or fatality to personnel, the risk of damage to equipment, as well as financial and reputational consequences. The last two categories, while perhaps less obvious, are becoming an increasingly important consideration for miners.

The legal ramifications that arise from workplace fatalities and injuries result in considerable cost to a mine’s perception and bottom line.

Dropsafe commercial director Mike Rice believes firms that cannot show they are prioritising the safety of their

personnel by investing in dropped object prevention systems face significant commercial risks.

“Dropped objects do not simply threaten personnel, the equipment they are using and the finances of the site owner; they also pose a significant threat to the reputation of businesses, both large and small,” Rice says.

“Safety performance is highly scrutinised and is increasingly becoming a crucial consideration in commercial decision-making – particularly in challenging market environments where cost-cutting is commonplace.

“To date, an overall lack of standardisation in what constitutes ‘best practice’, coupled with shortfalls and inconsistency in reporting, has posed an obstacle to the adoption of high-quality prevention systems. The tide is turning however, particularly as businesses realise the commercial benefits that go hand-in-hand with a robust safety strategy.”

A key dropped object risk is posed by fixtures and fittings that come loose and fall from height in dynamic environments where vibration and

Dropsafe’s barriers can be horizontally or vertically aligned.

SAFETOWORK 26 JUL-SEP 2019

corrosion is common.

The Dropsafe Net — made from SUS316 stainless steel and tested to five times product safe working load — is a widely adopted netting solution that surrounds lighting and other fixtures, mitigating the risk of drops. Objects falling from walkways and stairwells, such as handheld tools and equipment, also pose a risk.

“Dropsafe has continued to see strong demand worldwide for its products from firms throughout the oil and gas, mining, marine, renewables and industrial supply chains,” Rice continues.

“This has resulted in a number of fleet-wide rollouts of the Dropsafe Net as activity has ramped up again in oil and gas, and milestone orders in mining and conventional power for the Dropsafe Barrier, which was recently added to our product range.”

The Dropsafe Barrier, in particular, is designed to prevent objects falling from elevated work platforms (EWP), while the Dropsafe Net keeps overhead fixtures in place.

The Dropsafe Pouch, which boasts a similar stainless-steel design to the company’s nets (albeit miniaturised by design), holsters handheld equipment such as radios and multimeters by cords that prevent them from falling out of reach.

Dropsafe also produces items such as lanyards, securing cables, carabiners and safety shackles, in addition to its main three products.

The company formed a distribution partnership with Pacific Automation in May to meet increased

demand for its products from Australian mining operators.

Pacific Automation, born as Light and Power Systems in 1969, is wellknown for its distribution of electrical products, a trait dating back to the company’s status as the Western Australian distributor for electric switch manufacturer Kraus and Naimer.

The company will supply Dropsafe products in its range of equipment as part of the deal.

Rice says the partnership will bolster the company’s product and support services in Australia.

“Dropped object prevention is an issue that is currently high on the agenda for Australian firms as they seek to maintain the highest possible safety standards,” he says.

“This has led to steady growth in orders for our prevention systems, which include the Dropsafe Net, Dropsafe Barrier and Dropsafe Pouch.

“As these systems become an essential part of the toolkit for Australian safety professionals, Pacific Automation will help to ensure that they are deployed effectively to project sites and infrastructure throughout the country.”

Pacific Automation has offices in Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne, making the company a good fit for Dropsafe’s expansion ambitions.

Rice says both companies share similar values, which was a factor that attracted the two companies to the partnership.

“At Dropsafe, our products are engineered to stringent manufacturing standards, but we believe that high quality should not necessarily mean high cost, and we focus on delivering systems that remain cost-effective throughout their lifetime,” he says.

“The new partnership in Australia allows us to expand our distribution

Dropsafe’s pouches are designed using a similar technology to its nets.

and support network, enhancing the service we offer to our current and future customers in the region.

“Pacific Automation has a longstanding reputation for sourcing and supplying best-in-class, high-quality products and therefore was a natural fit for Dropsafe.”

Automation

Responsible automation emerges into a worldwide agenda THE INDUSTRY SEES A NEED FOR CONSISTENCY IN AUTOMATION PROJECTS AND HAS MOVED TO DEVELOP A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR THEIR SAFE MANAGEMENT. VANESSA ZHOU WRITES.

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Courtesy: Global Mining Guidelines Group

ike-minded organisations are driving change in the mining industry. They’re not only consumers of automation technology, but also advocates of safety during this period of change.

The Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) enables one such network.

Together, multi-stakeholders from

GMG Guidelines autonomous mining workshop in Canada last year.

mining companies, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), original technology manufacturers (OTMs), research organisations and consultants around the world monitor the pulse of the industries and develop guidelines to manage risks associated with change.

Leading organisations involved in preparing the guideline include Anglo American, Barrick Gold, Caterpillar, Codelco, CSIRO, Deloitte, Komatsu, Liebherr, National Research Council Canada, Rio Tinto, Roy Hill, Schneider Electric, University of British Columbia, and Western Australia Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety.

Their finished product is a true example of what can be achieved when industry comes together, Roy Hill senior legal counsel and head of external affairs Julian Hill tells Safe to Work.

The industry interest reflects the growing importance of autonomous systems in mining and the need for a unified framework while maximising the value of autonomy, according to Symbiotic Innovations principal innovator and GMG vice-chair working groups Andrew Scott, who facilitated many of the workshops.

Roy Hill was an active participant in the various collaboration workshops conducted over 11 months. In April, the guideline for implementation of

SAFETOWORK 28 JUL-SEP 2019

autonomous systems was published, offering a broad overview of autonomous systems and promoting consistency across projects of various scales.

“The guideline has taken an umbrella approach, covering single autonomous and hybrid vehicle projects to multi autonomous fleets, outlining consistent practices in order to deliver a successful autonomous project,” Roy Hill general manager improvement and smart business Christine Erikson says.

The guidelines provide insights for business case development, health and safety risk management, change management, regulatory and community engagement, as well as operational readiness and deployment.

In fact, the strong engagement of the participants in these workshops is reflected in the quality of the guidelines.

Scott says there has been an “incredible level of engagement” in the project since its launch.

“Roy Hill was asked to participate in the development of the guideline as part of a group of mining companies seeking to drive improved safety outcomes, better manage risk and enhance performance,” Erikson says.

“The guideline was developed over a series of workshops conducted around the globe with industry representatives.”

GMG accounted for its leading participants’ experience during the development of the guideline, from an individual to an industry level.

The development was built on individual contributions that are based on expertise and collation of previously developed standards; shared knowledge collected during workshops; and experience gained by the industry, including review of previous and current deployments.

Mitigating risk and managing change while maximising the value of an autonomous project are key principles underpinning the guideline.

The most important objective was to create a guideline that enables organisations to confidently embark on the automation journey, according to Erikson.

“With so many industry participants contributing to the project, the guideline captures industry learnings that can be applied in future projects – enhancing their safety and sustainability,” she says.

“Consistency in application of these guidelines across autonomous projects, particularly the handling of changes to safety through automation and remote operation, has the potential to improve the safety and efficiency of mining operations, while lowering maintenance costs.”

The guideline points out that while improved safety is a frequently cited benefit of automation technology, it can also “present new safety risks”.

Furthermore, improved safety resulting from the switch to automation can be “difficult to measure” when compared with other value drivers, such as reduced downtime and cost reduction.

“Companies should invest sufficient time and resources to ensure autonomous operations can start up safely and meet production expectations,” the report says.

Its relevance to industry makes it a compelling resource for any mining operation considering the adoption of automation, according to Hill.

The biggest success of this guideline development to Hill, however, was in engaging and collaborating with like-minded industry participants, who are all focused on delivering a relevant industry framework.

“GMG sets the benchmark for the positive evolution of mining industry autonomy, where international whole-ofindustry engagement improves the safety and sustainability of the mining sector,” Hill says.

After all, Roy Hill has a firm belief that sharing learnings across mining, and outside mining, accelerates safety and productivity benefits of autonomous projects.

With GMG’s international network of industry stakeholders, it has the ability and reach to support the adoption of its guidelines.

Monitoring

Lightning strikes may penetrate deep underground, putting a mine’s integrity into question.

Managing risks of lightning strikes and air quality TWO RESPECTED UNITED STATES SCHOLARS WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH ON LIGHTNING STRIKES AND AIR QUALITY INSIDE MINES AT CURTIN UNIVERSITY. VANESSA ZHOU WRITES.

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lot of research on mine safety has been focused on sensors, the Internet of Things and data analytics, but lightning strikes and air quality inside mines will be the target of two leading scientists from the United States next year.

Tall mine structures, such as headframes are, indeed, preferred places for lightning to strike. While a headframe itself is assumed to be as robust, lightning currents have been shown by researchers to penetrate deep underground, according to New Mexico Tech Professor and former Silicon Valley engineer Richard Sonnenfeld.

In the United States, methane explosions in coal mines have been shown to be triggered by sparks that were induced by surface lightning.

But the phenomenon of lightning attachment – the technical term that addresses the basic question of ‘How

does a lightning flash know what to hit?’

– is not well understood, leading to the impossibility to engineer better lightning protection solutions.

“Much work is empirical, (though) modern instruments have the potential to illuminate this important subject. … I hope to observe the headframes in Kalgoorlie under thunderstorm conditions,” Sonnenfeld tells Safe to Work.

Sonnenfeld and mining and metallurgical engineering academic George Danko, from the University of Nevada, will conduct research at Curtin University next year under the Fulbright program.

The initiative was established in 1949 through a binational treaty between the Australian and United States Governments, resulting in the award of about 100 scholarships each year.

Danko, on the other hand, will meet with Australian partners to develop

SAFETOWORK 30 JUL-SEP 2019

methods for improving mine safety and health related to hazardous atmospheric conditions in mines.

By using real-time condition monitoring, evaluation and control, the methods will target early recognition of hazards produced by natural or operational causes, allowing for preventative interventions in advance.

“The rapidly shrinking workforce in modern mines and the diminishing human feedback may create new problems in manual safety examinations in the USA and worldwide,” Danko says.

“It is necessary to rely on the application of monitoring sensor networks and automatic evaluation of the signal streams for worrisome trends with fewer humans in the loop.”

The ever stricter regulations for safety and health will also require automatic monitoring and evaluation, highlighting the benefits of an early warning system (EWS) technology.

Danko believes that running the automatic EWS in the mines and forecasting dangerous events may prevent over-ventilation while still maintaining required safety factors.

“Air quality regarding contaminant concentrations at the working places in the mines must be strictly controlled and observed according to operation permits,” he says.

