Monthly business activities report...Monthly business activities report MARCH 2019 DOCUMENT CONTROL Published by NSW Resources Regulator Title: Monthly business activities report -

Monthly business activities report MARCH 2019

DOCUMENT CONTROL

Published by NSW Resources Regulator

Title: Monthly business activities report - March 2019

First published: June 2019, data current at 10 April 2019

Authorised by: Chief Compliance Ofcer

CM9 Reference: DOC19/405824-1

© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Planning and Environment 2019.

This publication is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in an unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal use or for non-commercial use within your organisation. To copy, adapt, publish, distribute or commercialise any of this publication you will need to seek permission from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

Disclaimer: The data in this report was extracted from the NSW Resources Regulator’s compliance database on 10 April 2019. Users are reminded that since then new information may have been received. If you are concerned about the currency of any of the information in the report, please check with the appropriate ofcer of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment. Non-compliance events under the Mining Act 1992 have been omitted from this report because of an unresolved data base transition issue at the time of data extraction.

resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au

http://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au

NSW RESOURCES REGULATOR

Contents

ACTIVITIES SNAPSHOT 4

Activities at a glance ...............................................................................................................................4

Safety incidents of note ...........................................................................................................................5

Communication highlights.......................................................................................................................5

WORK, HEALTH AND SAFETY ACTIVITIES 6

Safety incident notifcations received ........................................................................................................6

Safety assessments .................................................................................................................................9

Proactive and reactive safety assessments ................................................................................................ 10

Targeted assessment programs .............................................................................................................. 12

High risk activity notifcations and exemptions ......................................................................................... 13

COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES 15

Safety notices issued............................................................................................................................. 15

Prohibition notices issued ...................................................................................................................... 16

Key enforcement actions ....................................................................................................................... 17

EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 18

PUBLICATIONS AND ALERTS 19

3

Activities snapshot

Activities at a glance

SUMMARY OF REGULATORY ACTIVITIES - MARCH 2019

Deployed inspectors in response to

19 safety incident

notifcations

Issued

179 safety notices

Conducted

131 site safety assessments

(inspections)

Achieved

42% proactive safety

activities

Received

183 safety incident

notifcations

Conducted

6 industry engagement

and education activities

NSW RESOURCES REGULATOR 4

5 NSW RESOURCES REGULATOR

Safety incidents of note On 13 March 2019, in response to a series of reported roof falls, the NSW Resources Regulator inspectors attended Wongawilli mine near Wollongong to assess the adequacy of risk controls in place to protect workers from roof failure. While at the mine, inspectors identifed several safety issues with the mine’s conveyor system; mine travel roads and production methods, which resulted in a total of three section 195 notices being issued. Following a further roof fall and consideration of the issues, the Chief Inspector of Mines issued a stop work order on the 19 March 2019.

The NSW Resources Regulator also responded to an incident at Metropolitan Colliery in the Illawarra Region on the 21 March 2019 afer being notifed that workers had been withdrawn from the mine following the detection of high levels of carbon dioxide and methane gas. The Regulator has subsequently commenced a causal investigation into the incident.

The NSW Resources Regulator’s weekly incident summary references any recently published safety publications. The alerts section provides further details about any dangerous and serious safety incident notifcations received in March 2019.

Communication highlights The NSW Resources Regulator issued a safety bulletin into the rise in dozer incidents. Recently, there has been several incidents in which machines have overturned. In each case, the operator was placed at risk of sufering serious injuries.

The NSW Resources Regulator attended a mine operator and community engagement meeting at Condobolin on the 7 March 2019. The NSW Resources Regulator’s presentation outlined our role as a high hazard regulator to the Clean TeQ Community Committee.

The NSW Resources Regulator presented a Mechanical Engineering update on recent electric shock incidents to Engineers Australia, Mining Electrical Mining Mechanical Engineers Society at Maitland.

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/news/2019/prohibition-notices-issued-to-wongawilli-mine

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/news/2019/resources-regulator-responding-to-an-incident-at-metropolitan-colliery

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/safety-and-health/incidents/weekly-incident-summary

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/873575/SB19-01-Rise-in-dozer-incidents-putting-operators-at-risk.pdf

6

146

26

11

137

28

16


1

Work, health and safety activities

Safety incident notifcations received In March 2019, 183 incidents were notifed to the NSW Resources Regulator by mining operations.

