A record number of mine emergency rescue teams are set to put their skills to the test at the South Australian Mines Emergency Response Competition (SAMERC).
Nine teams will compete across 10 scenarios designed to test their skills and knowledge in the event they are called on to respond to a mine emergency.
The 2024 event is being hosted by BHP’s Olympic Dam with most scenarios staged in the Roxby Downs township from October 18–20.
The underground scenario will be staged at the nearby Olympic Dam mine site, which is about 570km north of Adelaide.
Olympic Dam is the largest underground mine in South Australia and touted to be the fourth largest copper deposit in the world.
This year’s teams include the first ever entry from New Zealand, Oceana Gold NZ and two teams from New South Wales, Newmont’s Cadia Valley and Metals Acquisition’s CSA mine.
The six South Australian mines represented aside from BHP’s Olympic Dam include the Big Australian’s Carrapateena and Prominent Hill mines as well as Iluka Resources’ Jacinth Ambrosia, Hillgrove Resources’ Kanmantoo, and last year’s host SIMEC Whyalla.
The 2023 event in Whyalla was the first time SAMERC was held in a city, giving the public a chance to watch the action. More than 5000 turned out to cheer on the competitors.
The 2024 events are again open to the public.
Scenarios on show include firefighting, vertical rescue, road crash rescue, confined space rescue, team skills, breathing apparatus search and rescue and industrial rescue.
The weekend will also include one of the largest public displays of mining equipment ever seen in South Australia.
The display in the Roxby Downs town centre will feature underground jumbo drills, underground truck and loaders, explosive truck, underground refuge chamber and a loader simulator.
SAMERC is being staged as part of National Safe Work Month activities and marks SA’s 15th year holding the competition.
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