“In spite of these compliance verifications, there are new roles for the EWS to play in a modern mine.”

Major organisations, such as the National Institute of Safety and Health and the Alpha Foundation for Mine Safety and Health in the United States, and the mining industry feverously pursue improvements in safety and health, according to Danko.

Australia is a leading country in realtime, mine-wide atmospheric monitoring.

The automated evaluation of mine-wide conditions for safety and health, and cost benefits continuously in real-time are “missing (and) lacking the dynamic, mine-wide modelling and information technology tools,” he says.

The new tools need to be selfcalibrated by machine-learning for understanding baseline conditions during variable mining operation; be fast and accurate to recognise worrisome patterns for scrutinising for hazardous possibilities, according to Danko.

It is Danko’s aim to quantify the operating safety factors for atmospheric conditions at both monitored and unmonitored locations everywhere in the mine.

He is also interested in recognising suspicious events and threats in the atmospheric conditions, and “to take

a forward-look in time for possible outcomes if they likely cause problems in compromised safety.”

Further, Danko expects to report overly large operating safety factors for health that could be reduced for ventilation cost-saving without compromising safety and health conditions.

“Curtin University’s Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) has strong reputation across all aspects of mining and mineral processing industry, including mine planning and design, mineral processing and optimisation,” WASM head of school Vishnu Pareek says. “While it is coincidence that both fellows’ research is about mine safety, they will work on two different aspects. … The visits of the two Fulbright Fellow will bring greater focus to mine safety and integrity.”

Workforce management

How drug testing kits contribute to site safety ABSTAINING FROM DRUGS HELPS KEEP WORKERS ALERT AND ALIVE ON SITE. DRUG TESTING KITS ARE A GREAT WAY TO ENSURE PEACE OF MIND FOR WORKERS WHO NEED TO KEEP A CLEAR HEAD.

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ubstance abuse can be a recipe for disaster in any workplace. Not only can this result in production issues associated with poor performance and absenteeism, it introduces significant safety risks.

In addition, the impaired judgement of workers under the influence of drugs or alcohol does not just present safety risks for the person involved, but also other people who work with them.

As such, it is of utmost importance that workers turn up clean and sober to avoid putting themselves or workmates

in danger. Drug testing kits are cheaply available for workers to privately test for drugs that might be within their system to ensure that they are fit for work.

“Drugs can affect the body in countless ways,” says Kelly Salter, brand manager at Frostbland, the creator and distributor of drug testing kit, Drug Alert.

“Many of these would particularly be dangerous to somebody on a highrisk workplace; inability to concentrate, short-term memory loss and blurred vision to name a few.”

In addition to making sure workers are personally able to work without

Drug use impairs judgement and clarity and can contribute to depression and anxiety issues.

SAFETOWORK 32 JUL-SEP 2019

consequence, the drug kits provide the added benefit of ensuring workers don’t lose their jobs should they fail a site drug test.

The standards are different depending on the site in question, with some companies taking a zero-tolerance policy on even miniscule traces of any illicit drugs, while others take a more relaxed case-by-case policy to enforcement.

Even though workers may feel fine a day or two after taking drugs, this doesn’t mean that their body is free of the signs. The length of time a drug remains detectable in the system depends on numerous factors, including the type of drug, the dose that has been consumed, individual personal tolerance levels and metabolic rates.

Cannabis traces, for example, can spend a considerably longer period of time in the bloodstream and urine than drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine and heroin.

Where signs of cocaine use are generally detectable in urine for around three to four days after use and one to two days in blood, signs of cannabis use can be detected anywhere between a week to a month in urine and up to two weeks in blood.

Like alcohol, drugs also produce a hangover effect after use even after leaving the bloodstream, further impairing operational ability. Whether a mine worker is dealing with delicate processes, such as data monitoring or large-scale earthmoving using a

300-tonne-plus haul truck, it is a serious cause for concern.

Drug use is also a contributor to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Studies in Australia by peer-reviewed publications such as the Journal of Health, Safety and Environment have found that mine workers suffer a higher incidence of these afflictions than the general population, particularly among more isolated fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in, drive-out (DIDO) workers, and workers between 18–33 years old.

“Mandatory drug tests for mine site workers are becoming more and more common due to the dangerous workplace conditions and the need for mine site workers to have absolute clarity and confidence to operate machinery and work long shifts known to miners,” says Salter.

“Apart from losing a contract, there is your own safety to consider which is most important of all seeing as death would be a real consequence for mandatory drug tests, an increasingly common occurrence at mine sites.

“By utilising Drug Alert regularly, mine site workers who take illicit drugs can monitor drugs within their system and hopefully avoid a failed drug test on site and lose their employment.”

All mining companies conduct regular drug tests on their employees.

A 2017 Mining People International poll found that over 60 per cent of the nearly 800 resources sector respondents surveyed answered in the affirmative when asked if they believed drugs were becoming a bigger issue in Australia’s mining industry.

Drug Alert tests provide a safe environment for users to screen themselves without judgement. The kits are available for both urine and saliva test formats and use the same technology as that found in professional screening laboratories, without the need to send them away to obtain results. The innovative technology is non-invasive, can detect up to 12 illicit and prescription drugs, is easy to use and CE approved.

The Drug Alert range includes tests for marijuana, street drugs and an

advanced street drugs and prescription drugs test also. All drug test kits provide results within minutes and are available from many locations across Australia and New Zealand, such as Priceline and Chemist Warehouse.

“Frostbland has developed Drug Alert to fulfil a real need in Australia and New Zealand to provide drug test kits of the highest standard that were available from the convenience of local pharmacies and drug stores,” she says.

“Drug driving is targeted by the police just as much as drink driving is due to the number of Australians now regularly taking illicit drugs, and many workplaces are following suit and Drug Alert has been instrumental in providing Australians the opportunity to manage employment and maintain safety.”

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Underground mining

Approaching underground safety from the surface CONTACT WITH CHEMICALS, DANGEROUS EQUIPMENT AND UNPREDICTABLE SURFACES ALL EXIST IN UNDERGROUND MINES, BUT MINOVA HAS FOUND A WAY TO REDUCE HUMAN EXPOSURE. ALEX GLUYAS WRITES.

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trata consolidation is a crucial aspect to the safety of any underground mining operation, as it provides stability around mine openings.

Underground mining in general is fraught with safety risks but the upside is enormous given some of the most prominent coal mines in the country lie beneath the earth’s surface.

Generally, the underground mining process involves creating tunnels from the surface into the mineral seam, which can exist hundreds of

A pumpable crib can be filled from the surface in around 15 minutes.

metres beneath the surface.

These tunnels are then used to transport machinery and equipment that assist in extracting the materials.

For Minova Australia, the introduction of the ‘surface to seam’ method for strata consolidation offers mining companies a new approach to ensuring the safety of its miners, which diverts from the conventional way.

According to the company’s commercial and operations manager, Dave Hewitt, the new technique is far more effective than the traditional system.

“Traditionally in underground coal and hard rock, when you do strata consolidation, the practise has always been to approach it from underground, which involves a lot of material handling in the underground environment,” he explains.

“That in itself has a lot of safety issues such as dealing with chemicals, different raw materials; there are a lot of exclusion zones and a lot of people in confined spaces.”

A mining industry push to try and undertake this process from the surface means Minova is now capable of offering its ‘surface to seam’ method, creating a huge opportunity for mining companies.

“Undertaking this from the surface eliminates people and reduces the potential exposure to chemicals in a confined space,” Hewitt says.

“It also removes a lot of machinery

SAFETOWORK 36 JUL-SEP 2019

which always has the potential to hurt people and less people involved in the process means personnel can work on other areas of mine sites.”

The new approach focuses on what the company describes as ‘strata control’ which incorporates roof reinforcement, preventing rib failure and stabilising floor movement within site specifications.

Water ingress is a common way in which ground support systems can be compromised and the injection of chemicals from the surface is one solution Minova offers.

This can also be applied to fill cavities in mines, as increasing pressure on rocks from mining activity and geotechnical conditions can cause fractured ground.

If not reinforced, incidents of rock fall or roof collapse can occur which presents danger to people, assets and infrastructure.

Minova anticipates that the process will cut the human footprint in half and Hewitt notes that the demand for the ‘surface to seam’ approach is already in the market.

Having already been approached by a company struggling with strata, Hewitt was questioned about what could be improved by pumping from the surface.

“Personnel-wise, there’s 37 shifts, 12-hour day and night shifts, just to move the product in and out of the mine – that takes a lot of people and equipment to look after just one part of the mine,” he says.

“There was also 37,000 drums of

Minova CTPM pump unit for pumping injection chemicals from the surface.

materials being lifted across rough ground and steel pallets that weigh 21 kilograms, so the potential for someone to hurt themselves is high.�

To improve the efficiency of the process, the surface to seam approach also utilises bulk handling,

which minimises the number of trips being made.

As Minova looks to launch the surface to seam approach in underground coal mines, Hewitt believes the new method could extend beyond the coal mining sector and into

other underground mining areas. “Block cave mines are now using these chemicals, which they haven’t used in the past as they are starting to get very deep in these caves,� he says. “To reduce the amount going underground would have significant benefits for an industry that doesn’t have as much experience.�

The new approach is symbolic of a wider industry focus on what Hewitt describes as “remote-type mining�, which involves controlling operations from more distant locations.

The aim is to reduce the exposure staff have to hazardous environments, machinery and chemicals.

For Hewitt, the equation is simple; “the more you can reduce your underground footprint in relation to human and loader interaction, the better off mine sites are.�

The weight is over

 � � �  � �

Underground mining

The dangers of gas in underground coal mining EXPLOSIVE UNDERGROUND GASES ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERNS UNDERGROUND COAL MINERS FACE. HOW DOES AUSTRALIA STACK UP? SAFE TO WORK REPORTS.

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nderground coal mining is safer than it has ever been in the history of the Australian resources industry, but it can still be dirty and dangerous work.

Not only do underground mine workers have to deal with confined spaces, darkly lit environments and heavy machinery as part of their day-today activities, they also have to consider the dangers of gas and ventilation.

Coal mines are naturally gaseous environments and can contain flammable coal dust, so there is a danger of fires or explosions caused by gas, dust or a

mixture of both if careful steps are not taken to contain the work environment.

Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) analysis of underground coal mine safety performance in Queensland and New South Wales from 1970-2015 showed the years with the highest combined incidents of fatalities were generally the ones in which fire and explosion-based disasters had occurred.

Notably, the Central Queensland town of Moura has suffered three significant coal mining disasters in that time frame, all of which were related to explosions.

