Metabo’s angle grinders have become increasingly popular in the mining industry. Now the company is releasing a new product for the sector.
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NSW regulator strives to improve vehicle safety
The New South Wales resources regulator has announced a targeted intervention campaign to improve heavy vehicle safety.
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South32 is revamping its safety performance
South32 has put extra frameworks in place as the company looks to improve its safety outcomes going forward.
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Closing the safety gap between OEM and operator
A mining industry initiative is striving to improve mine equipment safety by ensuring original equipment manufacturers and operators are on the same page.
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Mineral Resources partners to prevent youth suicide
Mineral Resources is working to stem youth suicide through a new principal partnership with the Telethon Kids Institute.
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Sy-Klone International honours resellers with Awards of Excellence
Sy-Klone International is recognising excellence in its reseller network with the inaugural 2022 Sy-Klone Circle of Protection Awards.
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MRL supporting Indigenous mental health
Mineral Resources is empowering the next generation of Aboriginal girls and young women to grow their social and emotional wellbeing skills.
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IGO setting the safety standard
IGO reported no material safety incidents across their managed activities during the first quarter of 2022.
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Bend-tech is your go-to for OEM replacement parts
Excavators such as the Hitachi EX3600 require fenders, guards and travel motor covers to protect the inner structure of the machine.
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Mining workforce safety study receives successful tender
WA Mines and Petroleum and Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston has announced the successful tender for a landmark study into workplace and mental health across the state’s mining sector.
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Anglo American presents sustainable performance update
Anglo American has released its sustainable performance update including progress on emissions reduction and a safe and inclusive culture.
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MRL automates next level of safety
MRL's autonomous road trains project has reached a world-first milestone, achieving a successful demonstration run.
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SafetyCulture is bringing SHEQSY back
Global workplace operations company, SafetyCulture, has announced the acquisition of SHEQSY, a cloud-based lone worker safety app.
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OZ Minerals recruits ABB for safest hoist
OZ Minerals has awarded ABB a contract to supply its Koepe production hoist, associated infrastructure and safety systems at Prominent Hill.
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Australian Mining recognises Women in Industry
The Women in Industry Awards presentation evening was held in Melbourne last night in recognition of the outstanding women in the sector.
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SmartBar sets the standard for site safety
With an array of light vehicles travelling across a mine site all day, ensuring pedestrian safety is crucial and when it comes to safety, SmartBar is in a league of its own.
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Eliminate the risk with hose reels
JSG Industrial Systems hose reels keep work areas clear, ensuring worker safety and a prolonged hose life.
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Giving power transmission injuries the BIRD™
Steve Hittmann remembers the days when v-belt drive maintenance involved manually pulling on the belt to turn the drive.
“It was an inherently dangerous process that resulted in way too many hand or finger injuries due to getting caught in a pinch point,” explains the CBC National Product Manager for Mechanical Drive Systems. “The Gates® revolutionary BIRD™ (Belt Installation + Rotation Device) technology has changed this. Rather than manually rotating the belt, the BIRD™ does the work for you. It is used to hold the pulleys during their installation and removal process, thus eliminating the risk of getting your fingers jammed between the belt and pulley.”
The BIRD™ safely facilitates the rotational inspection of a drive when it is shut down and locked out.
“Prior to the BIRD™, no product existed to address the risks associated with drive inspection and installation,” adds Steve. “The occupational health and safety implications of this technology is significant. Besides maintenance staff being injured there would be additional costs because of the injury – medical costs, legal fees, insurance premium increases, and then the actual downtime of the drive and subsequent production losses.”
Gates’ BIRD™ technology consists of two powerful, permanent magnets that are applied directly to the shiv or sprocket and are activated by an easy on/off switch. These same magnets have aluminium grips built on to them for safe handling.
“With the magnets fully engaged, you can use the BIRD™ to slowly and safely rotate the drive to inspect the shiv, the sprocket and the belts,” expands Steve. “When you’ve finished the inspection, you simply pull up slightly on the switch, flip it to the opposition, and put the BIRD™ back in its case. It’s easy, practical and above all, safe!”
While the safety benefits of the BIRD™ are clear, Steve also points out that it improves equipment uptime.
“The BIRD™ enables preventative maintenance, which in turn increases uptime, output and performance,” says the power transmission expert. “The ROI on this type of technology is swift, because preventative maintenance is an easy way to see efficiency gains and productivity improvements.”
Another Gates® product that significantly improves power transmission safety is the Draftguard™ anti-rotation device for air-cooled heat exchanger (ACHE) belt drive systems.
“Draftguard™ stops the fan from moving while maintenance is being performed, also protecting technicians from serious injury,” explains Steve. “ACHE drives can spin backwards when fans are off, but the blades are still subjected to air movement. This is known as back-drafting or wind-milling. Draftguard prevents the fan drives from rotating in the reverse direction.”
Back-drafting or wind-milling is dangerous for two reasons.
“Firstly, it can lead to unnecessary wear – when the drive is restarted the entire system experiences extreme shock load. This causes componentry wear and belt damage,” Steve expands. “Secondly, when it’s maintenance time, the drive has to be wrangled to a stop and then locked so that it doesn’t move while the crew is in close contact. Without a safe measure for either of these, a technician can get hurt, and the drive can get harmed too.”
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OZ Minerals improves safety frequency rate
OZ Minerals has improved its overall safety frequency rate and developed its first decarbonisation roadmap in the past year.
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Safety report shows decrease in incidents
The New South Wales Resources Regulator has released its December quarterly safety report for mine and petroleum site operators in the state.
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