Fighting Against Fatigue Through Real-time Data

Often underestimated, fatigue has a significant impact on workplace safety that can lead to catastrophic consequences, especially for lone workers. Precise and continuous physiological monitoring can prevent incidents and save lives. Discover the benefits in countering risks like fatigue and heat exposure through actionable data and automated reporting.

In mining, 65% of all truck accidents are caused by operator fatigue. There is no wonder why research shows 21 hours of being awake equals a blood-alcohol level of 0.08, which is above the current legal limit in Australia (0.05).

The onset of fatigue reduces an individual’s ability to respond or take action, making it particularly difficult and dangerous for lone workers who are inherently more vulnerable. However, with the evolution of technology, organisations are already adopting real-time physiological monitoring, health-based alerts and geolocation to prevent incidents before they happen.

To find out more, download the case study here:

Protect your hearing from mining equipment noise

Mining workers are exposed to high levels of noise, which can lead to irreversible hearing damage over time. It’s crucial to recognise the severity of this threat and take preventive measures.Hearing loss, when left untreated, not only affects individuals but also carries significant economic implications for society.  Learn how to protect your workers and reduce the impact of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) with this infographic.

Download the infographic here:

HydroBond: Dust Suppression for Revegetation

Australian companies operating in the mining, civil & infrastructure, energy, defence, and rail industries are working with environmental solutions providers to control dust risk on-site. While dust suppression solutions can immediately prevent dust particles from going airborne, revegetation is the longer-term and more sustainable approach.

Drilling, excavating, blasting, loading, and stockpiling can lead to dust liftoff, which can get transported elsewhere. To mitigate this risk, it’s important to ensure that the best possible solution is implemented to protect the health of workers, nearby communities, and the surrounding environment both in the short and long term.

HydroBond is scientifically developed and extensively tested by Erizon’s team of soil scientists. It’s made with a unique polymer-based substance blended with proprietary additives for effective dust suppression.

Once applied, a 3D honeycomb matrix gets formed above the topsoil, forming a protective crust. This open matrix structure allows more water to be retained and prevents the leaching of essential nutrients. Consequently, treated soils become an optimal medium for plant growth and enable faster germination of seeds.

For more information fill out the form below.

bearing remanufacturing

Bearing remanufacturing cuts costs and CO2

Bearing remanufacturing plays an essential role in the global railway industry. The benefits are many, including shorter stops, faster overhaul turnarounds, reduced maintenance costs and lower CO2 emissions.

To read the whitepaper fill out your details below.

air quality

Aggregates company improves air quality for global miner

Global mining company reduces occupational exposure with implementation of ISO 23875 cabin air quality standard. 

Learn how a global aggregates company improved air quality in the mining company’s fleet of heavy equipment and reduced occupational exposure to harmful respirable dust and debris.

Benefits of ISO 23875 cabin air quality implementation:

  • Reduced operator fatigue by maintaining CO2 at a low level.
  • Reduced exposure to harmful respirable dust to levels below permissible limits.
  • Ensuring CO2 and dust are managed through continuous cab pressurisation, fresh air exchange, and real-time monitoring.
  • Cleaner machine cabs, resulting in less dust and debris impacting sensitive controls and components, potentially extending service intervals and the life of air conditioning components, such as the evaporator core.

To read more, download the whitepaper below.

dust

Case study: Tunnelling operations dust control

Cross River Rail (CRR) is Queensland’s largest public transport project. The $5.4 billion project is set to deliver four new underground stations and upgrades to eight above-ground stations. The project also includes the development of three new Gold Coast stations.

It is anticipated that when opened for services in 2025, the new railway and four new underground stations will dramatically improve connectivity to the southern part of the CBD, preparing the way for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The issues

  • Management of dust in the tunnelling and stockpiling component of the works for CRR’s tunnel, stations and development (TSD) package.
  • Management of dust generated during the spoil removal process when the material was conveyed from the tunnel boring machine (TBM) work area underground to the surface.
  • Spraying of water for dust was not working as the material was found to be hydrophobic (water repellant).
  • Worker and community health and safety issues due to excessive dust.
  • Delays in critical tunnelling activities due to excessive dust levels.

