OHS requires that employees, contractors and visitors to a site be protected from harm.   We all know this!

There are as many ways to go about this as there are sites.  We also know this!

The generally agreed method for determining the best way to approach the OHS hazards is via the Hierarchy of controls.  There are many examples, but the version on the left is from the DMIRS, the Safety Regulator in Western Australia.

Image credit: https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/atom/4194

The judicious application of the Hierarchy is essential.

EXAMPLE:

A mine site had a near miss when a crane was packing up its fly-jib.  Presumably, the fly-jib was the best tool for the task being undertaken.  Unfortunately, the fly-jib was dropped, resulting in the near-miss.  The solution selected was the ban all fly-jibs fitted to cranes.  Not just not used, but removed.  They eliminated the hazard.

❓   Was this the best control method from the investigation? 

❓   Were there other learnings from the investigation that could be communicated and applied by the workgroups?

❓   Was there any unintended consequence of this one control??

While elimination is the first line of defence, this is not the only card to be played in developing a safety solution.

We can prevent dangerous equipment from being used or installed on-site, but ultimately, there will still be hazards.

Mining hazards will always exist, so we need to be smart about their management.

The AS4024 Safety of Machinery Series provides the standard of how to go about managing OHS aspects of conveyor safety.  The most relevant from the series is AS4024.3611 Conveyors – Belt Conveyors for Bulk Material Handling.

In application, complications are introduced when dealing with multiple pieces of adjacent equipment with different hazards and differing access and operational needs.  This is particularly an issue on older sites that have a range of legacy issues.

The nature of a site can change over time.  Modification, upgrades, redundancy, wear and tear, maintenance, personnel or procedural changes, or in the worst case, neglect, all change the nature of the hazards and their controls.  Small changes are insidious and may go unnoticed for some time, possible only being realised during an incident investigation or a site inspection by DMIRS.

At Verum Project and Engineering, we don’t sell products, we provide solutions and piece of mind.  We provide a fresh sent of eye to inspect your plant, in the state it is today, and we make risk-assessed recommendations to address deficiencies.

If you have an operating mining operation or quarry and would like an audit to understand or improve your equipment safety compliance, particularly Bulk Materials Handling Systems, contact us now to discuss your needs.

“It takes leadership to improve safety.” – Jackie Stewart