Reliable communications systems for remote mines

Background

A visitor to a small, remote mine was run over by a reversing front-end loader and died several hours later. The loader was loading material onto a road train at night.

The mine site, which has no fixed plant, was attended only when loading operations were taking place, usually by one person. The mine did not have an effective communications system and was forced to rely on the road train's UHF radio to report the accident. However, radio reception was poor due to the remoteness of the mine site—it was only after the injured person had been ferried several kilometres from the site in the road train that the emergency call was picked up.

The call was relayed to police approximately 2.5 hours after the incident occurred; the police and ambulance reached the injured person approximately 6 hours after the accident.

Discussion

The Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2001 requires that all mines and quarries use a risk-management approach to develop an emergency response plan; and ensure resources are available to handle reasonably foreseeable emergencies at the site.

Many small, remote mines and quarries do not have the resources to implement sophisticated emergency response plans and have to rely on basic first aid and assistance from state emergency services. Because these services are situated in built-up areas, a reliable means of communication is essential when reporting serious accidents in remote areas.

With current technology it is possible to have a reliable communications system anywhere in Queensland at a reasonable cost. Systems include fixed or mobile satellite phones.

Recommendations

• That all mines and quarries in remote areas review their communications systems to ensure they are working and reliable; and that their emergency response plans can be effectively implemented.
• That the site's GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) are clearly displayed on site and provided to police and emergency services ahead of time, along with any other pertinent information (mine/quarry name, directions to the mine/quarry by road, landmarks, etc). This information will enable emergency services to easily locate the mine or quarry in the event of a serious accident.

Authorised by Roger Billingham - Chief Inspector of Mines

Contact: minesafetyandhealth@dnrm.qld.gov.au

Issued by Queensland Department of Mines and Energy