Of the 183 incidents notifed in March 2019, there were 19 incidents where the NSW Resources Regulator deployed inspectors for further investigation. See the table below for further detail.

FIGURE 1. SAFETY INCIDENT NOTIFICATIONS BY SECTOR - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019 203198200

130121

26 19

130

160

118 125 131

27

17 29 18

22 10 14

183181 180 170

157 138 137

31

22 22

13

10166162160158157 156160 152 150

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Mar 2018 Apr 2018 May 2018 Jun 2018 Jul 2018 Aug 2018 Sep 2018 Oct 2018 Nov 2018 Dec 2018 Jan 2019 Feb 2019 Mar 2019

115

25

Exploration sites (excluding Opal mines Small mines - Metalliferous, Petroleum and Geothermal) quarries and other gemstones

Large mines - Metalliferous Coal mines and quarries


The NSW Resources Regulator deployed to the following incidents described in the table below.

TABLE 1. DETAILS OF INCIDENTS WHERE INSPECTORS WERE DEPLOYED - MARCH 2019

Date notifed Location Incident

2 Mar Coal mines - Underground

2 Mar

4 Mar

Large mines, Metalliferous and Quarries -Underground

Coal mines - Surface

5 Mar Coal mines – Surface





11 Mar Coal mines - Surface

14 Mar Large mines, Metalliferous and Quarries -Underground

A roof fall occurred which meant that the N3 production panel lost its return ventilation path. Gas levels in the N3 panel were noticed to rise to 0.45% Methane from 0.1 and 8ppm CO from zero.

Electric shock afer moving pump starter box and reconnection of power.

Reject bin steel plate walkway foor at the conveyor CV-D 1001 discharge end failed under the operator creating a hole. There were no reported injuries.

Maintenance worker struck in face by hydraulic fuid under pressure whilst standing on ladder disconnecting a hydraulic hose on a 350-tonne excavator track adjuster.

Operator struck on helmet and shoulder by a coal packer that fell against mesh that was being removed for partial pillar extraction in 808 panel A hdg 12 to 13 c/t.

The dump body of a semi-trailer has rolled on to its side while tipping into the clean coal hopper for the CHPP. The turntable connection between the trailer and the chassis had failed and separated.

Operator saw smoke rising from an electrical cable tray. Afer inspection the operator hosed the cable with water and received an electrical shock.

A large piece of RIB - 5.5m Long x 1.0m High and 0.3m thick slumped onto foor next to ftter’s foot. The rib failure was below the clay band mid seam (Wybrow Seam).

Major oil fre on excavator. The machine had been back in service for one hour afer maintenance. Fire erupted and the suppression system was activated. Four water carts used to control fre. There were no injuries sustained. The mine was placed into shut down until the fre scene was recovered.

During a planned shutdown for the relining of the mill a maintenance brake failed. Metal parts were ejected from the brake unit. No reports of injury.


Date notifed Location Incident


Catastrophic engine failure resulting in an oil fre. The operator activated the on-board fre suppression system. No reports of injury.

20 Mar Small mines, Metalliferous and Quarries - Surface

21 Mar Coal mines - Surface







Excavator roll over.

A loaded rear dump truck was tipping the load on the RL185 South Pit Dump, the tip edge slumped approximately two metres, not allowing the truck to move forward.

Whilst completing the last 1.5metres of the intake shaf with the raise bore reamer the head detached from the stem and fell to the bottom of the shaf.

Gas pushed from the longwall in Bulli seam (CO2 and CH4). The undermanager withdrew everyone from the mine. Power is now of to the underground mine.

Dump valve fuid was spraying towards the DCB. The supply was isolated and an investigation commenced.

A shear cylinder on the Eagles Continuous Miner Joy 12CM30 was hosed up incorrectly. Hydraulic oil and pressurised air escaped from the hose and sprayed onto the wrist of electrician.