The first was the Kianga No. 1 mining

disaster in 1975; the second the Moura No. 4 disaster in 1986; and the third the Moura No. 2 disaster in 1994. Combined, these three incidents resulted in the deaths of 36 people, leaving a significant impact on the town’s psyche.

While a single fatality can rightly be considered one too many, Australia’s coal mining industry in general remains one of the safest in the world when compared with certain international operations in less-regulated regions such as China, which is one of the worst offenders in terms of death tolls.

A November 2009 Xinxing mine

Editorial credit: / Shutterstock.com

Quality ventilation is critical in reducing the risk of gas-based explosions.

SAFETOWORK 38 JUL-SEP 2019

explosion in Heilongjiang province killed 108 workers, for example, though the country’s safety record has improved over the last decade. China also holds the record for the worst recorded disaster in coal mining history, an explosion at Benxihu Colliery in April 1942 that killed 1549 miners.

There is also no one gas to be on the lookout for, according to a spokesperson from the Queensland Government’s Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DNRME), meaning miners must remain particularly vigilant.

“A number of different types of gas can be present in underground coal mines and they may differ from mine to mine,” the DNRME spokesperson tells Safe to Work.

“A common gas that can be present is methane. Methane forms and is entrapped in the coal seam, but once the coal is mined, the methane is released into the atmosphere. The main danger is the potential for an explosion but only if an ignition source is present in the immediate vicinity.”

Such safety incidents in Australian underground coal mines have dropped considerably since the 1990s as more stringent practices and better detection technologies have come to pass.

Gas monitors have come a long way from the days of the caged canary.

Generally categorised by an ability to detect either combustible and toxic gases, modern gas detecting technology can be subdivided into catalytic and infrared detection for the former and metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) or electrochemical monitoring for the latter, although this separation is by no means exclusive.

“Technology plays a pivotal role in gas detection in underground coal mines,” the spokesperson continues.

“An example of these are real-time monitors with sensor heads. These give readings and analyse samples of the atmosphere in various parts of the mine,

to detect gas and the levels of gas.”

Catalytic combustible gas detection technology generally uses platinumtreated coils of wire to enable the detection of the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons, which become oxidised when they come into contact with a catalytic surface.

This catalytic contact results in temperature changes that alter the resistance of the wires and allow for the reaction to be detected. While catalytic sensors are still widely available, it is an older technology compared with infrared (IR) gas detectors, which requires less calibration.

IR detectors are designed to detect hydrocarbon vapours using an optical IR light source (the transmitter) with a filter set to a certain wavelength, and an IR light detector (the receiver).

Hydrocarbon vapour that comes into contact with the light path between the transmitter and receiver will cause the light to change colour. This is because the hydrocarbon molecules absorb infrared energy in the light.

IR technology is similarly used to check for the presence of other gases, such as carbon dioxide.

Each state has different regulations in place concerning flammable and toxic gases. In Queensland, the Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017 cites gas management, methane drainage, mine ventilation and spontaneous combustion as four of six major components of an effective principal hazard management plan for underground mining.

It also states that a mine’s safety and health management system must minimise the risk of dust explosions (including the collection and removal of airborne coal dust) and that if an explosion does occur, it should be suppressed to limit its propagation to other parts of the mine.

The NSW Work Health and Safety (Mines) Act 2013 has similar rules in

SAFETOWORK 39 JUL-SEP 2019

Detectors help to bring attention to potentially hazardous gas atmospheres.

place, stating that mine managers must limit coal dust generation, including generation by coal crushers, belt conveyors and belt conveyor transfer points.

“Controls for gas in underground coal mines are common across all mines,” the spokesperson says. “There exist multiple regulations that relate directly to gas management and especially methane.

Limits are set on the amount of gas that can be present in a mine atmosphere but again this can depend on which gas it is.

“They include ensuring any gas in an underground coal mine atmosphere does not reach dangerous levels, ensuring underground equipment in coal mines is intrinsically safe or fire proof and employees are educated in the risks that these gases present.”

Education is really the key word. One day, technology may serve to put an end to underground deaths as the industry’s push towards automation and real-time monitoring continues to evolve.

But until the theoretical day comes when coal mining becomes fully automated, education, training and proper planning will still be the most important factors that ensure combustible gas remains under control.

Respiratory protection This dozer is fit for purpose with dual HEPA filtration and pressurisation .

No doom and gloom: dust control in action BREATHESAFE OWNER AND DIRECTOR NICHOLAS JOHNSTONE REVEALS THAT KEEPING AN EVERYDAY WORK ENVIRONMENT AS DUST-FREE AS POSSIBLE IS TRULY ACHIEVABLE. VANESSA ZHOU WRITES.

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achine operators have direct contact with the air they breathe inside the cabins. Though the work environment is inescapable, it is certainly not one without hope.

Breathesafe owner and director Nicholas Johnstone proposes four ways to keep dust exposure levels to a minimum inside the cabin.

What do you think about Safe Work Australia’s plan in slashing the regulated occupational exposure limits for respirable silica dust?

At this moment it’s just a draft proposal.

I think it’s going to bounce backward and forward between the industry and

Safe Work. I’m hoping that the minimum that comes through is 0.05 – at the moment it’s 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre over an eight-hour period, and they’re talking about 0.02. I think that’s what they should do, based on the fact there are systems available for providing air quality better than 0.02. Based on the trials we’ve done, we can easily achieve it, and it’s not going to cost an arm and leg to do it.

How does the industry achieve that?

We’re talking to the mines and quarries inspectorate, which up here in Queensland has been extremely proactive in really talking to sites and saying, ‘Look, what are you doing

SAFETOWORK 40 JUL-SEP 2019

about respirable dust? Are you using HEPA filters?’ They’re very simple statements to say, but really, most sites will be still using the original equipment manufacturers’ filters.

All the OEMs of mobile equipment, whoever it is, have different grades for filters – what we find is that end users are still under the impression that what comes supplied in the vehicles is providing a safe work environment for the operator. The fact of the matter is that is not the case. There are statements from all OEMs saying, you might buy a machine and have the options of up to five different grades of filters to go into it. However, there is a disclaimer that states that any of these

filter options which come with the machine are not designed to work in a hazardous environment.

The act of digging a hole in the ground is going to generate mine dust, whether it’s really bad like silica or asbestos, or whether it’s coal dust, all of them are bad for you. It’s just the degrees of how bad it is for the operators over time.

If you were to provide four key things in respiratory protection, what would they be?

To provide what we believe to be the best practice and air quality for a mine or a quarry environment, there are essentially four key things.

One, you need to train your operators to understand what you’ve done and how they need to use the equipment. It doesn’t matter how good the filtration system inside the cabin is if they keep the door and window open – that operator would get zero protection.

The second thing is to have a positive pressure inside the cabin. This is generated by a cabin pressuriser.

That pressuriser must have HEPA H13 filters in it, so the air comes from outside contaminated and goes through the filters with the dust removed right down to sub-micron levels, and that clean air gets blown into the cab. So, you have more pressure inside the cabin than outside, and that stops dust from coming into the cabin – that’s what positive pressure does. But positive pressure does not mean ‘safe’ – positive pressure using clean air is safe, positive pressure using dirty air is not.

This brings us to the third point: positive pressure inside the cab will stop any more dirt getting into the cab, but it means nothing if you don’t clean the air inside the cabin through a HEPA filter. The operators getting into the cab would have walked across an unsealed yard or go line to get into the

machine, and they are now covered in contaminant, whether that be in their boots, their trousers or their shirts. So, we need filtration inside the machine to filter the air as well.

The last one is an in-cabin display that is fitted inside the cab to let the operator know that everything is working as it should be, and that positive pressure has been maintained.

This warning device will remind the operator to close the door or window properly, because the whole idea of providing a safe work environment is for it to stay that way for the entire time somebody is in the machine.

Why is it important to monitor dust in real-time?

All the research and trials that we have done demand for any engineered solution to be tested and audited periodically. You need to ensure that workers are in a safe working environment and you must have a plan.

We’ve had instances in the past where the system has been installed, but some spare parts weren’t available, so people use other parts – the wrong filters. They put a non-HEPA filter into a system that should be taking a HEPA filter. When it comes to real-time dust monitoring, you will know within half an hour whether the system is working effectively or not.

What’s the one thing that could help mine sites the most?

Have some clear direction as to what removes respirable dust. I would love if the mines or the inspectorates do some real-life trials over a three- to six-month period, proving what can be achieved. There’s some advice, but no trials have been done recently.

There are several systems on the market making claims of what can be achieved, but it would be good to know what actually works over an extended period of time. The long and

SAFETOWORK 41 JUL-SEP 2019

Breathesafe owner and director Nicholas Johnstone.

short of it is when we look at reducing dust exposure, there’s a lot of different ways of doing it.

Where do you think the mining industry stands now?

There are a lot of people right now who are educating themselves to make sure they are doing their utmost to work out what exactly they need to do to provide that safe work environment for their colleagues. Most hygienists and superintendents are taking it seriously.

The sites that invite us to do a live demonstration are always impressed when they see that we can provide protection factors considerably better than using respirators. It used to be costly in the past, but not anymore. The return of investment is usually within 12 months.

Breathesafe have several trials in progress in large and small mine sites.

We always say, let us do the trial on the machine that your operators are complaining about the most – give us the worst machine you’ve got! We will install an engineered solution – the improvement will be noticeable within a week of auditing and testing the system, but your operators will be able to tell whether it’s working or not within days.

Training Ben Shadgett at work at a site in Western Australia.

The importance of training when working at heights WORKING AT HEIGHTS IS AN EVERYDAY RISK FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY AND IT IS IMPORTANT STAFF ARE UP TO SPEED. SAFE TO WORK SPEAKS WITH SAFETY TRAINER BEN SHADGETT TO FIND OUT WHY THIS TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT.

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hen it comes to modern mining, working at heights can be a crucial part of the job.

Human factors are the leading cause of incidents related to working at heights — tiredness, carelessness or rushing are all contributors to possible slips, trips and falls.

It is therefore important that workers in high-risk industries such as mining and oil and gas receive sufficient training in order to recognise and deal with these issues.

Ben Shadgett is a safety trainer at Tasmania-based company Impact Safety Group, which focuses on safety training, inspections and installations of fall arrest safety systems.

The company’s training courses encompass a wide spread of the safety net, including confined space training, first aid and rescue training, gas detection (including gas test atmospheres and breathing apparatus operation) and working safely at heights.

The company’s Working Safely

at Heights course is one of its most popular, involving groups of six to 12 participants over a seven-hour day with assessment via written and practical components. Upon successful completion of the course, participants are then handed a nationally recognised statement of attainment.

