The training exercise was planned months in advance by a team of mine inspectors, mine managers, Safety in Mines, Testing and Research Station (Simtars), Queensland Mines Rescue Services (QMRS), and industry and site safety and health officials – many of whom made up the 17 assessors monitoring and observing the exercise at the mine on Monday.

Principal mining engineer at Simtars and exercise coordinator Martin Watkinson told International Longwall News the exercise was structured to test the first response systems of the mine, self-escape capabilities of miners and how management dealt with the incident.

The scenario commenced at 11.28am when a simulated roof fall at the tailgate prevented exit from the longwall, and a rapid oil fire – which quickly developed into a coal fire – meant underground miners needed to evacuate.

Watkinson said in light of the recent American tragedies and previous Australian experience, training in the use and changeover of self-contained self-rescuers in a situation of poor visibility and other conditions was critical – and the exercise put all elements of self-escape to the test.

He said the escaping miners used real SCSRs during the exercise and had a long way to walk and several changeovers to do. The assessors identified issues relating to the changeover of the SCSRs but said the exercise had provided a learning experience for all involved.

Watkinson also highlighted other areas all Queensland mines needed to prepare for and address.

“It takes a long time to deploy mines rescue, so you’ve got to have a first response capability at the mine and they need to test their incident control systems,” he said.

Watkinson said the assessors had presented feedback to the Broadmeadow mine on Tuesday so they could adjust their systems to cope with the identified problems.

“The exercise is a learning curve for the whole state – we try and test the full system and we stretch it as much as we can. It’s also valuable for new members of the organising committee to see the planning and depth that goes into an emergency response exercise,” he said.

The findings from the emergency exercise at Broadmeadow are now being put into an industry report that will be released, coinciding with a joint presentation with mine management, at the Townsville Mine Safety Conference in August.

Watkinson said an industry workshop planned for September 18 and 19 in Emerald would focus on mine emergency response and methodologies, drawing from the lessons learned at emergency exercises.