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49% of mine site deaths in WA are first year employees

WA’s chief resources safety regulator sent a strong warning to industry workers and companies at the 2013 Mines Safety Roadshow in Geraldton on Monday, following its study into 13 years of WA mining fatalities.

Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) Resources Safety Executive Director Simon Ridge told the 60-strong crowd the department had analysed the 52 mining deaths that occurred from 2000 to 2012, a time period that saw the industry workforce increase by 60,000.

Forty nine per cent of these deaths involved workers who were in the first year at their respective mine sites or fulfilling new roles, Mr Ridge said – stressing the importance of inductions, training and familiarisation with new environments.

“We believe high staff turnover can also further influence the number of accidents in the first year of a new role,” Mr Ridge said.

The DMP study found 62 per cent of the cases involved onsite procedures not being complied with.

“This drives the point home that we must always apply known precautions to known hazards and, where new tasks, machines or processes are being introduced, detailed hazard analysis and risk assessment should be carried out,” Mr Ridge said.

The research also showed that 44 per cent of the fatal accidents involved supervisors in their first year ‘on the job’ – highlighting the need for supervisors to be fully aware of the hazards and risks associated with set tasks, so workers are monitored accordingly.

During the 13-year timeframe, clusters of accidents occurred at the end of day shift (between 3pm and 6pm), five hours into both day and night shift (at 11am and 11.00pm) as well as at 3am.

“Although the sample size in our study is relatively small, these incident times seem to align with the very times when employees may be fatigued and more prone to making errors,” Mr Ridge said.

“That’s why it’s crucial for employers and employees to understand the importance of meal and rest breaks in improving energy and concentration, particularly every four hours during the common twelve hour shift.”

While the study did not show any evidence that longer rosters resulted in increased fatalities, more than half of the incidents involved employees working on the most commonly used FIFO roster, the two-on one-off.

The most prevalent occupations included fitters (nine fatalities) and haul truck operators (five fatalities), and technicians, drivers and jumbo operators (4 fatalities each).

SONY DSCThe largest cause of all incidents included incorrect use of fall arrest equipment; procedures not being followed; run-away vehicles, vehicles over edges and collisions; electrocution; rock falls and pit wall failures; water in-rush; and tyre handling.

Fifty six per cent of incidents occurred at gold and nickel mining sites in the Goldfields, while Pilbara iron ore sites accounted for 33 per cent – with 35 incidents occurring at surface and 17 underground.

“Because the number of surface employees was 10 times higher than those working underground during this 13 year timeframe – working underground during this time period carried five times more risk,” Mr Ridge said, urging companies and workers to take notice of the study’s important findings.

“We know a young contractor tragically lost his life at a Pilbara mine site earlier this year after a nearly two year fatality-free run,” Mr Ridge said.

“It’s for that reason the department carries out such studies, so that from a regulator perspective, we can provide feedback to industry to help stop these incidents from occurring.”

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