Shadgett’s heights training and certifications at Impact Safety Group draw on a decade of experience working in Western Australia and Tasmania as a trainer assessor and onsite supervisor at RTOs in diverse industries including mining, oil and gas, civil and construction.

In mining specifically, Shadgett has worked on projects such as shutdown supervisions, plant and fall arrest installations (including elevated work platforms), heights training and confined space standby rescue.

He says the company’s heights training course, which is delivered under the auspices of the RIIWHS204D competency, is among the company’s most popular.

“That unit of competency lists all

SAFETOWORK 42 JUL-SEP 2019

the core elements anyone working at heights has to do under the nationally accredited training, so there’s a specific training we have to get them through to deem them competent,” he explains.

“It includes things like the correct fit of fall arrest equipment e.g. harnesses, as well as permits, risk assessment and practical components — all those types of things they have to do is ticked off under the RIIWHS204D.” The Australian Standards designation it falls under talks about selection, use and maintenance of fall arrest systems such as anchor points, static line systems, harnesses and auxiliary equipment.

Servicing and recertification of systems are also included under the Australian Standards (AS) 1891 series standard (specifically 1891.4), which dictates that webbing and rope-based products must be inspected every six months.

For mine sites, especially those in Western Australia that often operate under specific safety regulations in addition to AS standards, this can be as

frequent as every three months.

“Damage, cuts, wear and tear, burns — out-of-date equipment is another one — if you’re talking about mining specifically, a lot of that equipment is used for maintenance work fixing things on site, so they can also get a lot of grease, dirt, cuts, burns and abrasions,” Shadgett says.

“Those are the kind of things that a certified and competent inspector will be trained to look for.”

While the training includes modules for how to properly identify fall risks, dropped objects are another key component. This includes dropping objects such as tools from height, a risk mitigated through installation of drop nets and personal tool lanyards.

The training also covers postfall recovery options in the case that someone does end up falling from a height. This covers rescue planning for workers who have to deal with colleagues who might suffer an injury in this way. The training also accounts for a condition known as suspension intolerance (formerly known as suspension trauma), an orthostatic effect that occurs among some people who are suspended in harnesses for extended periods of time.

“It’s something we focus on quite heavily in our course, because there are proprietary build kits these days that allow you to hook on to someone who has fallen over and lower them to the ground or bring them back up to the level you were at as a post-fall rescue scenario,” Shadgett says.

“Effectively what they’re trying to do is say to work groups, ‘Don’t just have a mechanism of calling 000 as your plan because it can take some time to get someone down’.

“What we’re trying to do is teach people that post-fall recovery plan to get people on the ground as soon as possible to prevent this suspension intolerance from occurring.”

This ‘000’ strategy is a salient point. FIFO workers, who often work at a considerable distance from the nearest hospital, make up a significant proportion of the company’s mining trainees. While it is important that safety measures be taken at all mine sites regarding heights risks, workers at the most remote sites are particularly vulnerable given that their workplaces can be located so far from help.

“In Tassie, we’re a unique company because a lot of the FIFO workers are specifically based in Western Australia

Impact Safety Group’s Ben Shadgett strapped in his harness.

SAFETOWORK 43 JUL-SEP 2019

and Queensland. If they’re Tassie-based, however, we offer public courses for our accredited training,” Shadgett says.

“They can come in on their weeks off, do the training, fly back to site and hit the ground running, rather than have to fly to Perth and do the training there.”

At a time when entire companies dedicate themselves to new technologies that push site safety forward, such courses serve a vital purpose to account for the basic training that helps to mitigate the risks of human factors.

Rehabilitation

The danger of acid mine drainage ACID AND METALLIFEROUS DAMAGE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FACED BY MINE SITES. SO HOW DO MINERS DEAL WITH IT? EWEN HOSIE WRITES.

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cid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) can be a big problem for mine sites.

Also known as acid mine drainage or acid rock drainage (ARD), it is an environmental issue that requires considerable preparation to prevent.

In May, the Northern Territory Supreme Court found that the NT Primary Industry and Resources Department had failed to effectively monitor the former Frances Creek iron ore mine site owned by Territory Resources (formerly Territory Iron).

This situation resulted in groundwater contamination and the seepage of acid water into Jasmine Creek, with clean up costs pegged at $20 to $30 million.

The NT Government had attempted to increase the site’s rehabilitation bond from $5.4 million to $18 million retroactively, which was challenged successfully by Territory Resources due to the government’s failure to sufficiently monitor the operations.

But what is AMD, and how does it cause damage? In essence, it is initiated by the oxidation of sulfide minerals through exposure to the air.

There are numerous sulfide minerals but one of the most common at many Australian mines and elsewhere is pyrite, a shiny yellow mineral that, under some conditions, breaks down to form sulphuric acid. The acid that migrates from the pyrite grain lowers the pH of water, making it capable of dissolving other minerals, which can lead to

Water turned red by AMD.

pollution. A telling sign of AMD in water streams is a yellow or reddish tint to water streams “When exposed to elements such as oxygen and water, pyrite can oxidise and produce hydrogen ions, sulphuric acid, sulphate and ferrous iron,” explains Dr Jeff Taylor, an environmental geochemist and founding director of environmental consulting firm Earth Systems.

“In most places in Australia and certainly in eastern Australia the water table would certainly be located within the upper two to 10 metres of the Earth’s surface.

“As you drill down they find groundwater there and because all the sulfide minerals are submerged in water no air can get to them so that

SAFETOWORK 44 JUL-SEP 2019

reaction doesn’t occur. But when you have a mine and dig a big hole in the ground, whether it’s an underground or an open cut mine, you’re digging out those minerals from underneath the groundwater table and exposing all of that sulphidic material to air.”

Waste rock piles are a prime source of acid at mine sites, with tailings material and pit walls serving as subordinate sources. Some natural minerals such as calcite and dolomite can help to neutralise this acid; when the pH levels are near-neutral but with elevated levels of salinity from dissolved metal sand sulphates, this is referred to as neutral metalliferous drainage (NMD).

“You either have AMD or NMD or sometimes you just have saline drainage, where only the sulphate from

the sulfide is present in the water — there’s just salinity there and no metals.

It’s probably less harmful than acid metalliferous or neutral metalliferous damage but that salinity is a problem,” Taylor explains.

The worst areas for occurrences of AMD are regions with high rainfall.

While Australia’s precipitation levels are generally quite low, there are still mines that have historical issues with AMD, such as the defunct Mt Lyell coppergold mine in Tasmania.

The mine, which was placed on care and maintenance in 2014 and is poised for an eventual restart under Indian-owned Vedanta Resources, has received criticism from the Tasmanian branch of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) due to the damaging effects of its legacy tailings deposits on King River, Queen River and Macquarie Harbour.

Another notable abandoned mine in Australia known for its AMD issues is the Mount Morgan copper-gold-silver mine in Central Queensland, which turned the downstream Dee River blue following an overflow of the old gold mine caused by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald in 2013.

“Probably the worst areas in the world are the highest rainfall areas and I think in Australia that Tasmania is perhaps one of the worst with the Mt Lyell copper mine, which is no longer operating. Most of the acid is historical or legacy acid,” Taylor says.

“Coal mines in the Bowen Basin have salinity issues which are also related to AMD. If you could stop the AMD or oxidation of pyrite you could stop the salinity issues.”

Mine sites have various preventative measures in place to mitigate concerns surrounding AMD, with many government regulators requiring that there is an assessment made for the potential of acid metalliferous drainage as part of their permitting process.

It is important to reduce the access of oxygen to the sulfide minerals as soon as possible because sulfide mineral oxidation will start when the sulphides are exposed to oxygen.

Therefore, effective sulfide mineral management strategies should be developed at the early stages of mine planning and implemented as the sulfide bearing wastes are produced.

The most effective method of controlling or preventing the occurrence of AMD is to prevent the sulfide mineral from making contact with oxygen, which requires considerable engineering.

One way this can be done is to place sulfide minerals underwater. Another is to cover the sulfide materials with an appropriate cover, with one example being a layer of highly saturated clay, where the water is provided by rainfall.

Synthetic variants such as geomembranes and geotextile fabrics can also be used, but these are expensive and since the areas that need to be dealt with can be very large they are less common than using clay and earthen materials, explains Dr Andrew Garvie, a principal consultant at SRK Consulting.

“An issue in Australia is that mines may not have adequate quantities of clay combined with an adequate rainfall that’s uniformly distributed throughout the year so coming up with an effective

The yellow-orange tint of the King River in Tasmania is the result of AMD caused by tailings from the abandoned Mt Lyell mine.

SAFETOWORK 45 JUL-SEP 2019

cover can take a reasonable amount of engineering in terms of design and construction,” he explains.

“Disposing of sulphidic material in subaqueous fashion is reasonably rare in Australia at early stages of mining, partially because there’s a lack of water in Australia compared to, say, Canada, where it is more common,” he explains.

“At the later stages of mining the sulphidic materials might be placed back inside the pit and the water levels in the pit may rise and inundate the sulfide bearing wastes, but a common approach in Australia is to cover the wastes with a solid material, often more waste that doesn’t contain sulphides.”

Garvie explains that this reintroduction of waste back into the pit after mining is completed has become more popular with mines in parts of Australia that don’t have enough clay or rainfall.

Miners who dewater earth in preparation for mining of a pit can reintroduce the problematic material to the pit once mining has ceased. After switching off their dewatering pumps, water levels would rise causing the material to become inundated.

“It’s not a new way of covering but it’s a way that people are now looking at addressing in some parts of Australia to address a lack of clay and rainfall,” Garvie explains.

Materials handling

Handling the pressure: ESS unveils the safest air cannon yet ESS’S LATEST SYSTEM IS RAMPING UP PRODUCTIVITY FOR BULK FLOW OPERATIONS AND PROTECTING WORKERS AT THE SAME TIME. SAFE TO WORK INVESTIGATES.

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he build-up of materials in bulk storage systems is a common bulk materials handling issue. When silos and bunkers accumulate material around their perimeters, it can slow operations down or even stop bulk material flow altogether.

Air cannons are pressure vessels with attached valve mechanisms that blast air at high-velocity

Bulk material build-up slows operations to a crawl if not corrected.

speeds approaching speeds of up to 1100 kilometres an hour, which is approaching the speed of sound (Mach 1). They are frequently used to dislodge bulk material build-up and allow for maximum storage capacity.

In the bulk materials handling sector, Air Cannons have numerous applications. They can solve bulk flow problems in silos, hoppers, chutes and storage piles and are often used where vibration is not practical, or other methods are too expensive.

