ENVIRONMENT

Anglo welcomes Board of Inquiry delay

The decision will ensure due process occurs and a thorough examination of relevant issues.

 Anglo American said it has cooperated fully and transparently with the Queensland safety Board of Inquiry.

Anglo American said it has cooperated fully and transparently with the Queensland safety Board of Inquiry.

 

The company said it would continue to ensure processes put in place at its mine after the May 6 ignition incident that left five mine workers badly injured, would continue.

"This decision will ensure due process occurs and a thorough examination of relevant issues can be undertaken in an appropriate way, in line with well-established legal principles," an Anglo American spokeswoman said. 

"Anglo American has cooperated fully and transparently with the Board of Inquiry, to assist the board in meeting its terms of reference. We will continue to constructively respond to the board's requests for technical and expert evidence as the regulator's investigation continues.

"We continue to ensure that relevant learnings, including from the investigations underway and the Board of Inquiry, are captured and actioned within our business as information becomes available."

Anglo American is initiating a review of its controls to prevent a methane ignition in its underground mines and assessing all possible technology options.

It is also starting a pilot study at our Moranbah North mine to assess the use of pressure sensors to remove power from the longwall face as an additional control if a significant overpressure event occurs.

"While pressure sensors are already in use today, across the industry they have not been integrated for this particular purpose," the company said.

It said it was bolstering its plans for remote operation in its underground mines, including the purchase of longwall equipment at Grosvenor Mine that would provide it with the opportunity to assess the best available technology to further expedite our automation and technology journey.

Anglo American is also establishing a Met Coal Analytics Centre, which will bring together operational, engineering and data science experts to look at major challenges and opportunities for the future of its mines.

The first priority for this centre will be in underground operations gas and ventilation management.

The company has also announced a review of the existing bonus structures at its sites with input from the workforce, to look at how it can focus on leading indicators, in line with Anglo American's global Elimination of Fatalities program.

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