07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

Some 700-800 workers have stopped work over the weekend at a major iron ore project near Karratha after potentially Hazardous Asbestos was found on site.

Workers digging trenches at the site had found rocks seemingly laden with asbestos.

Asbestos-ridden dirt may also have been used as landfill at the mine, and around the mine’s camp area.

The Australian Manufacturing and Workers Union had contacted WorkSafe to have the matter investigated, but had been told no WorkSafe inspector would be available in the Pilbara for the next month.

“The Minister for Mines needs to get WorkSafe to halt work at the mine and order an immediate investigation to ensure the lives of workers are not put at further risk by exposure to deadly asbestos material,” a spokeperson for the AMWU said.

A spokesman for the iron ore project said most WA iron ore mining operations contend with the issue of Fibrous Materials and the company had procedures in place to manage such risks.

This included the use of Personal Protective Equipment, static and personal monitoring, use of specialised filters to all site mobile equipment, Dust Suppression and wet drilling methods.

With an expected life of at least 25 years, the iron ore project is forecast to mine two billion tonnes of ore and export 27.6 million tonnes of high-grade pellets and concentrate each year to steel mills in China.

The Project employs 1700 staff and contractors on site, in Perth, and overseas.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

Comcare has accepted a Court-enforceable undertaking from a large transport company which allegedly failed to discharge its duties under federal OHS laws.

The undertaking is a legally enforceable commitment by the company as an alternative to Comcare pursuing civil proceedings for an alleged breach of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 (the Act).

Comcare investigated a 2007 incident where a 76 Tonne Mobile Crane tipped over at a freight terminal in Adelaide.

The crane was loading a 5 tonne container onto a train wagon on a section of track when the wagon began moving. As the wagon moved forward, the container on the crane caught onto a container that had already been loaded on the wagon and started to drag the crane.

The crane operator unsuccessfully tried to raise the container high enough to clear the container on the wagon. As a result, the crane was dragged along in the direction of the moving wagon and toppled over.

The investigation found that the company failed to take all reasonably practicable steps to provide and maintain a safe working environment.

The employer has commited to undertaking a range of activities that include:

• conducting a hazard/risk assessment of the radio communications system;
• adopting an Isolation of Roads Procedure;
• providing risk assessed procedures for communications between loading and shunting staff;
• taking steps to ensure that staff are properly licensed to operate plant;and
• taking steps to protect the computer communications recording system to avoid accidental or deliberate turning off of the system.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

Two miners were for stuck in a Mine Shaft for more than 18 hours after a power blackout in far western NSW last week.

A dust storm cut power at the Perilya mine in Broken Hill and the men became trapped in an underground cage.

When the power went out, the lift cage stopped and there was not enough power to start the winders back up as Broken Hill was on emergency power supplies.

The mine management set up a rescue operation to get the miners out safely, using Winches to retrieve them out of the cage.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

As part of its revamping of the current state-based safety laws, the Federal Government wants one set of OHS rules to cover the Mining Industry in all states.

Nine people have died on West Australian mine sites this year alone.

However, the West Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy says national occupational health and safety laws may be more concerned with industrial relations than with saving lives, and that poor Workplace Safety Management is not always to blame for mining accidents.

A spokeswoman for the Chamber says the Federal Government isn’t allowing enough time to consult with industry about the legislative changes.

“It’s important to ensure that safety legislation isn’t wrapped up in industrial relations issues,” she says

“We need to give consideration as to whether the proposed model is actually going to deliver improved safety in workplaces in Western Australia and that should remain the focus.”

The public and industry will have six weeks to make submissions on the proposed ‘National Harmonisation of OHS Laws‘.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

A female cleaner whose arm was trapped in a moving conveyor belt at a Meatworks in 2006 is suing her employer for nearly $1 million.

At the time, the employee was hosing down the conveyor belt when her sleeve was caught on theUnguarded Belt, dragging her right arm into the conveyor.

The woman suffered fractures to the arm and index finger and her arm still contains two screws and plates.

She alleges that the company failed to provide a Safe System And Place Of Work.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

Last weekend, WorkSafe WA inspectors and police jointly conducted a roadblock exercise at Port Hedland in order to combat driver fatigue.

Fatigue remains a significant occupational safety and health issue in the Commercial Transport Industry.

The exercise involved being observed leaving Perth then being pulled over at South Hedland to check whether mandatory rest breaks had been taken.

According to WorkSafe WA, the operation found there was generally compliance with fatigue safety laws for commercial vehicles, but problems with rest breaks.

Over ninety commercial vehicles were stopped at the Port Hedland roadblock, with three prohibition notices issued to drivers who had not taken the mandatory seven-hour rest break.

In addition to the notices, inspectors will follow up with 22 transport companies on other fatigue-related issues such as medical checks for drivers, training of drivers and keeping proper records.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

Workplace Standards Tasmania is investigating an incident where two Construction Workerswere injured on a building site in Hobart last week.

Police and ambulance crews were called to the site where they treated the workers before they were taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital.

The men, aged 50 and 26, were injured, but it is unclear how they sustained their injuries. It was initially reported that men had fallen from Scaffolding, but police later said that was not the case.

The men were working on the $30 million Hadleys expansion, which began in February.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

Queensland Mines and Energy (QM&E) has issued a safety alert after a Drill Rig Worker was struck by a falling drill collar.

The rig worker was seriously injured after being struck on the back while drilling a coal seam gas well.

The drill collar was being raised onto the rig floor for connection onto the drill bit, when it slipped through the incorrectly selected set of casing elevators and struck the worker.

QM&E says the operators had not identified the risk of storing and transporting identical looking sets of elevators in the same transport bin.

The safe work procedure did not provide for the verification of code stampings on the individual elevators, and workers had not been properly Trained.

Following the incident, the drilling company implemented a verification process prior to the elevators being attached onto the bail arms, including a simple colour coding system that allows visual identification of different sized elevators.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

A 500-Tonne Excavator lost its footing late last week, sliding into a 300-tonne dump truck at a Coppabella Mine.

The $5 million excavator was digging coal, when the dirt underneath it collapsed. It slid down a slope and was left resting against a dump truck.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

A workplace safety representative said it was too early to know what had happened, whether the ground collapsed or whether the excavator somehow drove forward.

“It looks like the island, about 1m to 1.5m high, has slumped and the digger has gone on its side, leaning on the side of the truck,” the spokesperson said.

“The boom is leaning against the tray of the truck. It’s very lucky it was away from both operators.

“If it had been a slightly higher bench or if the excavator had actually rolled, it could’ve engulfed the operator of the digger,” he said.

There was also the risk that the digger’s bucket could have hit the cabin.

A spokesperson from the coal company said the most important factor was that there were no injuries.

“The Department of Mines was notified at the time of the incident,” she said.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:58 pm, Tuesday 29 September, 2009

Legislation has been amended to permit the possession and use of the Analgesic Gas, Penthrane, for first aid in NSW mines from 17 July 2009.

The Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 allows the use of nitrous oxide and Penthrane for First Aid In Mines.

Persons authorised to use these gases must be adequately trained in the administration of analgesic gas and must have completed an WorkCover approved first aid course provided by a Registered Training Organisation .

General first aid requirements for NSW mines are set out in clause 20 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001.

Report by OHS News Reporter Julia Alder – Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know