Weekly incident summary
25 October 2018 | ISR18-40 | Go to website
To report an incident call 1300 814 609 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Weeks ending 24 October 2018
High level summary of emerging trends and our recommendations to operators.
Reportable incidents total: 63
Summarised incidents: 8
This incident summary provides information on reportable incidents and safety advice for the NSW mining industry.
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High potential incident | SinNot 2018/01753
Summary: Subsidence on an opal claim has developed and is creating an impact on a neighbouring claim.
Recommendations to industry: Miners and prospectors must manage subsidence and other mining-related impacts from posing a safety risk to people on their title, on adjoining areas or members of the general public.
Dangerous incident | SinNot 2018/01747
Summary: A lead acid battery was charged and reinstalled on a diesel fire pump. When trying to start the fire pump, it exploded. The battery exploded out onto the opposite side to the worker.
Recommendations to industry: Safety bulletin SB16-02 Exploding lead acid batteries was issued previously. This bulletin must be reviewed by mines to determine if the risk is present at their operation.
High potential incident | SinNot 2018/01741
Summary: While drilling a new shot pattern, a drill rig inadvertently drilled a new hole about 300 mm from an unknown misfire in the previous shot pattern.
Recommendations to industry: The procedure for locating and mapping out blasting patterns should include controls to prevent misalignment or overlap of patterns with previously shot ground. Additionally, blasting procedures should include inspections to identify misfired holes and the logging and communication to all relevant workers the location of these misfires.
Dangerous incident | SinNot 2018/01740
Summary: A loader was putting rock into a dump truck when a large rock slid across the head board and fell. The rock bounced off a handrail and back onto the passenger's side window, smashing it.
Recommendations to industry: Truck operators should always stay within the cab during loading activities. Trucks should not be overloaded and loads should be distributed appropriately.
Dangerous incident | SinNot 2018/01736
Summary: At an underground metalliferous mine, a worker was sitting in a parked light vehicle with the lights and beacon on. An underground loader entered the same level and when it turned right it clipped the light vehicle. No workers were injured and minimal damage was reported.
Recommendations to industry: Schedule 1 of WHS (M&PS) Regs 2014 requires mines to implement controls to manage mobile plant including operator vision in The principal hazard management plan for roads or other vehicle operating areas. The hierarchy of controls places higher value on controls such as collision avoidance and proximity detection systems than procedural controls.
Dangerous incident | SinNot 2018/01730
Summary: A dozer rolled on its side in an open cut coal mine at night. The dozer was reversing from the push at which time the left track moved over an embankment and the dozer slid backwards about 6.5 m coming to rest on the left track. The operator removed himself from the plant unassisted but suffered pain from the seat belt.
Recommendations to industry: Suitable controls must be put in place to allow equipment operators to determine the safe limits of their work area. Deferring tasks to daylight hours or installing appropriate lighting should be considered when risks are present due to a lack of visibility.
Dangerous incident | SinNot 2018/01728
Summary: Two workers fell when the platform they were working on dropped 1 metre to the floor. The workers were on a platform suspended off a monorail (Malibu) in an underground coal mine. Three roof bolts suspending the monorail pulled from the roof. There were no injuries reported.
Recommendations to industry: Workers installing support must be trained to identify poor strata conditions that affect the integrity of roof bolts. This can include:
- ‘jumping’ drill steels
- loss of chemical
- changes in expected conditions.
Procedures should direct mine workers to seek supervisor assistance and direction when encountering these conditions.
Dangerous incident | SinNot 2018/01727
Summary: While driving down a decline in an underground metalliferous mine, a fire occurred on a haul truck. The operator heard a grinding noise and saw sparks on the rear vision camera. He immediately stopped the truck and investigated. The rear drive shaft centre bearing housing was glowing and he saw several small flames (up to 50 mm). The operator extinguished the flames using a hand-held fire extinguisher, raised the alarm and monitored the truck for any reignition.
Recommendations to industry: Fires on mobile plant was addressed at the 2018 Mechanical Engineering Safety Seminar. The presentation can be accessed from this link.
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Resources Regulator recent publications
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Other publications of note
| Publication |
Issue / Topic |
| International (other, non-fatal) |
HSE
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Worker seriously injured while repairing machinery
A quarry operator has been fined after an employee had his hand and arm caught in a conveyor belt.
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| MSHA in MinEx NZ |
MNM serious incident
On September 19, 2018, two miners were injured when a building partially collapsed during construction. One miner was transported to hospital and the other miner was treated at the mine and released.
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MinEx NZ |
Excavator falls off transporter
A contractor was transporting an excavator onto site to sort feature rock on a bench. While unloading the excavator from the transporter the operator felt the rear of the excavator move sideways resulting in the machine rolling off the transporter deck and landing on its side on the roadside bunding.
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| National (other, non-fatal) |
WorkCover Qld |
Worker crushed under his own truck while unloading
In September 2018, a worker sustained serious crush injuries to his hand, leg, pelvis and torso, as well as a collapsed lung when he was trapped under the wheels of his truck while delivering timber and plasterboard.
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Littelfuse |
Littelfuse – Rechargeable battery in SE-330 Series products
This notice is to advise that recent revisions of the SE-330 Series products contain a rechargeable battery to power a real-time clock. This battery has not been tested to regulatory requirements for hazardous areas. If needed, the battery can be removed from the SE-330 Series products. The battery is not user serviceable and removal must be performed at either the Littelfuse factory, or Startco Pty Ltd, our authorized master distributor in Australia. Removal of the battery does not compromise the protection functions of the SE-330 Series product or cause the loss of device settings through power cycles. |
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Number of incident notifications, by commencement month and incident type
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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
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*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 Annual Performance Measures Reports.
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