Overhauling material handling practices in the name of safety can be a daunting prospect. Safe to Work explores what Australian miners need to know before it becomes a handful.
From transporting large quantities of ore to operating heavy machinery for crushing, hauling or stockpiling, miners face a range of potential safety challenges when it comes to material handling.
These risks can include injuries caused by falls, equipment misuse and hazardous environmental factors such as dust exposure.
Given the complexity of the tasks involved in material handling on a mine site, ensuring the safety of workers requires a combination of technological innovation, improved safety protocols and focused employee training.
Mining companies across Australia have implemented a variety of safety initiatives aimed at improving the material handling process and minimising risks to workers.
Ergonomic equipment
A key safety initiative aimed at improving material handling safety in mining involves focusing on ergonomic equipment designed to reduce physical strain on workers.
Poorly designed equipment can lead to repetitive stress injuries or musculoskeletal disorders, especially when workers are required to bend, lift, or carry heavy loads.
Anglo American is a prime example of a mining company that has prioritised ergonomic safety in its material handling processes.
The miner has introduced innovative designs for shovels, tools and mechanical systems used in material handling, focusing on reducing the need for manual labour and limiting physical exertion.
“We’ve put a number of measures in place to minimise or mitigate the risk of ergonomic stressors, including engineering controls, administrative and work practice controls, and personal protective equipment in the high-risk occupations,” Anglo said.
“Some examples of these measures include using devices to lift and reposition heavy objects and redesigning tools, rotating workers away from repetitive tasks, and the use of padding to reduce contact with vibrating surfaces.”
Training
While advances in equipment design play a critical role in safety, human factors remain central to reducing accidents.
Comprehensive training programs are crucial to helping employees understand risks and adhere to safety protocols.
Barrick Gold, one of the largest gold miners in the world that for years operated the Super Pit in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, implements rigorous safety training programs to address material handling risks.
The training system is designed to teach employees safe practices for handling materials, particularly when operating heavy machinery or working near stockpiles.
Barrick emphasises both classroom instruction and practical on-the-job training, where employees learn how to safely operate equipment and react to potential hazards in real-time.
“Having the right documentation and guidance in place is important,” Barrick said. “However, we know that safety is something that is lived through behaviour and implemented on the ground at operations, not on a piece of paper or behind an office door.
“That is why we prioritise developing a safety culture, and a safety-first mindset.
“All our people, including contractors, receive safety and risk awareness training from the first time they set foot on one of our mines, and this training continues throughout their tenure with us and includes focused specialist training by job role and risk.”
Environmental hazards
Material handling in mining often involves the movement of dry materials like coal and ore, which generate dust that can cause serious harm when inhaled.
Prolonged exposure to dust can lead to respiratory illnesses such as pneumoconiosis or silicosis. To address this hazard, mining companies have invested in advanced dust control technologies designed to protect workers’ health.
Mineral Resources (MinRes) is one mining company determined to eliminate dust at its operations, having implemented a ‘dust-free’ initiative at its Ken’s Bore site, part of the larger Onslow Iron project in WA.
All haulage, port and transhipper operations are fully enclosed with the aim of ensuring dust-free transport of iron ore from Ken’s Bore, 150km east of Onslow, to the Port of Ashburton.
“In a Western Australian first, MinRes has commissioned fully enclosed, self-discharging transhippers to support our dust-free transport solution for the Onslow Iron project,” MinRes said.
“The innovative transport solution will help unlock billions of tonnes of stranded iron ore deposits from the west Pilbara region.”
A holistic approach
By adopting a variety of safety initiatives such as ergonomic equipment design, specific training, dust control measures and predictive maintenance, mining companies are continuing to make progress in reducing the safety hazards associated with material handling.
Companies like Anglo American, Barrick Gold, MinRes and BHP are just some of Australia’s key mining companies demonstrating leadership in implementing initiatives to ensure the safety of their employees.
As the mining industry continues to evolve, maintaining a strong focus on safety and investing in innovative solutions will be essential to ensuring that material handling processes are as safe and efficient as possible.
This feature appeared in the May–June edition of Safe to Work.