Hydraulic oil onto hot engine components caused the fre in an underground vehicle.

The TG gas sensor of the Mini Wall return was above 5% CH4 but the sensor approx. 300m outbye didn't record above 0.86% CH4. As per the mine's withdrawal TARP all persons had been withdrawn to the surface.

8


Safety assessments In March 2019 a total of 246 safety assessments were conducted across all mining sectors, a decrease of 173 compared to the previous month. Of the 246 assessments, 120 occurred in the coal sector (or approximately 49%).

Notably, the preceding month (February) saw a spike in activity primarily due to 89 targeted intervention assessments conducted by the NSW Resources Regulator at coal and large mines. The reactive, desktop assessments related to principal mining hazard identifcation.

FIGURE 2. ALL ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES BY SECTOR - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019 495500

450 38 419

223 224

30

51 42

289

205

63

30

66

25

37400

350 31

327 321313 300

300 283 280276 261

151176 182 171 120 135

29 61

47 37

31

57 36 42

32 35

31 24

55

97

246250 207

200 162 21150

100

50

0

206

120

34

91

54

44


Non-mine Coal mines Exploration sites (excluding Petroleum and Geothermal)

Large mines - Metalliferous, Opal mines Petroleum and Geothermal quarries (including Exploration)

Small mines - Metalliferous, quarries and other gemstones


Proactive and reactive safety assessments In March 2019, 103 out of the 246 (42%) of the assessments were considered proactive in nature. Targeted assessments and planned inspections are proactive assessments. Reactive assessments are conducted in response to notifcations and requests including incident notifcations, targeted intervention assessments, statutory notifcations and enquiries.

FIGURE 3. ALL ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES BY NATURE - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019

495500

450 419161 400

350 327

188 200

334

321313 300

283 280300 276 274 261139 113 246142112 250 108106 92 207 145

200

188 170 179 169 175

14379 162 150

128

96 100

50

0

66

135 145 103


Reactive Proactive


PROACTIVE ASSESSMENTS

In March 2019, 95 of 103 (92%) of the proactive assessments were site assessments.

FIGURE 4. PROACTIVE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES BY TYPE - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019 350 334

300

250

110

200200 188

98 115

188

95

179 175170

81 64

169

70 69 145150 135128

224 46 28

103 100

138 115 106 10799 9550 9390 85 89 82

54

0


Desktop assessment Site assessment

66


REACTIVE ASSESSMENTS

In March 2019, 36 of 143 of the reactive assessments were site assessments.

Of note, the preceding month (February) saw a spike in activity primarily due to 89 targeted intervention assessments conducted by the NSW Resources Regulator at coal and large mines. The reactive, desktop assessments related to principal mining hazard identifcation.

FIGURE 5. REACTIVE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES BY TYPE - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019 274280

260

240

220

200

180 161

160

119 98

137

145

86 88

126

75 88

64 68

108

235 143142139140

120 113 112 108106 96100 92

7980

60

40

20

107

37 39 362824 2620 18 16 17 20 15150


Desktop assessment Site assessment

Targeted assessment programs Under the proactive assessment program, the NSW Resources Regulator conducted two targeted assessments on two principal mining hazards in March 2019. Details are listed in the table below.

TABLE 2. DETAILS OF TARGETED ASSESSMENTS - MARCH 2019

Hazard Mine

Airborne contaminants Liddell

Diesel exhaust emissions Wongawilli

13

2 1

2

3

7


High risk activity notifcations and exemptions

HIGH RISK ACTIVITY NOTIFICATIONS

The fgure below summarises notifcations of high-risk activity by engineering discipline under the Work, Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2014.

FIGURE 6. HIGH RISK ACTIVITY BY ENGINEERING DISCIPLINE - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019

18 17

1616 15 1

15 14

14 13 1 13 1313

2 3

1

1 1212 51111 1 610 1 59 929 1

7 6

8 8

5 7 7

9

5

11

1

862 48 1 77 6 1 5 4 3

22 1 0

1 1

1

6


Mechanical Electrical Petroleum

Mining


TABLE 3. HIGH RISK ACTIVITY NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED - MARCH 2019

Mine Legislation* Type of notifcation No

Moolarben Coal Operations - Underground

Schedule 3 Clause 16(1)(d)

Pillar reduction. 1

Appin Colliery Schedule 3 Clause 15

The formation of a pillar other than a conforming pillar.