The solution

As our client was pressured by the local government and communities to reduce the amount of dust generated and prevent the wastage of water, they decided to transition towards a more sustainable, environmental, and economical solution for managing and controlling dust in tunnels.

After several site inspections and preliminary trialling, GRT’s senior engineers assisted in the development and implementation of a practical dust management strategy, drawing on the company’s underground mining experience.

Dust generated from the material handling component of the project was practically eliminated at the material source.

To learn more about the results of this project, click here.

Hunter Valley tailings storage facility dust suppression

Dust suppression maintenance for a tailings storage facility in the Hunter Valley occurred in December 2021.

The works, totalling 35 hectares, took our team two days to complete using Erizon’s specialised HydroTruck and a Cresco agricultural aircraft.

As with all projects undertaken at Erizon, an on-site inspection is the first step toward a successful dust suppression project. A survey drone was used to map the area in 3D to aid the planning of the aerial dust suppression application.

To read more, download the whitepaper below.

OnGuard real-time air quality monitoring and control

When it comes to providing a safe working environment, BreatheSafe believes zero exposure to dust is the only way to ensure zero harm.

BreatheSafe patented technology has helped it become an industry leader by designing custom air quality solutions for mining, earthmoving, quarrying, and construction worldwide.

World-first real-time monitoring and control of the pressuriser in relation to airborne particulate as well as pressure and CO2.

The safety of those working in mining, construction and industrial environments is important to anyone operating in the industry.

Many mining and construction operations generate large volumes of airborne particulate that is often invisible to the naked eye.

Exposure to such particulate can have long-term health consequences. ISO23875 addresses this risk by recommending the pressurization of operator enclosures with HEPA filtered air, and the monitoring of CO2 and particulate concentrations within the enclosure.

To read more, download the whitepaper below.

Case study: Haul road dust control

Global Road Technology (GRT) has served a globally renowned mining and resource organisation which owns a large scale, long-life open-cut mine in Central Queensland. To properly transport this coal reserves, this mining operation has included over 70km of haul road, with an average width of 20m.

This coal mine has one of the largest coal reserves in the world, amounting to almost one billion tonnes of coking coal. Moreover, the current annual production capacity is more than nine million tonnes of coal and predicted to rise significantly in the next ten years.

The issues

  • The reduction in visibility on haul roads caused by vehicle generated dust, preventing clear communication between drivers and increased risk of collision.
  • The respiratory and environmental impact uncontrolled dust.
  • The current cost of running water trucks and the potential need to purchase additional trucks to keep dust under control with water alone.
  • The availability of water to manage coal dust, and pressure to not consume natural resources also in demand from local communities and farming.
  • Regulatory compliance.

The Solution

GRT’s client was pressured by the local government to reduce the amount of water used in this particular mining operation. With these pressures in mind, the miner ultimately decided to transition towards a more sustainable, environmental, and economical solution for managing and suppressing dust, especially on the mining operation’s haul roads.

Furthermore, with the total amount of water resource previously available to the mine reducing at a significant pace due to warmer and dryer temperature, untreated water was sourced from other locations at additional costs.

To learn more about the results of this project, click here

The importance of education in fire mitigation

To limit the losses of a mine-site fire, plant operators should know how to respond when an inferno hits. A fire suppression system is not the only consideration.

Fire management in the mining industry is not only imperative for health and safety reasons, but also to preserve the viability of mining operations.

Fires lead to machinery breakdowns, which leads to downtime and reduced productivity. The cost of damages is also immense.

With more than 40 years of experience behind the company, Fire Forensics has forged a reputation for its astute understanding of arguably the world’s most dangerous adversary.

It’s the company’s passion and obligation to arrive on-site to determine how and why a blaze occurred.

It’s also Fire Forensics’ mission to better educate mining operators about the ongoing risk of mine fires and how they can be mitigated.

Why is lock out tag out necessary?

Lock out tag out (LOTO) procedures including isolation are required to minimise the risk of uncontrolled movement of equipment or release of energy that could lead to an incident involving actual or potential personal injury, environmental impact or asset damage.

Whenever there is construction, maintenance, demolition, remediation and other similar work that are typical to any industry, there is the potential for harm to people, environment and damage to equipment.

To learn more, download the whitepaper below.