While the power of air cannons provides a handy way to deal with bulk material blockages, the discharge of highly compressed, high-pressure air stored inside the vessel can cause severe injury or even death if not handled effectively. Dealing with compressed air, in general, is hazardous, even when using smaller air compressors.

The potential dangers air pressure pose include hearing injuries caused by the loud noises air compressors and related equipment make; eye injuries from direct exposure to the air or indirect exposure through displaced particles; high-pressure injection injuries (HPII) that cause local tissue damage; and aeroembolism, which is when compressed air enters the bloodstream.

ESS Engineering Services & Supplies has built on four decades

SAFETOWORK 46 JUL-SEP 2019

ESS has delivered a robust design that can be filled just prior to being fired.

of experience and designed an air cannon system for bulk material removal that is both safer and more effective than alternative arrangements. The system is available with both internal and external valves in four-inch and six-inch sizes.

Air, which is stored in 40-litre, 70-litre, 150-litre or 250-litre receivers, escapes directly through valves into a discharge pipe to affect the area of influence during dispersal.

The University of Newcastle

Research Associates (TUNRA) Bulk Solids was engaged to validate ESS’s claim the cannon’s valve was the most powerful on the market, according to ESS Engineering manager Mick Hutton.

“We invested a great deal of resources into making this a reality, and once we were confident that we could provide our customers with the best of the best, we devised a test procedure to test our valve configurations against our competitors on a level playing field,” he says.

“Results showed the ESS air cannon options outperformed all others in terms of peak blast force and blast impulse.”

TUNRA Bulk Solids organised blind testing of ESS’s Air Cannon valves against other air cannon valves available domestically and overseas, using random letter allocation and found the results exceeded in-house tests. TUNRA Bulk Solids consulting engineer David Bradney says the primary measures guiding the study are peak force and blast impulse.

“Each valve was tested in a deidentified state, and we randomly allocated a letter to each valve we tested,” TUNRA Bulk Solids consulting engineer David Bradney explains.

“The results were then provided to ESS with a photo to allow them to identify the valve and the corresponding letter identifier.”

However, power is not the only guiding principle that sets ESS’s design apart. Hutton says the system’s design is also safer than its competitors because the air cannon vessel is filled just before it being fired.

This minimises the time the air cannon is charged, which, in combination with remote administration via a sequence controller that determines fire time interval, ensures workers are not in the immediate vicinity when the tank is pressurised and firing.

“We’ve taken out the biggest part of the risk which is the time the vessel remains charged for,” Hutton says.

“For 90 per cent of the time, it lays dormant without charge, whereas traditionally cannons are always charged with air and ready to go.

“In that scenario, it means you’ve got a pressurised vessel in an area where people frequent harbouring potential energy of 500 kilojoules that, if ruptured, could cause a catastrophe.

“With our air cannon system, we have developed a 150 litre cast vessel which effectively has an infinite life in terms of pressure cycles. It’s a more robust vessel than its rivals

ESS’s Air Cannon valves are hosted externally or internally.

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with no specific statutory inspection requirements as stipulated by AS3788.”

ESS mechanical engineer James Stievenard adds that the air cannon system includes other advances that help make it safer: “Our newly designed valve includes only one moving part with no metal-on-metal contact,” he says. “We have also engineered out the requirement for fatigue-prone components such as springs that can fail catastrophically.”

ESS is particularly proud of these engineering innovations, which have contributed to a safer design and improved performance.

Innovation

Machinery innovation aims to enhance underground environment THE 2019 AUSTMINE: MINING INNOVATION CONFERENCE DEMONSTRATED WHAT IS BEING ACHIEVED TO MAKE UNDERGROUND MINING SAFER AND MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. SAFE TO WORK WRITES.

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nternational equipment manufacturers and Australian companies alike are showing their commitment to changing the underground mining environment.

Epiroc and Safescape both used the Austmine 2019 Conference in Brisbane during May to unveil details of their plans to innovate the underground with battery electric technology.

Battery electric machinery is set to provide numerous benefits to underground mining in the coming years, such as improved safety, as well as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, diesel fuel consumption and power use.

For Epiroc, the technology continues to become further entrenched in the

original equipment manufacturer’s (OEMs) future with the development of its Batteries-as-a-service business model.

The new division of the company will be another step towards its ambition to lead mining towards a sustainable future with zero emission machines.

Epiroc has rapidly moved in this direction in recent years, making a key move in 2016 by releasing its first generation battery electric machinery, which focused on smaller models of the company’s underground trucks, loaders and drills.

In 2017, the Swedish company started development of a battery platform involving scalable, modular

Epiroc’s second generation of battery electric machinery.

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architecture that could be used across its product range, from the smallest to largest machines.

The OEM then unveiled its second generation battery electric equipment late last year, including a number of larger machines that will appeal to a broader market, particularly in Australia.

To support this expansion, Epiroc realised it needed to change the way it does business to accelerate the transformation.

As Epiroc introduced its new battery system, the company also started to plot the Batteries-as-a-service business model to take its development breakthroughs further.

Epiroc is shaping the business model to remove the obstacles that come with a transition to the technology, providing an ‘instant technology leap’ to battery electric machinery.

Batteries-as-a-service will move the upfront costs of batteries from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, with the responsibility of this function assumed by the OEM. Epiroc senior executive vice president, mining and infrastructure, Helena Hedblom believes Batteriesas-a-service will be a natural choice for many customers.

“The bigger mining houses often have the capacity to buy it all, but for the smaller and mid-sized customers the capital expenditure (of battery electric

machinery) could still be resistance,” Hedblom says.

“We believed if we could find a way to turn the batteries into OPEX we would have customers wanting to try this, especially as we expect the technology to improve every year.

“With this model we can put the new technology in as it is developed, which is not the case if we just sell the batteries.

By that we can have a seamless improvement of technology into the fleet that is out there.”

Safescape, meanwhile, is trialling a light EV in an Australian gold mine in a collaborative partnership with 3ME Technology and METS Ignited.

The Bortana EV, based on the Agrale Marruá heavy-duty utility vehicle from Brazil, has been designed to offer a significant increase in sustainability and durability compared with existing options for underground mining.

It has been developed to provide several key benefits over dieselpowered vehicles. The Bortana EV provides minimal heat, minimal noise and no exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM) for workers within confined spaces.

A prototype of the EV will go into the gold mine on a three-month trial before further exposure to other mining companies and contractors.

Safescape managing director Steve Durkin says the vehicle has a simple design, but it is also incredibly strong and robust.

“The vehicle we are using has been designed from the ground up for a military platform in Brazil. The whole body is galvanised,” Durkin says.

“So we have a vehicle that is strong enough for the environment, strong enough for the loads that we are carrying, and resists corrosion for an extended period of time.”

Safescape displayed the vehicle at the Austmine Conference, before

launching it at the Mt Cotton Training Centre in Brisbane following the event.

3ME Technology chief executive Justin Bain says a vehicle of this nature is sorely needed in the Australian mining landscape.

“Vehicles used in underground Australian mining operations have faced issues of corrosion, durability and emissions for a long time – there is a sore need for a better solution,” Bain says.

“The Bortana EV was developed for the harsh environments of Australian mine sites and we’re really excited to see this vehicle in action. We have focused on achieving the highest levels of safety and compliance whilst delivering superior performance and efficiency. ” Bortana EVs are future proofed, according to the developers. They are also equipped for integration with current and future artificial intelligence development.

The project is partly funded by METS Ignited, which provided $500,000 for the initiative under its collaborative project funds in 2018.

Epiroc’s development of its battery electric range, along with the Bortana EV trial, demonstrates there is a

growing appetite for these innovations in Australia.

Shaiful Ali, Epiroc business line manager, says Australian mining companies are already showing interest in the prospect of a Batteries-as-aservice model.

The interest comes around six months after Epiroc released its second generation battery electric equipment, which the company is confident will be attractive to Australian mine sites.

Epiroc anticipates that Australian underground miners will increasingly pursue battery electric opportunities as the technology improves from an economic perspective.

“That’s mainly because in Australia there are not a lot of greenfield mine sites – a lot of the mines in Australia are going deeper,” Ali says.

“Obviously as you go deeper it gets hotter and it’s a driver for certain mining companies to sustain the mine life. The drivers for batteries are also obviously the cost savings involved with ventilation and the safety aspects they provide.”

The OEM expects an Australian mine to receive a machine from its second generation battery electric fleet by the end of the year.

The Bortana EV during its launch in Brisbane.

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Technology

Technology: Is it now a way of mining?

TECHNOLOGY IS EMBRACED AS A NEW WAY OF MINING AS MUCH AS IT IS A NEW WAY OF LIFE. VANESSA ZHOU SPEAKS WITH MINING EXPERTS IN AUSTRALIA AND SWEDEN TO GET A CLOSER LOOK ON HOW IT’S BEEN INTEGRATED.

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igital technology is leading to significant changes in the way mining operations are conducted, and the impact can be felt site-wide.

Technology has changed the way things are done, from exploration through to project conception and execution, to mining operations and maintenance, to the logistics of road, rail, port and shipping operations.

Just as key processes and job roles in the wider society have been and are being changed through digital technology, the same can be said for the mining sector, according to Neometals director Jennifer Purdie.

Although the overall change can be transformational, a lot of it is incremental rather than transformative in the same way as in daily lives.

“People working in the sector are changing the way they work and their expectations of the workplace just as they are changing what they are doing at home and in their leisure time,” Purdie tells Safe to Work.

“Different people will handle change differently depending on the individual impacts on what they do day to day in their role and their own circumstances and preferences.”

Roy Hill employee Annette Baker, for example, was working in the company’s remote operations centre (ROC) as a controller dispatch for the truck fleet. She later expressed an interest in taking on a new role within the company, leading to

Roy Hill’s Atlas Copco Pit-Viper 271 drill fleet has been automated and is now operated remotely from Perth.

her current position as drill controller.

Baker’s transition was made possible despite her minimal drilling experience, using Roy Hill’s newly developed training plan.

Roy Hill began its transition to autonomous drills in April 2017, with

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control fully centralised within the company’s ROC in May this year (involving a fleet of nine Epiroc Pit Viper 271 drills). The project has been met with a positive response from Roy Hill’s employees.

“Previously, drillers were operating in

an exposed, hot environment at our mine site. The conversion to an autonomous drill fleet meant these employees were able to transition their roles to Perth and operate up to four drills per person using a control console and a screen working from an air-conditioned office at the ROC,” a Roy Hill spokesperson says.