3

Appin Colliery Schedule 3 Clause 7(2)(a)

Working in inrush control zone - potential source of inrush can be inspected.

1

Ulan West Operations Schedule 3 Clause 4

Development of a new mine entry (including by sinking a shaf or drif or raise boring).

1

Appin Colliery Schedule 3 Clause 16(1)

Secondary extraction by longwall mining, shortwall mining or miniwall mining.

1

Total 7

* Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2014

EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS

No exemption applications were granted in March 2019.


Compliance activities

Safety notices issued In March 2019, the NSW Resources Regulator issued 179 safety notices, up 30 from 149 in February 2019.

Compared to the same month in 2018, the number of safety notices was up by 60 safety notices.

FIGURE 7. NOTICES ISSUED BY NOTICE TYPE - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019 220

200 210

180

62

26 22

57

36

61

103

31 179160

140 152 149

15

70

83

146 139 139

120 24

63 14

46

86

123120119 112 100

98 80 78

60

40

13

69

18

87

111

18

71 58 50

52

4948 444020 39 3730 32 30 22 0


WHSA 195 prohibition notice WHSA 198 non-disturbance WHSA 191 improvement notice notice

WHS(M)A 23 written notice of concerns


Prohibition notices issued In March 2019, the NSW Resources Regulator issued 18 prohibition notices under section 195 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

TABLE 4. PROHIBITION NOTICES ISSUED - MARCH 2019

Issued to PCBU Mine Prohibited activity

Broken Hill Operations Pty Ltd

Rasp Mine Assessing electrical apparatus or plant, while a voltage above extra low voltage is present inside the enclosure.

Wilpinjong Coal Pty Ltd

Wilpinjong Coal Mine No work is to continue on the strip down of the track frame (from Digger 1010) located at Pit 1 lay down area.

Ashton Coal Operations Pty Limited

Ashton Coal Mine

(Coal Processing Plant)

Accessing the top of the rejects bin. Subject to direction 1, this does not prevent access for the purpose of undertaking (i) a structural integrity assessment, or (ii) repairs as an outcome of the aforementioned structural integrity assessment.

Bloomfeld Collieries Pty Ltd

Rixs Creek Mine Coal haulage from the south Coal Handling Process Plant to the train loading facility.

Endeavor Operations Pty Ltd

Endeavor Mine Operating Atlas Copco Truck (Plant No. HT 34) for production activities.

Mt Arthur Coal Pty Limited

Mt Arthur Coal Preparation Plant Operation Area

Robson Contractors re-handling coal on the Mt Arthur Coal Preparation Plant Stockpiles.

Wongawilli Coal Pty Ltd

Wongawilli Colliery Operating the Hicks 2, Eyre, Shortland and Thompson Conveyor Belts.

Chris Rogers Wongawilli Colliery Accessing inbye of 83ct Eyre district.


Wongawilli Colliery Operating of Conveyors J7, MW2, MW1, MN2 and MN1.


Wongawilli Colliery Coal production by the pillar extraction method.

Muswellbrook Coal Company Limited

Muswellbrook Coal Company

Mining activities in Strip 21 extension and Muswellbrook inter-burden bench area of the mine.

CMOC Mining Pty Limited

Northparkes Mines Using inching drive systems on Mills 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Young Mining Co Pty Ltd

Thuddungra Mine Using the workshop forklif as an elevated work platform.

Wild Plant Hire Pty Ltd

Wild Quarry Accessing top of pug mill stablemen silo by the currently ftted access system.

Andrew Hyslop Metropolitan Colliery Accessing underground parts of the mine.

Andrew Hyslop Metropolitan Colliery Longwall face production.

Boral Resources (NSW) Pty Ltd

Boral Dunmore Quarry

Using CAT D9R Dozer for earth moving activities without a serviceable fre suppression system.

