Whitehaven mine is in the safety spotlight again after council workers blamed the mine for fires from self-rescuer canisters dumped at a waste dump.
According to local media ‘over a period of three weeks in April, a number of small fires broke out in the general waste section of the Narrabri landfill.’
The media outlet reported that ‘Narrabri Shire Council investigated the source of fire and ound the source of the fires were canisters used in breathing apparatus of workers at the nearby underground coal mine.’
More than 100 individual canisters were found, which contain chemicals that combust when exposed to moisture.
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“Council also advised that the canisters were found in double black bags, mixed in with general solid waste loads delivered by Namoi Waste,” the EPA said.
The Whitehaven mine was issued with a clean up noticed and required to dispose of the canisters properly.
Potassium Superoxide KO2 Cartridges (used in SCSR Devices) are known to be reactive and produce heat in oxidation processes.
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