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All the latest in mine health and safety in NSW
Weekly incident summary
Weekly incident summary - week ending 14 February 2020
44 reportable incidents, 5 summarised below

Dangerous incident | Underground coal mine IncNot 0036722

Summary: A continuous miner was buried when an intersection fell in during a breakaway that was being supported in accordance with the mine’s support plans. The fall was about 9 metres x 5.4 metres x 2.5 metres. No injuries were reported.

Recommendations to industry: Mines must have adequate trigger action response plans (TARPs) in place to effectively react to changing strata conditions. Workers must be trained to use these TARPs to ensure they are acted on appropriately. Workers should constantly monitor strata conditions to identify areas that pose risks. When strata conditions change or mining commences in new areas, the risk assessment and controls identified should be reviewed and the principal hazard management plan should be updated.
Refer to:

Serious injury |Open cut coal mine IncNot 0036687

Summary: An operator’s wrist was cut while trying to get out of a partially submerged, bogged dozer. The operator lost footing, reached out and grabbed the dozer blade. A burr on the blade caused the cut, which needed four stitches. The area where the incident occurred was very confined, and the site had received about 160 millimetres of rain overnight.

Recommendations to industry: Operators should review and update site procedures for managing bodies of water on site. Geotechnical consideration should be given to the potential for voids, slumping and subsidence areas to form, particularly following significant rainfall. The potential for drowning in a submerged vehicle must be considered in such circumstances.
Refer to: Safety Bulletin SB19-10 Dozer incidents increase despite warnings

Dangerous incident | Underground coal mine IncNot 0036709

Summary: An operator of a diesel man car (DMC) stopped and activated a dump valve. The operator exited the DMC and turned to switch it off, but it began to roll forward.
The operator activated the intake emergency shut-off valve, but the machine continued to roll downhill. The DMC travelled about 17 metres to a set of catch points that were closed and travelled a further 23 metres before hitting another parked DMC. There was no-one in either DMC. The catch points were closed due to excessive build-up of coal and fines.

Recommendations to industry: Operators should review the risks associated with parking machinery on inclines and should implement suitable procedures to eliminate the risk of unattended machines rolling away. Catch points should be maintained and form part of rail maintenance plans.

Dangerous incident | Underground coal mine IncNot 0036711

Summary: Following pick replacement on a longwall shearer, it was repowered and placed into automation. Maingate shields 6, 7 and 8 were advanced in manual while the shearer was stationary. The shearer was stopped at shield 8 and an earth leakage test was conducted on the machine. The machine then proceeded in automation towards the tailgate, when the maingate drum lifted and hit the roof support 8 flipper on the underside of the shield. An operator suffered a cut to the back of his left leg from a metal shard.

Recommendations to industry: Mines operating longwall shearers should have an earth leakage reset procedure that ensures the operating system is not acting on the drum-position encoder’s last retained value, particularly when the drum height has been altered during testing. Safe standing zones should form part of the procedure during restart.

Dangerous incident | Open cut coal mine IncNot 0036731

Summary: A skid steer machine fitted with a mulching attachment overturned while it was clearing vegetation on an embankment. The operator was uninjured. 

Recommendations to industry: Equipment operators must maintain situational awareness and remain vigilant of the risk of machine rollovers. This incident underpins the importance of wearing seatbelts as a mitigating control. When planning tasks and travel paths, supervisors must consider rollover hazards. Refer to Safety Bulletin: 
SB17-01 Industry reports more truck rollover incidents
 
ISR20-07 | 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
Metal/non-metal fatality
A miner fell into a portable load out bin on January 8, 2020 and died at the scene.
Details

Publication: MSHA
Coal/non-metal fatality
A mine examiner was travelling down the slope in a personnel carrier on his way into the mine. Evidence indicates that the personnel carrier struck the left rib near the bottom of the slope. The mine examiner was found unresponsive beside his vehicle.
Details

Publication: MSHA
Metal/non-metal fatality
A contract maintenance mechanic was performing elevator maintenance when the elevator car descended, crushing the mechanic against an elevator platform. The person died at the scene on December 3, 2019.
Details
National (fatal)
Publication: SafeWork NSW
Apprentice auto electrician fatality
An 18-year-old apprentice auto electrician died in an incident at a workshop in Brocklehurst, north of Dubbo. The young worker was found trapped between the cab of the truck and its engine.
Details
National (other, non-fatal)
Publication: DMIRS
Braking performance of relocation systems for heavy mining equipment – MSB No 170
Relocating heavy mining equipment within surface mining areas and on mine roads is a common task in the industry. Due to their large size and weight, tracked excavators in the 400-500 tonne class present issues when they require relocation.
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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