Webinar: Unlocking efficient and productive growth in mining, at pace

Thursday 9 December, 3:00pm – 3:45pm AEDT

Join Austmine and Salesforce for an exclusive conversation about digital transformation with Craig Walker, former chief information officer (CIO) of Shell.

With 30+ years of global business experience, Craig understands the modern challenges of a CIO.

He will explore the impact of digital innovation in the mining industry and how it is transforming the way organisations operate, reflecting on how he unlocked efficiency, gained productivity and minimised risk on a global scale.

Craig will also explore the opportunity to mine your data, providing insights into how to extract value and operationalise your data properly, to avoid leaving value on the table.

This is a chance to explore and discuss recent innovations and technological developments that Salesforce can offer, focusing on changing the workforce, artificial intelligence & connectivity, and digital transformation.

Registration:

This webinar is free to attend. Login to the self-service portal to register. For assistance, please contact membership@austmine.com.au.

 

Craig Walker – Salesforce senior vice president and strategic advisor in the office of chief executive officer.

Craig joined Salesforce from Shell where he has 32 years of oil & gas experience with key assignments in all regions, and in both upstream and downstream.

As a global CIO of one of Salesforce’s largest customers, he has a deep understanding of the challenges that face a modern CIO.

At Shell, he was responsible for the Salesforce executive relationship, and he trailblazed the setup of a global internal Salesforce Centre of Competence with 200+ people to drive the adoption and phenomenal growth of Salesforce solutions within all areas of Shell’s businesses, while significantly reducing IT operating costs.

Craig spent the last 15 years as a global CIO transforming the trading, supply, and downstream businesses (trading and supply, shipping, manufacturing, chemicals, B2B, and B2C).

Craig also served for six years as an associate partner in KPMG Consulting.

Fire Forensics investigate marijuana grow house fire

Illegal wiring installed for a house set up to grow marijuana caught fire.

The Origin

The house was privately tenanted, with no inspections completed over the duration of the tenancy.

Attempts were made, with the tenants never being ‘home’ during the inspection attempts.

Neighbours reported that they had not seen the tenants for weeks at the time of the incident.

Read more about this Fire Forensics case here.

Leadership matters in a high-risk workplace

To be an effective leader requires skill, along with continuous learning and development.

No matter if you have been working for years as the general manager of a mine, or if you’ve just graduated to supervisor, it’s always a good time to develop your approach to leadership.

This webinar, hosted by industry expert Kim Nguyen, will provide the tools and strategies needed to be an authentic leader.

This webinar will cover:

  • Why authentic leadership is crucial for any high performing team
  • How to cultivate authentic leadership
  • How to bring your true self to your role as leader—both the good and the bad.

Core Mine Training founder and director Kim Nguyen has over 21 years’ experience in the mining industry, holding senior leadership positions and working as an examiner for the NSW Resources Regulator.

Nguyen has spent nine years in the Coal Competence Unit, writing and marking exams, as well as assessing candidates in their oral exams.

His diverse skills and experience, teamed with his style of engagement and leadership, positions Nguyen to enable excellence for current and future mining leaders.

As Pegasus head of mining services, John Furner has over 40 years of experience within the Australian mining industry.

Furner has worked across several mining companies as general manager for Muswellbrook Coal, SubZero Group and BFG Daracon before joining the team at Pegasus.

Furner’s in-depth knowledge of legislation that impacts the industry allows for key insights into how Pegasus workforce management products can support best business practices for mining clients.

Take a listen and develop leadership skills with advice from an industry expert.

Click here to register.

SHOWA Eco Best Technology: Waste not, want not

The nitrile glove market in the USA is expected to reach US$370 million by 2023.

Of the 150 billion pairs of gloves produced every year, 100 billion are thrown away.

Laid out end to end, that’s enough to stretch to the moon and back 30 times.

So just imagine how much space they take up in traditional landfill sites.

Keeping operators safe from invisible risks

Even in pressurised spaces, operators and workers at mine sites may still be vulnerable to respirable dust and the health risks of prolonged exposure.

In the past, it was thought that installing a pressuriser system was enough to keep workers safe.

Still, new technologies now available make it possible to further eliminate exposure to dust in these spaces.

The new international standard ISO23875 places a greater emphasis on the air quality inside the cabin than has been previously addressed.

Download the whitepaper below to learn the best practices in meeting and exceeding ISO 23875’s performance requirements.