RECEPTIVITY V RESISTANCE Some resistance is understandable when considering digitalisation in traditional mining organisations.

A new workplace environment has its own issues of skills, personal integrity and work environmental problems, leading to workers’ resistance during a transition period, according to Luleå University of Technology chair professor of human work science and dean Lena Abrahamsson.

The underground workplaces in the Swedish mining industry are a context where digitalisation processes in a traditional organisation are extra visible, Abrahamsson says in her think piece, Gender perspectives on the impact of technological change in mining.

Sweden’s mining industry is “not really unique” compared to the global mining industry, where many challenges and opportunities are shared.

This includes the adoption of a high level of new technology, including remote control, automation and digitalisation, with the ambition for even more.

“But at the same time the Swedish mining sector has, in some ways been a reluctant context when it comes to changes at the workplaces … (including) changes related to new technology,” Abrahamsson says.

“The symbolism of mining work, the mineworker identity and culture have for a long time stayed in an old-fashioned mode in many aspects, at least in relation to what the new technology, such as digitalisation and automation, imply.”

Resistance to digitalisation typically arises from a fear of change

around roles and the new skillset required to be successful in the role, according to Roy Hill.

A key contributor to any resistance can be uncertainty or lack of exposure to technology.

Roy Hill’s focus on providing career development pathways ensures there is a clear training plan in place, including any training required on using more advanced digital technologies.

In fact, there have been no redundancies as a result of Roy Hill’s move to autonomous drills.

“Automation projects are always still predominantly about people. This (ROC) project has highlighted that by being open, transparent and committed to people’s development, advanced technology projects can be implemented in conjunction with enriching our people’s career paths,” Roy Hill head of mining Ian Wallace says.

Purdie continues: “People I have

Roy Hill employee Annette Baker has transitioned to the role of drill controller.

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worked with in mining are all keen for improved safety in the workplace, and often where there is reduction in manual intensity, this also makes work safer and easier for all.

“A particular benefit may be that some older workers may find it easier to continue in the workforce for longer.”

It is, however, important for mining companies to be able to address questions relating to employees’ role evolution to appease resistance.

These questions are ‘Do they have the skills for new roles or will they be trained?’, ‘Will their jobs disappear, and if so what else will they be able to do?’ and ‘What is the impact in terms of salary and conditions?’

Purdie believes that occasional physical presence and a level of experience on site is still required for those working in ROC to be the most effective, though technologies may overcome this need in the future.

Environment

Taking water back to the environment VIRTUAL CURTAIN PROVES THAT CLEANING UP CONTAMINATED MINING WASTEWATER CAN BE COST-EFFECTIVE, IN CONTRADICTION TO POPULAR BELIEFS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE MINING. VANESSA ZHOU WRITES.

Queensland copper pit prior to treatment.

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SIRO senior principal research scientist Grant Douglas has brought a double-edged sword to wastewater treatment – a critical part of every mining operation.

He invented a technology called Virtual Curtain, which demonstrated its worth by successfully treating 56 million litres of acidic, contaminant-laden mine pit water in a Queensland copper mine within just two weeks.

The technology not only extracted water safely, but also returned a better water quality to the environment.

The miner then recovered around $1 million worth of ore back from the bottom of the mine pit, with over 90 per cent of the treated solute being discharged to the environment. The material produced by the Virtual

Curtain process contained an ore grade that is substantially higher than what was mined – eight per cent copper and four per cent zinc – with potential for reprocessing.

Contaminated wastewater in a copper project being treated with the Virtual Curtain technology.

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“Virtual Curtain has absolute technological advantage over current technologies in that you do have that opportunity now to produce an even greater ore grade that was originally mined. You can get that out of the wastewater by concentrating up the contaminants into a solid,” Douglas tells Safe to Work.

“That’s really why Virtual Curtain is at the forefront with advantages over a lot of existing techniques.”

What’s more, Virtual Curtain allowed copper mining to commence about six weeks after the treatment.

This is only one of Douglas’ success stories in completing the full cycle of processing contaminated, acid pit water back to re-mining.

Douglas, who developed the invention in 2008, has 25 years of experience in surface, groundwater

An emptied mining pit in Queensland following wastewater treatment.

and sediment geochemistry.

In the Beverley uranium mine in South Australia, Virtual Curtain removed a suite of radionuclides while evaluating the treatment of its effluent in a benchtop study.

“We were able to take out any remaining uranium following processing, and take out a lot of the radioactivity. So you have the opportunity, if required, to release a higher quality water,” Douglas says.

Virtual Curtain demonstrates that wastewater processing can go to another level, often far beyond current industry capability.

The technology can be applied to copper and zinc, as well as other hard rock mining in Australia and internationally.

Not only can Virtual Curtain be implemented from the initial mining stage, acid wastewater treatment, metallurgical processes through to improving the performance of other technologies, it can also be used to clean up the water after commodity extraction.

In China, the Virtual Curtain technology was used to treat seven billion litres of coal to chemicals wastewater a year – ‘a big drink’ according to Douglas – producing reductions of 60 per cent in total

hardness, 66 per cent in silica and 85 per cent in turbidity.

The result was a 50 per cent increase in reverse osmosis output at a fraction of the comparable infrastructure costs.

Wastewater treatment with Virtual Curtain requires only a couple of tanks, while recovering much less solid and more water (up to 90 per cent) compared to the traditional lime method (often around 60 per cent).

“A lot of the time, the use of lime is the default in mine wastewater treatment. It is the traditional method that has been used since the Roman times. But lime is imperfect and involves quite an intensive process and considerable infrastructure costs,” Douglas says.

While Virtual Curtain is mostly retrofitted, its subsidiary Virtual Curtain China is building the first ever sites dedicated to the technology at China’s biggest copper operation and in a chemical plant north of Beijing.

Both plants are designed to treat a couple of gigalitres of water a year to a standard in line with China’s ‘water 10 plan’ – a rigorous action plan to control the country’s pollution discharge.

That policy is the reason behind Douglas’ 11 trips to China in the past three years. Given the sheer scale of mining operations in China entail a significant volume of water, what the

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companies need is an efficient solution and now.

“It’s the 21st century and there is universal acknowledgment among mining companies and legislators that there’s a need to operate more efficiently,” Douglas says.

“Everyone is reasonably openminded in that aspect. And there is certainly a drive to improve operational and environmental efficiency among mining companies. There’s no doubt about that.”

On the push side, environmental legislations challenge mining companies to operate to a higher standard. On the pull side, mining companies are taking up the mantle in being more efficient with water use and reuse. The push and pull drives the search for more efficient technologies, according to Douglas.

Not many technologies are currently available to remove contaminants rapidly, leaving only a small volume of material and producing water of sufficient quality at the end. But Virtual Curtain allows mining operation to treat its wastewater often to a much higher standard.

Mining recommenced following emptying of the treated pit water.

Automation

Rio Tinto deploys ‘world’s biggest robot’ in Pilbara

Copyright © 2018 Rio Tinto.

AUTONOMOUS TRAINS ARE HELPING RIO TINTO DELIVER IRON ORE IN A SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE MANNER AT ITS PILBARA OPERATIONS. ALEX GLUYAS WRITES.

Rio Tinto’s launch of the AutoHaul rail system is a decade in the making.

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io Tinto has launched its landmark AutoHaul project in the Pilbara, marking the world’s first automated heavy-haul long distance rail network.

The launch of the project is the culmination of $US940 million ($1.37 billion) worth of investment over the space of more than 10 years.

AutoHaul was deployed by Rio Tinto in June alongside the Western Australia Government and its technology partner Hitachi Rail STS, who celebrated

the project’s completion with its development partners Calibra, New York Air Brake and Wabtec.

The 2.4-kilometre-long trains, which are monitored remotely from an operations centre in Perth, travel across a network of 1700 kilometres of railway tracks.

Iron ore from 16 mines is delivered to ports in Dampier and Cape Lambert, with the trains already having travelled over 4.5 kilometres autonomously since they were first deployed last year.

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The autonomous trains improve safety through reduced risk at level crossings and automated responses to speed restrictions and alarms.

All Rio Tinto locomotives are fitted with AutoHaul safety systems that include collision detection systems and on-board video cameras to record the front view from the train.

They are also equipped with automatic train protection technology, which controls the trains speed to ensure adherence to speed limits.

“Now that the trains are running autonomously, the levels of continuous improvement that can be achieved in safety, operational efficiency and sustainability are endless.”

“I’d also like to mention that the development of the world’s biggest robot is such a success because of the contribution from Western Australia’s skilled engineers and innovative workers.”

Hitachi Rail STS president Americas and APAC business unit, Michele Fracchiolla, says the company is proud of the lead technical and delivery role it has played in the project’s deployment.

“This is a new technical benchmark for the freight rail industry worldwide and the result of a long-established and collaborative partnership between Rio Tinto and Hitachi Rail STS,” he says.

“Now that the trains are running autonomously, the levels of continuous improvement that can be achieved in safety, operational efficiency and sustainability are endless, and we look Copyright © 2018 Rio Tinto.

AutoHaul removes the need for almost 1.5 million kilometres of road travel per year that was previously required to transport drivers to and from trains mid-journey.

The average return distance of the trains is about 800 kilometres with the average journey cycle, including loading and dumping, taking about 40 hours.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore managing director rail, port and core services Ivan Vella says the deployment of AutoHaul positions the company and Western Australia as a world leader in autonomous technology.

“This project has cemented Western Australia as a leader in the heavy-haul rail industry and has attracted interest from around the world,” he says.

“The successful deployment of the world’s first heavy-haul long distance rail network demonstrates the potential for significant further improvement in such operations with others around the world looking to replicate.”

WA Minister for Mines and Petroleum Bill Johnston reinforced this message by congratulating Rio Tinto and its partners, noting that the project highlights the innovation in the state’s resources industry.

“AutoHaul has brought the rail freight industry in this country into the 21st century and is rightfully the subject of global interest,” he says.

Rio Tinto’s port facilities will be linked to its mines by the autonomous locomotives.

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forward to continuing to collaborate with Rio Tinto to enhance the AutoHaul system.”

Early results from the deployment of AutoHaul indicate the technology’s potential to improve productivity and flexibility through reducing bottlenecks in Rio Tinto’s iron ore system.

Rio Tinto operates around 200 locomotives across the largest privatelyowned rail network in Australia, having deployed software on the vehicles in December last year.

The AutoHaul program is the latest element in Rio Tinto’s autonomy-focused Mine of the Future program, which launched in 2008 with an initial focus on autonomous haul trucks.

Over the decade since its announcement, the program has expanded to incorporate drills, trains and even smaller vehicles such as light trucks.