Johnstone Concrete & Quarries Pty Ltd

Wandoona Sand Pit Using Cat 773 dump truck other than for the purpose of complying with the directions contained in this notice.

Total 18

* PCBU – Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking

16


Key enforcement actions In March 2019 three enforcement actions were taken under the Mining Act 1992, down from eight in February 2019. Compared to March 2018, this was down 17 from 20.

FIGURE 8. ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS - MARCH 2018 TO MARCH 2019 32 30

28 30 26 27 24

22

20 10 2120 17

18 2 3 18

16 16 14 14

11 12 9 9

17

14

3

2

11

2

17

412 7 3 10

2 8

7

12

8 88

6

4

4

3

6 3 2

00 2


Prosecution finalised Enforceable undertakingSuspend/cancel title

Penalty notice Official caution

TABLE 5. KEY ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS - MARCH 2019

Date Entity Authority Action Amount Details/direction

20 Mar 2019 Harb ML1224 Penalty $2,500 Section 378D Mining Act 1992. Quarries Pty Ltd

Notice Failure to lodge Annual Environmental Management Report.

29 Mar 2019 Marble PLL1130 Penalty $1,000 Section 292C Mining Act 1992. Aggregate Holdings

Notice Failure to pay rent and levy fees.

Pty Ltd

Total 2


Education and engagement activities

The NSW Resources Regulator’s industry engagement activities for March 2019 are outlined below.

TABLE 6. WORKSHOPS AND INFORMATION SESSIONS - MARCH 2019

Date Type of activity Location Details

7 Mar Mine operator and community engagement

Condobolin Attended Clean TeQ Community Consultative Committee meeting where the NSW Resources Regulator’s presentation outlined our role as a high hazard regulator.

15 Mar Health and safety representative engagement

Cadia Valley Operations

Inspector attended and presented summary of the role of the NSW Resources Regulator.

20 Mar Glencore exam preparation programmer

Singleton Provided overview of examination requirements for potential applicants.

22 Mar Industry seminar Maitland Presented a Mechanical Engineering update on recent electric shock incidents to Engineers Australia, Mining Electrical Mining Mechanical Engineers Society.

26 -27 Mar Education Lightning Ridge Mine Safety Awareness Course.

28 Mar Education Lightning Ridge Mine Operators Course.

Total 6


Publications and alerts

For March 2019, the NSW Resources Regulator published nine media releases, news articles and safety alerts on our website.

TABLE 7. MEDIA RELEASES, SAFETY NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS - MARCH 2019

Date Type Summary

7 Mar Mine Safety News • Rise in dozer incidents putting operators at risk • Lightning Ridge course dates • Supervision at mines • Hearing Awareness Week

8 Mar Weekly incident summary Week ending 1 March 2019

14 Mar Media release Prohibition notices issued to Wongawilli mine


19 Mar Media release Resources Regulator shuts down Wongawilli mine over serious safety issues


22 Mar Media release Resources Regulator responding to an incident at Metropolitan Colliery

27 Mar Media release Resources Regulator heads causal investigation at Metropolitan coal mine

27 Mar Mine Safety news • Causal Investigation at Metropolitan • Workers injured by high pressure fuid • Welding-related electric shocks increase • Rise in vehicle collisions raises concerns • Stop work order at Wongawilli mine

Total 9

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/873575/SB19-01-Rise-in-dozer-incidents-putting-operators-at-risk.pdf

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/events

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/873843/Weekly-incident-summary-week-ending-1-March-2019.pdf

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/news/2019/prohibition-notices-issued-to-wongawilli-mine


https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/news/2019/resources-regulator-shuts-down-wongawilli-mine-over-serious-safety-issues





https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/news/2019/resources-regulator-heads-causal-investigation-at-metropolitan-coal-mine



https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/875009/DOC19-241471-SB19-04-High-pressure-fluid-incidents.pdf

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/874387/SB19-03-Welding-related-electric-shocks-increase.pdf

https://www.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/874002/SB19-02-Light-Vehicle-Incidents.pdf


Documents

Monthly business activities report...Monthly business activities report MARCH 2019 DOCUMENT CONTROL Published by NSW Resources Regulator Title: Monthly business activities report -