The workshops will be held at the Chifley hotel on the corner of Brabham Drive and Peter Brock Drive in Eastern Creek on May 17 from 9:30am to 1pm.

 

Chief Inspector of Coal Mines Rob Regan and Coal Services chairman Ron Land will make the opening address at 10am.

 

Mines Rescue general manager Paul Healey and Coal Services manager occupational hygiene services Gary Mace will cover the airborne dust issues, including recommendations for dust control and other measures to help mines achieve required standards.

 

Recent government testing of inhalable coal dust found that 50 of the 95 longwall samples from the Hunter region failed the government limit of 10mg per cubic metre.

 

Of the 426 surface samples taken at open cut coal operations and coal handling and preparation plants, only 2.1% exceeded the state limit.

 

Safe Mine Engineering’s Phil Berriman and three I&I NSW delegates will cover the issues with explosion-protected diesel engine systems.

 

The NSW government recently found there was a failure of an explosion-protected diesel engine system every 56 hours in the state’s underground coal mines.

 

Site check inspectors, mine safety and training officers and mechanical engineers are encouraged to attend the workshops.

 

Registrations are required by May 10. Email: julie.downie@industry.nsw.gov.au, phone: 4931 6624.