The program’s effect on Rio’s iron ore production has been positive, with the company reporting strong shipment results from the Pilbara throughout 2018.

Shipments increased two per cent on 2017 to 338 million tonnes, putting the company at the upper end of guidance as it continues to ramp up mine expansions.

Rio’s focus on its autonomous operations has contributed to its forecast of Pilbara shipments to range between 320-330 million tonnes this year.

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Workforce Management

The top priorities in the mining workplace RECRUITMENT AGENCY HAYS PROVIDES ITS INDUSTRY OUTLOOK AND TIPS TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN AIMING TO PROGRESS IN THE WORKPLACE.

Uncompetitive salary drives many jobseekers looking for a new job.

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he next 12 months are set to reveal many job changes if 40 per cent of Australians surveyed follow through with their intention to look for new roles.

Another 28 per cent of the 1600 professionals surveyed may join the throng, having admitted they’re potentially looking for a new job, though were ‘unsure’ at the time of enquiry, when surveyed by recruitment specialist Hays.

The recruitment company finds that the discomfort with staying in the existing role is driven by a lack of promotional opportunities (53 per cent

of participants), a lack of new challenges (42 per cent), an uncompetitive salary (41 per cent), poor training and development (27 per cent), as well as poor work-life balance (27 per cent).

These survey findings, unfortunately, do not gel well with the fact that the value of salary increases is reducing year-on-year, with 63 per cent of mining, resources, energy, oil and gas employers planning to increase salaries by a meagre three per cent or less.

The percentage of employers granting the three per cent salary increase climbed on last year, as

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opposed to 54 per cent in the last review. Further, only five per cent of employers, down from seven per cent, intend to grant pay increases of more than six per cent.

This company projection goes in tension with salary increases being the number one career priority of 57 per cent of mining and resources professionals this year, where 46 per cent intends to achieve this by asking their boss for a raise.

“Evidently, the aggregate effect of several years of sedate salary increases is taking its toll and we’re now seeing a

Workforce Management tug of war over salaries,” Hays Australia and New Zealand managing director Nick Deligiannis says.

Hays offers five tips on how to successfully prepare for a pay rise request, starting with gathering supporting evidence.

“Firstly, for your salary increase request to be successful, you need to show your boss why you deserve a raise,” Deligiannis says.

It’s not enough to say the cost of living is increasing or that someone is generally doing a good job. Employees must have specific and quantifiable evidence to present to the boss.

Employees should prepare a list of their recent achievements that exceed objectives, list any changed or rising work volumes or duties undertaken and consider projects they’ve been involved in against their last review or original job description.

Secondly, employees are recommended to research the salary they feel their performance and results are worth. This strategy will enable them to back up their pay increase request with evidence, and demonstrate that the salary being asked for is in line with current market rates.

Employees should next set a meeting to review their salary with the manager, and clearly state the objective of the meeting request.

“Don’t spring this conversation on your boss,” Deligiannis says. When it comes time for the meeting, employees should stay calm and focused, presenting clearly the gathered evidence to support the pay rise request.

Fourthly, employees should be ready when their boss wants to negotiate the value of the salary increase.

Employees should also lastly have a contingency plan, in case an employer comes back with the news that she or he cannot afford to increase their salary at this point in time. They can negotiate for an agreed date in the future, or take

Employees are welcoming extra benefits now offered by employers.

“Think about what other genuine work-life balance solutions you can offer to appeal to a wider range of candidates.” on additional benefits instead.

The 2019-20 Hays salary guide points out that flexible work practices are the most common non-financial benefit offered, ahead of ongoing learning and development, and career progression opportunities.

With flexibility now seen as standard, Hays advises employers to think beyond compressed working weeks or staggered start and finish times to stand out and attract and retain the top talent.

“Think about what other genuine work-life balance solutions you can offer to appeal to a wider range of candidates. … Other popular flexible work practices include part-time employment (73 per cent), flex-place, such as working from home or an alternative location (66

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per cent), flexible leave options, such as purchased leave (36 per cent), job sharing (26 per cent), career breaks (16 per cent) and phased retirements (14 per cent),” Deligiannis says.

Three non-financial benefits are offered by more employers this year compared to last: health and wellness programs, over 20 days’ annual leave and a day off for their birthday.

Of the benefits offered to a select few employees, private expenses top the list, with 70 per cent of employers offering it to a hand-picked number of workers, according to Hays’ latest salary guide.

It includes more than 3400 organisations in Australia, representing over 4.7 million employees, in addition to a survey of 1600 skilled professionals.

2019

AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS

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Prospecting

Seven steps to prospecting in Western Australia PROSPECTING IS A POPULAR PASTIME IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, BUT IT IS ALSO A HOBBY THAT DEMANDS PARTICIPANTS BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS TO THEIR SAFETY. SAFE TO WORK EXPLAINS.

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he 2019 prospecting season is expected to be busier than ever, with the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) issuing 1480 miner’s rights this year.

But prospecting in Western Australia’s harsh outback has resulted in a number of fatalities and incidents over recent years.

Last year a novice prospector’s body was found 2.5 kilometres away from his campsite.

In 2012, nine prospectors were reported missing, with only one carrying a personal locator beacon (PLB).

Searches for missing prospectors average 11.3 hours, but many last one or two days. Aircraft searches also cost up to $5000 an hour.

The DMIRS states that prospectors visiting remote areas should always carry a PLB, a global positioning

system (GPS) instrument and telecommunication equipment.

“Prospecting is a popular and adventurous activity, but these regional and remote areas can also be brutal environments,” DMIRS resources tenure executive director Rick Rogerson says.

“GPS and PLBs are crucial to prospector safety; they’re affordable, cheaper than a mobile phone and may save your life.”

The mobile phone should not be the primary communication safety device while visiting regional and remote areas.

PUT SAFETY FIRST Prospectors need to have enough water, fuel, maps and first aid supplies. They should give serious consideration to take some form of telecommunications and a global positioning system to fix locations, and a PLB, which may turn out to be the most important safety device.

Prospecting for gold can be a lucrative activity.

OBTAIN A MINER’S RIGHT PERMIT This permit is essential when prospecting on vacant Crown land, and costs $25 from any mining registrar’s office.

SECURE A 40E PERMIT The permit is valid for prospecting within an exploration tenement if one does not have written permission from the tenement holder.

GET WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE TENEMENT HOLDER This written permission is essential when prospecting on a mining lease, an exploration licence (if one is not in possession of a 40E permit) and a prospecting licence.

COMPLY WITH ALL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS It is important to gain permission from the pastoralist for access to certain areas when prospecting on a pastoral lease.

SHOW RESPECT WHEN ON CROWN LAND The land is also set aside for many purposes, including pastoral and grazing activities, parks and forests, the use of Aboriginal people and mining activities.

FILL ANY HOLES Holes that have been dug or ground that has been disturbed need to be filled and repaired.

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Sustainability

A CG model of Centrex Metals’ Ardmore phosphate plant in Queensland.

Why waste shouldn’t go to waste INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING, WHICH PRESENTS BOTH ENTICING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PRACTICES, IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO IGNORE, WRITES CDE’S REGIONAL MANAGER IN AUSTRALASIA, DAN WEBBER.

C

reating value from waste is vital in responding to increasing demand for quality metals, sand, coal and other materials alongside the growing power and energy sectors.

The mining waste management market is estimated to reach 233.56 billion tons at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1 per cent from 2017 to 2022, according to Markets and Markets’ Mining Waste Management Market by Mining Method - Global Forecast to 2022, and forecasts from the United Nations predict resource consumption will double by 2060.

CDE Meta is the mining-focused sector of CDE — the world’s largest wet processing company with some 2000 projects around the world co-created

with customers over the past 25 years — and operates in Australia under registered company CDE Australia.

The sector focuses on delivering sustainable mine operations through ore upgrade, tailings diversion and waste dump reprocessing in line with CDE’s commitment to creating a new world of resource.

This expertise has already been recognised by the Australian Mining Prospect Awards 2018, where the company was a finalist in the Excellence in Environmental Management category alongside household names Rio Tinto and Roy Hill Holdings.

CDE Meta made the shortlist for its “pioneering approach to mining waste” transforming more than 17 million tonnes of overburden waste

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in South Australia into high grade iron ore for steel production.

PIONEERING APPROACH TO MINING WASTE That pioneering approach to mining waste was paramount in 2017 when CDE Meta delivered two turnkey wet processing plants to upgrade 100-plus years of legacy overburden waste from the mining of the Iron Monarch and Iron Princess deposits situated in South Australia’s Middleback Ranges.

The plants, located at the previously Arrium-owned Iron Knob and Iron Baron sites, were acquired by the GFG Alliance and renamed SIMEC Mining.

The two wash plants were designed to convert 17 million tonnes of lowgrade iron ore stockpiled as tailings

CDE regional manager, Australasia, Dan Webber.

in waste dumps to a saleable product.

The low-grade iron ore to be processed has been accumulated over the life of mining of the Iron Monarch and Iron Princess deposits which first began in 1899 and the Iron Baron deposit in 1930.

These beneficiation plants take lowgrade iron ore stockpiled as tailings and convert it to a 63 per cent grade.

BOOST FOR SIMEC MINING AND LOCAL ECONOMY Operating around the clock, this project, funded by a $49.2 million loan from the South Australian government, provides a vital revenue source to SIMEC, Whyalla and the wider SA region. Some 1000 jobs have been created and $25 million injected into the local economy.

Not only does this provide extensive return on investment through iron ore upgrades, the by-product aggregate produced from ore recovery is stockpiled and sold to the construction industry, further minimising waste while 90 per cent of water used for washing is recycled for immediate reuse in the system.

MINING JUNIORS SEEK CAPEX REDUCTIONS AND OPEX CONTROL While CDE Meta provides solutions for top mining companies with legacy waste for processing or tailings dams containing valuable fractions, which can

be extracted with CDE equipment, junior mining companies are now turning their sights to the company for solutions.

An integral element to CDE design is a fully modular solution with a small plant footprint. This ‘plug-andplay’ approach delivers faster, safer installation requiring minimal civils and creating significant capital expenditure (capex) cost reductions. It also requires considerably less energy to operate versus traditional stick-build operations.

That, combined with innovative highefficiency equipment, reduces electric usage providing maximum operational expenditure (opex) control.

The result is a bespoke modular wet processing solution designed to customer requirements and built exactly to meet production needs.

