minesafeWESTERN AUSTRALIA Volume 21 no. 2 OCTOBER 2012 Zeroing in on safety priorities EXPLORATION ROADSHOW TAKES OFF TIRED DRIVERS ARE EVERYONE'S PROBLEM IMPORTANCE OF REFRESHER TRAINING 06 05 18 15 17 CONTENTS DEPARTMENTAL NEWS OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 30 2012 SOUTH WEST SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT 02 End of an era for 15 New services to support EMERGENCY RESPONSE REPORTS AND SAFETY Resources Safety leader healthy workplaces SKILLS CHALLENGE BULLETINS 04 Have your say on OHS 31 Change of scenery for 39 Mines Safety SIR 179 harmonisation INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES SWERSC Serious crush injuries caused by falling mesh 16 Introducing the Resources SAFETY AND HEALTH DIVISIONAL NEWS Industry Training Council sheets REPRESENTATIVES 05 Chief Inspectors of Mines 17 Safety through innovation 40 Mines Safety Bulletin 98 gather in PNG awards 34 Is your site using the Serious crush injuries from latest risk management pedal-controlled skid steer 06 Zeroing in on safety standard? equipment (re-issued) priorities SAFETY ALERTS AND GUIDANCE 41 Dangerous Goods Safety 08 Exploration roadshow takes INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE Bulletin 0212 off 18 Tired drivers are everyone's Managing risk from problem 35 What is resilience DIRECTOR'S CUT engineering? underground storage of 19 Don't let parking get away explosives WA's safety landscape is from you 10 CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS 42 Mines Safety Bulletin 100 changing 20 Making a break to improve 36 Monthly exploration and Dangerous Goods drilling safety LEGISLATIVE AND LEGAL workforce to 30 June 2012 Safety Bulletin 0312 23 Importance of refresher Safe use of flammable NEWS training 37 Monthly mining workforce refrigerants to 30 June 2012 11 Commonwealth enforceable undertaking DANGEROUS GOODS 38 Number of elected safety 44 RESOURCES SAFETY aims to improve workplace SAFETY and health representatives CONTACTS as at 30 September 2012 safety 24 Separate and ventilate is the dangerous goods safety SAFETY AND HEALTH message for Safe Work CULTURE Australia Week 12 Online resources for 25 2012 SURFACE MINE positive cultural change EMERGENCY RESPONSE 13 Tackling the tough COMPETITION 14 Strategies to ease life's 26 Safety competition offers pressures for mining great rewards families MineSafe vol. 21 no. 2 October 2012 08 14 18 24 34 35 elcome to the second issue of MineSafe for 2012. As part of the Department of Mines and Petroleum’s commitment to improving delivery of regulatory services, Resources Safety has increased the opportunities for industry consultation and Wfeedback. Activities include participating in industry conferences, seeking industry input on priority safety targets, attending safety and health representatives meetings, and presenting workshops at the annual safety roadshows. We report on some of these happenings. ........................................................................................................................................................... You will also read about the Conference of Chief Inspectors of Mines 2012, which I attended in Papua New Guinea in September. When visiting mine sites as part of the pre-conference field trip, the delegates were provided with details of the unique occupational health and safety issues presented by the location, geology and culture of the region. It was heartening to see that Australian mining companies operating in Papua New Guinea are achieving safety performance standards comparable with many Australian operations. It was also apparent to me that having a culturally appropriate approach is the key to their success. This message should be heard because the foundation to their success was the development of a safety culture that is complemented and reinforced by the underlying native culture. The tools and programs that we implement at our Western Australian sites must resonate with our workforce if we are to achieve positive cultural change. Enjoy your reading. Simon Ridge Executive Director, Resources Safety Scan this QR code for past issues of MineSafe MineSafe vol. 21 no. 2 October 2012 1 DEPARTMENTAL NEWS TYC END OF AN ERA FOR RESOURCES SAFETY LEADER ne of the Department of Mines and Petroleum’s which was established in late 2009. Under RADARS, DMP has leaders announced his retirement earlier this year, strengthened its capacity and ability to regulate safety and health in following ten years at the helm. Executive Director for the resources industry. Initiatives include introducing performance- OResources Safety, Malcolm Russell, called it a day in based remuneration packages and a competency-based training and July. development program. .................................................................................................... This has helped DMP recruit more safety inspectors. Since the Malcolm, who has spent more than half of his career in safety implementation of RADARS, 50 inspectors have been hired, with regulation, started at the then-Department of Minerals and Energy nearly half of them in 2011. Resources Safety aims to appoint four in 2002, staying with the Western Australian resources regulator petroleum inspectors, along with three mines inspectors, later this as it moved from the Department of Industry and Resources to the year. Recruitment is also underway for five vacant positions for mines Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and finally the inspectors. Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP). In his final words as Executive Director, Malcolm encouraged ongoing Malcolm said that his biggest challenge came when DMP was formed stakeholder liaison through the statutory Mining Industry Advisory in 2008, requiring him to oversee the amalgamation of the mining, Committee (MIAC), which he chaired. He noted that he also received dangerous goods and petroleum safety inspectorates under the invaluable industry feedback on the RADARS strategy from the Resources Safety banner. Minister for Mines and Petroleum’s expert Ministerial Advisory Panel. “I think a lot of people forget that we put in a lot of effort to streamline “This overall approach means Resources Safety is better placed the delivery of safety regulation services to these three related than ever to deliver leading practice regulatory services as well as sectors,” he said. supporting industry as it makes the cultural changes necessary for “I mean, we managed to establish a dedicated agency to regulate the improved safety performance”. Malcolm, went on to comment by entire resources industry — and I couldn’t be any more proud of how adding that, while the five-year strategy was only at the three-year well we did this.” mark, he was happy to hand over the reins. Once DMP was up and running, Malcolm turned his attention to its “I think it is the perfect time for me to let to someone else complete Reform and Development at Resources Safety (RADARS) strategy, the job with the same amount of vigour,” he said. 2 MineSafe vol. 21 no. 2 October 2012 EMENT APPROACH NAG MA K ER IS , WH E POSS R ION IBL E IPT E IV R T SC ISION MA C E DEC KIN A R EN G O P IV R S R REATER P S D G TR E - D A N N L A A S • T P A N SED ST A • D I AF IO GN F R T C E O N • A C O C C I E M capacity Y N R P U E Y L T M L competency E N M A N C O Y O I C T legislation THIS OVERALL APPROACH A N D • E V MEANS RESOURCES SAFETY O R P M I IS BETTER PLACED THAN EVER • TO DELIVER LEADING PRACTICE REGULATORY SERVICES AS WELL AS SUPPORTING INDUSTRY AS IT MAKES THE CULTURAL CHANGES NECESSARY FOR IMPROVED SAFETY PERFORMANCE. SH MALCOLM RUSSELL Despite the reform still being in full swing, perhaps Malcolm’s sense “It is the people you work with and the role you fulfil – they are the of resolution can be best understood when you look at how Resources things you miss,” he said. Safety is operating at present. “I have also enjoyed the challenge of trying to make a difference and “Everything is set in motion, there is nothing standing in the way of driving change — it has really given me the most satisfaction, above the department’s success right now — and I can take comfort in the anything else. So it makes me sad to end this chapter of my life but I fact that I helped it get there,” said Malcolm. do so with a sense of excitement too.” “In the end, Resources Safety strives to be recognised as a leading Department Director General Richard Sellers commended Malcolm practice safety regulator and it now has the right mix of funding, on his work at Resources Safety, saying his shoes would be hard to training, competency and capacity to achieve this. I have every fill. confidence that the commitment of individuals within the team will ensure RADARS is a complete success.” “I reluctantly accepted Malcolm’s resignation but I did so with great Despite turning his attention to other matters, Malcolm said that he appreciation,” he said. “Malcolm has been instrumental in driving the intends to stay abreast of progress in safety performance across the necessary sweeping changes to safety reform at the department over Western Australian resources industry. the past three years and we could not have done it without him. We now have a legacy to build on and will achieve all of the long-term “Actually, I hate the term retirement — I’m simply moving into the aims set out by Malcolm under his watch.” next, hopefully exciting and rewarding phase of my life, unburdened from the need to work for someone else,” he said. State Mining Engineer Simon Ridge, previously Director Mines Safety, has been promoted to the role of Executive Director for Resources “And while I will still keep up with industry, I want to be able to choose Safety. Mr Ridge, who took out the prestigious Australasian Institute what I do and where I want to be each and every day.” of Mining and Metallurgy’s Jim Torlach Health and Safety Award in Malcolm will certainly be making the best use of his newfound June this year, said that he was excited to take up the new position.