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All the latest in mine health and safety in NSW
Weekly incident summary
To report an incident or injury call 1300814609
Weekly incident summary - week ending 12 June 2020
32 reportable incidents, 3 summarised below

Dangerous incident | IncNot0037536

Open cut construction materials mine
Principal mining hazard: Roads or other vehicle operating areas
Summary: A light vehicle collided with a bund, resulting in the driver’s lip being injured and requiring five stitches.
Over a weekend, a roadway under a conveyor was blocked with an earth bund.
The bund was put in place on one side of the conveyor and bollards with high visibility tape were erected on the other side. The change management process was not followed and the changes were not communicated to staff.
It was dark when the incident occurred.
Comment to industry: It is vital that mines have a robust change management process in place that ensures not only the identification of introduced risk, but the implementation of suitable controls to manage the risk. This includes communicating the changes to all workers who may be impacted by that change.

Dangerous incident | IncNot0037555

Underground metals
Summary: A contract stope charger has removed a guard and was adjusting the hose pusher mechanism on a production charge-up unit when an operator moved the mechanism in the charge basket. The stope charger's fingers were caught in the chain sprocket, resulting in the partial amputation of his index finger and the loss of the tips of his second and third fingers.
Comments to industry: Isolation and control of all energy sources from plant is essential when adjustments are being undertaken.
Engineering controls should be implemented to allow regular tasks to be conducted without the need to remove control measures (guards).
Mechanical engineering control plans must set out the control measures for risks associated with moving components on plant.

Dangerous incident | IncNot0037556

Open cut coal mine
Principal mining hazard: Fire or explosion
Summary: A major hydraulic oil leak occurred on an excavator, resulting in hydraulic oil spraying onto the turbo and catching fire. The apparent cause of the leak was from a broken flange bolt. The automatic fire suppression system activated and the excavator operator used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the remaining flames.
Comments to industry: All components within a system including retaining bolts must be identified and appropriate inspection and change out conducted.
When selecting and installing a fire suppression system, the system should cover all likely ignition sources (high temperature areas) so as to extinguish fire in all probable locations.
ISR20-24 | Go to website

Other publications of interest

These incidents are included for your review. The NSW Resources Regulator does not endorse the findings or recommendations of these incidents. It is your legal duty to exercise due diligence to ensure the business complies with its work health and safety obligations.
International (fatal)

Publication: MSHA
Fatality - final report
A 46-year-old splitter/chopper with six days of experience at this mine, died on 27 August 2019, from a lightning strike. The worker had stopped splitting and sorting rock and was walking back to a canopy to take shelter when the incident occurred.
Details

Publication: MSHA
Mine fatality alert
On 1 June 1 2020, a contract truck driver died after falling from the top of his trailer. The worker was given first aid/CPR at the scene and passed away, after being transported to a local hospital.
Details
National (other, non-fatal)

Publication: DMIRS (WA)
High pressure water cleaning creates mists and aerosols causing Legionnaires disease: Mines Safety Bulletin No.174
An underground miner was recently diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease after suffering severe respiratory distress and pneumonia that developed quickly from flu-like symptoms. Despite being young, fit and healthy, the miner required urgent medical intervention in an intensive care unit before he made a full recovery.
High levels of Legionella pneumophila were identified at the underground wash bay where the miner had used high pressure, water blasting equipment to clean heavy machinery during his last roster.
Details

Publication: DMIRS (WA)
Integrity of equaliser cables on vehicles hoists: Mines Safety Bulletin No.175
There have been numerous reports of failed and damaged equaliser cables on vehicle hoists, including those types with two or four posts.
The equaliser cables are typically made using steel wire rope and are used to keep the hoist level during raising and lowering. Over time, equaliser cables can stretch, fray, corrode, crack or break and therefore should be regarded as a wearing component.
Details

Publication: QMI
Metal shard projectile from excavator track sprocket - Safety Newsflash (Qld.)
Following an undercarriage track change on an excavator, a metal shard was ejected from the track sprocket. The metal shard travelled 35 metres breaking a side window and entering the cabin of a parked service truck.
Details

Publication: QMI (coal)
Explosion protected diesel engine exhaust conditioner corrosion - Safety Newsflash (Qld.)
Internal inspections of several exhaust conditioner inlets have shown reduced integrity over time from corrosion and/or cracking of the internal gussets that support the exhaust inlet pipe.
After the gussets crack, they no longer support the welded connection between the inlet pipe and the lid. The weld in this location, which separates the inlet exhaust gas from the outlet conditioned exhaust gas, can crack from lack of support.
Details
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You can find all our guidance and incident related publications (that is, safety alerts, safety bulletins, incident information releases, weekly incident summaries and investigation reports) on our website: resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au
*While the majority of incidents are reported and recorded within a week of the event, some are notified outside this time period. The incidents in this report therefore have not necessarily occurred in a one week period. All newly recorded incidents, whatever the incident date, are reviewed by the Chief Inspector and senior staff each week and summarised in this report. For more comprehensive statistical data refer to our Safety Performance Measures Reports and our Business Activity Reports
 
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