WorkSafe

The dangers of working in high-heat environments

The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) reminds workers to guard against the effects of extreme temperatures in work environments following a forecast of above-average temperatures this summer.

DMIRS Director Mines Safety Andrew Chaplyn said the extremes of Western Australia's climate means heat stress is a significant risk that needs to be managed across mining and exploration operations.

Mines safety message drives across WA

  • The 15th annual Mines Safety Roadshow kicks off in Kalgoorlie today
  • Roadshow will visit 11 locations across WA during October and November

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston has welcomed the annual Mines Safety Roadshow and its focus on promoting on-site risk awareness.

Hosted by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, the month-long series of roadshows starts in Kalgoorlie, before travelling across nine other Western Australian cities and towns.

Dangerous Goods Licensing is moving to Cannington

Dangerous Goods Licensing processes applications for:

  • the manufacture, storage, transport, import, export and use of explosives;
  • firework operation and event permits;
  • tank design for vehicles carrying dangerous goods; and
  • the supply, manufacture and storage of fertilisers.

From 1 April 2019, the Dangerous Goods Licensing Branch will be located at:

Customer Service Centre, Level 1
303 Sevenoaks Street (entrance on Grose Avenue)
CANNINGTON

The new postal address and phone number:

Companies fined $112,000 and $64,000 after worker suffered broken jaw at Cloudbreak mine

Rema Tip Top Material Processing (Rema) and Chichester Metals Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Fortescue Metals Group Limited (FMG) have been fined $112,000 and $64,000 respectively in Perth Magistrates Court following an incident that broke a worker’s jaw at the Cloudbreak iron ore mine in the Pilbara in September 2014.

While both companies were charged in relation to the same incident, Chichester were not charged for causing the injuries suffered as a result of the incident.

New transport safety group on track

The Dangerous Goods Rail Transport Safety Working Group will provide an overview of dangerous goods rail transport activity in WA, act as an intermediary between operators and industry regulators and provide input to assessing, accepting and reporting rail transport risk.

Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s (DMIRS) Senior Dangerous Goods Officer, Stephen Lane, said the working group leverages off the good work done by inspectors from DMIRS Dangerous Goods Safety team over the past three years.

Karara fined $40,000 following crane collision

Karara Mining Ltd was fined $40,000 in Perth Magistrates Court yesterday (13/2) following an incident where a gantry crane collided with an elevated work platform (EWP) being used by two electrical workers.

The incident happened on 3 August 2015 at the Karara Iron Ore Project, located about 200km east of Geraldton and the workers were approximately 12 metres off the ground in the basket of the EWP.

Company fined after pit floor engulfs vehicles

Golden Grove Operations Pty Ltd has been fined $35,500 after an integrated tool carrier and blast truck fell into a 13-metre deep hole at the company’s Golden Grove precious metals mine southeast of Yalgoo in October 2018.

While no one was injured in the incident, three workers from a blast crew had been working in close proximity to the bomb truck minutes earlier.

A number of charged blast holes were also engulfed in the sinkhole.

Hamersley Iron fined after worker fatally injured

Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd has been fined $75,000 after a worker was fatally injured when the truck he was driving crashed at the company’s Channar iron ore mine in August 2018.

Hamersley Iron, a Rio Tinto subsidiary, pleaded guilty in the South Hedland Magistrates Court to causing the death of an employee.

On the day of the incident, the worker was driving down ramp 84E that has a gradient mostly between 8 and 10 per cent and is around 1.2km long.