PHOSPHATE PLANT REDUCES IMPORTS FROM MOROCCO Take, for example, Centrex Metals, which has invested in a state-ofthe-art CDE wet processing solution to create concentrate from the company’s phosphate rock deposit at its Ardmore phosphate rock project on the Mount Isa-Boulia highway in North West Queensland.

This plant, which is currently in factory pre-assembly, will prove the value of

SIMEC Mining’s Iron Baron iron ore beneficiation plant in South Australia.

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the concentrated ore as a 70 tonnes an hour pilot plant before moving to full-scale production at 140 tonnes per hour in 2020.

The company is committed to providing an alternative to the high level of imports of fertilisers — around a million tonnes per year — mainly from Morocco.

The Ardmore site is one of the few remaining under-developed phosphate rock deposits in the world focused on producing high quality phosphate rock concentrate to deliver this vital commodity to fertiliser plants in Australia.

To ensure perfect results, the pilot plant will wash, scrub and de-slime a free-digging ore material to produce premium 35 per cent phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and ultra-low cadmium phosphate rock concentrate ready for the manufacturing of phosphoric acid.

CDE has also provided a water recycling system comprising its innovative AquaCycle technology to ensure maximum water recovery in this challenging remote location.

CDE Meta is transforming the world’s approach to mining operations, challenging companies to rethink what they consider a low value or waste product and paving the way towards a zero-tailings mining economy.

Manufacturing

Why titanium is the medical metal of choice TITANIUM ISN’T JUST USEFUL FOR PLANES — IT’S ALSO PRIZED AMONG MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS FOR ITS USE IN IMPLANT SURGERIES. EWEN HOSIE FINDS OUT WHAT MAKES IT SO WELL-SUITED FOR THIS PURPOSE. An X-ray showing a post-operational titanium hip replacement.

T

itanium is a word that can conjure stirring images in the mind. Being one of the foremost metals of the Space Age, it is a material etched in the public consciousness for its association with space rockets, corporate sculpture and shiny robots.

The reality, however, is a bit more grounded. Over 90 per cent of titanium recovered by the mining sector is actually used to support the pigment industry by creating titanium dioxide for inks, paints, plastics and paper. The remaining 10 per

cent is used to produce titanium metal, which is used in a wide variety of fields, most commonly the aerospace industry.

Neometals, a producer of vanadium and titanium, owns the Barrambie project in Western Australia.

The company updated its definitive feasibility study (DFS) for vanadium in May while commencing its titanium pilot project.

Neometals general manager, commercial and investor relations Jeremy McManus says the majority of consumption by application is split

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between pigments (i.e. materials for paints and coatings), as well as a certain percentage for high-strength alloys and a balance for vanadium redox batteries.

“Of the contained resource metal in the project, circa 95 per cent relates to titanium,” he says.

“The vanadium market was red hot when we started the revised vanadium DFS — it’s backed off but we’re satisfied the vanadium production numbers still look robust.

“With the revised vanadium DFS in place, it allows us to look at the next step for a hydrometallurgical pathway to recover titanium and vanadium. This work will allow us to determine the optimal flowsheet to process the ‘whole of deposit’ — the last piece of the puzzle if you like.”

But titanium – more specifically, titanium alloys – doesn’t just sit there looking shiny. It turns out they are one of the most sought-after metals in the medical field.

Titanium metal is notable for its use in the medical industry for surgical implants, particularly joint replacements. Titanium is capable of osseointegration, whereby living bone fuses to the metal without the need for soft tissue, a property that was discovered in the 1940s.

(Incidentally, Neometals’ secondary product, vanadium, is also used in small amounts for the creation of titanium alloys that are suitable for medical use.)

Due to the metal’s light density and high degree of biocompatibility

with the human body, it is a desirable metal among surgeons and dentists to replace or insert ailing hip joints, tooth caps, shoulder joints, knees, elbows, jawbones, heels and ribs, and for fusing spinal columns.

This also extends to other surgical implants such as pacemakers, certain hearing aids and cranioplasty plates and, among dentists at least, cap and crown screws for oral implants.

Titanium alloy is noted for its high level of osseointegration – the innate ability to heal with bone. This makes it ideal for artificial implants such as joint replacements.

Devinder Garewai, an orthopaedic surgeon who works as a shoulder specialist at the Melbourne Arm Clinic in Victoria, explains that titanium alloy’s strength, rigidity and lightness are all qualities that make it ideal for implants.

“It’s very uncommon to see a titanium stem snap in two. It’s very rigid and has very good ‘fracture toughness’, which is the medical research,” he explains.

At the same time, itanium alloy also has a very low modulus of elasticity, meaning it is not so stiff that it prevents the bone from healing. Young’s modulus (named after 19th-century British scientist Thomas Young) relates to the measurement of stiffness in a material.

It is important that the implant has a degree of elasticity to avoid leading to later complications.

Failure to fuse the bone with the implant can lead to problems such as cysts, looseness and pain, Garewai says.

“If you are putting an implant into the humerus, for example, you need the implant and the bone to be working together because if you stress the bone at the same time, the bone will be constantly remodelled so that it can actually survive for a long time,” he says.

“If you’ve got an implant that’s too stiff, all the force goes through the implant instead and the bone around it stops being stressed and remodelled,

Workers drilling at Neometals’ Barrambie titanium-vanadium project in Western Australia.

which leads to failure of that bone.”

Titanium alloy’s ability to fuse with bone is referred to as osseointegration – the process by which the implant fuses to the bone to allow for mechanical stability, thus making it an ideal material for artificial implants.

In addition, titanium is handy for surgeries on the outside too – highquality surgical instruments such as forceps and tweezers also tend to be made from the metal.

Garewai adds that another important consideration when dealing with titanium for joint implant surgeries is when dealing with total replacements, where both the ball and socket of a joint are replaced.

The artificial socket – called a glenoid – generally uses plastic components to avoid corrosion issues arising from metal-on-metal contact.

“The Joint Registry of Australia highlighted that when you use implants on the socket side, they have a higher rate of failure,” he explains. “I actually put a plastic component on the socket side that needs to be cemented into the glenoid and the humeral side I definitely use an implant that is made of titanium.

“Osseointegration means the bone is

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healed to the implant. It’s not a problem that the component was healing to the bone, it’s that you can’t have a metal socket and a metal ball as it causes too much corrosion – you need to have that plastic in between.”

The future looks exciting for titanium in the medical field. The advent of 3D printing technology, for example, is adding to the versatility of titanium alloy, lowering costs and making it easier than ever before to produce implants of all shapes and sizes.

Whether it’s titanium alloys or titanium chemicals, medical or mining – things are looking bright for titanium.

Final excavations take place at Neometals’ Barrambie project in 2018.

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

NSW MINING HSEC CONFERENCE AND AWARDS DINNER, HUNTER VALLEY, AUGUST 5–7 With over 600 delegates in attendance in 2018, industry leaders, senior government representatives, as well as health, safety, environment and community (HSEC) professionals will be back again this year.

Discussion will be held to address operational and regulatory challenges, issues and opportunities in the NSW resources industry.

Topics range from risk, communications and safety to rehabilitation, mine closure planning and community engagement. The NSW Mining HSEC Awards recognises leading practice and celebrate innovation.

• nswmining.com.au

QUEENSLAND MINING INDUSTRY HEALTH & SAFETY CONFERENCE, GOLD COAST, AUGUST 18–21 The annual Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference is hosted jointly by the Queensland Government, Queensland Resources Council, and mining unions (CFMEU and AWU). The threeday conference continues to be one of the largest health and safety conferences in the southern hemisphere. It is designed to provide Queensland resources companies with valuable information on critical issues that may impact on the sector. The gathering also celebrates and promotes the ingenuity of practice home-grown safety through statewide innovation and health awards. The event will start with a luncheon on Sunday August 18 and conclude with the conference dinner on Wednesday August 21.

• qldminingsafety.org.au

MINE VENTILATION CONFERENCE 2019, PERTH, AUGUST 26–28 Ventilation controls are one of the core risk activities at mines. Significant developments in practice and research in recent years have helped ensure we maintain and improve levels of safety within the underground mining sector. The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference 2019 calls on expertise to present these developments, explore achievements and build a better industry. The conference will give presenters the chance to exchange information on topics such as: ventilation planning, main and boster fans, heat and refrigeration, coal mine ventilation, hard rock mine ventilation, sulphide dust explosions, and more.

• minevent.ausimm.com

AIMEX, SYDNEY, AUGUST 27–29 The largest free-to-attend mining conference in Australia returns to Sydney in 2019.

The conference is designed as a platform to facilitate discussions around mining techniques and deliver operational improvements. Key themes of the conference include developments in drilling and blasting, processing and bulk materials handling; automation and digital advancements to improve operational efficiency and maintenance; and fleet performance and tyre management. The program offers visitors the opportunity to create a personalised program that addresses specific areas related to their job function or site.

• aimex.com.au

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THE SAFETY IN ACTION CONFERENCE, MELBOURNE, SEPTEMBER 10-11 Bringing together leaders in the health and safety professions, the Safety in Action Conference is a two-day conference aimed at encouraging global involvement and networking. Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the conference has welcomed over 700 delegates in the last two years. It allows delegates to hear from regulators, thought-leaders and international keynotes that are making an impact on safety culture. This year’s program will explore key health and safety topics by linking safety strategy, leadership and culture.

• informa.com.au/event/conference/safetyconference/

GASTECH VICTORIAN MINES RESCUE COMPETITION (VMRC), LATROBE VALLEY, OCTOBER 20-22 From humble beginnings 20 years ago, the VMRC has emerged as a highly competitive national event that combines mines rescue and emergency response capacity building exercises. The event tests theory, firefighting skills, search and rescue, first aid, rope rescue, breathing apparatus, as well as featuring the Spence Herd Challenge. The challenge is designed to test, encourage and develop team cohesion and values by completing a number of tasks in a short time frame while the team carries its captain on a stretcher. The VRMC sees mines rescue and emergency response teams from sites across the country competing against each other in a variety of simulated emergency situations.

• minerals.org.au/victoria/victorian-minerescue-competitions-vmrc

THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA’S MINING INDUSTRY

ISSUE 4 - JULY-SEPTEMBER 2019

Personal protection The considerations for coal Technology

Environment

Materials handling

Working at heights

Throughout the cycles of the mining industry there is one constant for everyone involved in the industry – safety. A safe workplace is critical to the continued success of your business.

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Safe To Work’s promotional features deliver a forum for organisations to showcase the role each aspect of safety plays in helping the industry achieve the industry’s No. 1 priority.

TO BOOK IN SAFE TO WORK CONTACT JONATHAN DUCKETT NOW JONATHAN.DUCKETT@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU | 0498 091 027

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