Mine disaster exercise prepares coal workers for underground emergencies
The results from two underground emergency exercises at a Queensland coal mine have been released, and the annual event has been hailed another success.
Two events, known as ‘Level 1 emergency exercises’, were hosted by Anglo American's Aquila Underground Coal Mine, located 31km southwest of Middlemount in the heart of the Bowen Basin.
The exercises are run by Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ), along with the Queensland Mines Rescue Service, and industry safety and health representatives, to give coal mine workers the chance to practise disaster scenarios so they're prepared in the event of a real-life emergency.
Both exercises in 2023 involved vehicle accidents.
In the first scenario, on 13 September 2023, a load haul dump (LHD) and a special underground car called a Driftrunner collided. Both drivers were injured, and both tried to flee but one driver went missing.
In the second scenario, on 7 November 2023, a LHD machine caught fire, burning the operator on his face and hands. He called his control room operator to let them know he was walking away from the incident, but then went missing.
The second scenario was particularly tricky because it affected all underground mine locations at the time.
In both scenarios, mine workers and specialised mine rescue teams had to test their mine site incident response, their ability to triage injured coal mine workers, use rescue equipment correctly, communicate effectively, and in some instances self-escape.
RSHQ's Chief Inspector of Coal Jacques le Roux said Level 1 emergency exercises are vital to improving reactions and responses in real-life emergencies.
"The goal is to learn from each exercise, then share that with industry," said Mr le Roux.
"In a way this is when we would welcome mistakes because it means we'll know the areas where we can improve.
"The better the response in practice, the higher the chance we have of saving lives."
The Level 1 exercise later this year will include an inspector who specialises in open cut mines, with the goal of running the first ever above ground Level 1 emergency exercise in 2025.
The full 2023 Level 1 Emergency Exercise report is available here.
ENDS
Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) is the regulator of safety and health legislation across Queensland’s mining, quarrying, explosives (including fireworks) petroleum and gas industries. RSHQ’s priority is the safety and health of workers and the communities they operate in, with a vision of zero serious harm.
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Last updated: 13 May 2024