New 3M Speedglas Generation 5 welding helmet launch

Since releasing the first auto-darkening welding helmet in 1981, Speedglas has emerged as the leading brand in welders’ PPE: setting the industry benchmark in vision, comfort, safety, and performance.

This has culminated in Generation 5, the latest collection of Speedglas welding helmets that showcase a truly groundbreaking array of never-before-seen features. Each helmet is designed from inception to be uniquely tailored to a specific application, from heavy-duty welding in hard-wearing environments to critical precision TIG work.

The result, after extensive input from professional welders, is an elite welding helmet range that manages to be both highly specialised and versatile in equal measure.

3M Speedglas G5-02 Welding Helmet: a new world standard in precision viewing

The new 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet G5-02 marks a historic breakthrough in welding helmet technology, as it features the world’s first curved auto-darkening welding lens. Perhaps the most significant leap forward since the brand released the first auto-darkening welding helmet in 1981, Speedglas Curved Glass Technology serves to maximise your natural range of vision to create a 100% wider field of view.

While in the past a larger field of view would involve the compromise of a larger, heavier, and more cumbersome helmet shell, the G5-02 lens allows the best of both worlds – wider views in an incredibly slim, lightweight helmet. The curved shape of the welding lens closely mirrors the welder’s face to increase peripheral vision, improve overall weight distribution, and narrow the profile of the helmet.

In addition to its groundbreaking aesthetic and 100% wider views, the G5-02 creates a new world standard for precision optics with the introduction of Speedglas TrueView in combination with a light state of 2.5. Literally see the difference with a view that appears lighter, brighter, and more realistic. The Speedglas G5-02 lens also delivers highly advanced electronics, with four arc sensors that will detect an arc down to an industry-leading 1 Amp. This in turn ensures the lens can reliably react to the extremely stable arcs offered by the latest high-end inverter based TIG machines.

Finally, the Speedglas G5-02 is Bluetooth® enabled, so you can securely pair your smartphone to your welding lens via the 3M Connected App. You can then use your phone to program up to four memory modes, each with its own settings for dark shades, sensitivity, and delay. This option, when combined with the more intuitive, user-friendly control panel on the lens itself, means it has never been easier to adjust your lens settings to suit your requirements. The app also lets you record a maintenance log for your helmet, as well as access User Manuals and Parts Lists.

3M Speedglas G5-01 Welding Helmet: the ultimate in heavy-duty protection

The 2017 IARC reclassification of welding fume as ‘carcinogenic to humans’ simply confirmed what was already known – welding fume is extremely bad for health and workplaces must protect their workers. Excessive exposure to welding fume can cause multiple types of cancer, including lung, larynx, and urinary tract. Action is required.

The important point to understand is that, while the risk posed by welding fume is serious, keeping yourself safe can be straightforward. This is where the Speedglas G5-01VC Flip-Up Welding Helmet with Heavy-Duty Adflo Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) comes in.

As one of the most popular respirators of its kind in the world, the award-winning Adflo PAPR has become synonymous with effective respiratory protection against carcinogenic welding fume. With the right filters, it can consistently protect against welding fume particles as well as a range of gases and vapours.

The respirator fully complies with the Australian and New Zealand standard for powered air respirators (AS/NZS1716) and offers a Required Minimum Protection Factor (RMPF) of 50, meaning it will supply a minimum 50 times cleaner air than a welder would otherwise breathe unprotected.

What’s more, the Speedglas G5-01 comes standard with the Heavy-Duty Adflo PAPR: built to offer up to 12 hours’ continuous protection for long shifts in harsh environments. The result is a constant flow of clean air directly into your breathing zone for cooler, cleaner, and more comfortable welding.

In addition to state-of-the-art respiratory protection, the Speedglas G5-01 has a range of unique and fully customisable features to offer. Based on extensive input from welders working at high amperages who need to grind frequently, the helmet has been created to be adaptable to each individual’s needs and situation.

This includes TrueView in the light state, Variable Colour Technology in the dark state, Climate Control to adjust the airflow in your helmet, an optional task light, and the ability to adjust settings remotely via Bluetooth®.

Heavy-duty welders need heavy-duty protection: look no further than the G5-01.

Visit www.awsi.com.au/campaign to learn more.