BMA's Crinum team came in second, before Xstrata's Oaky North and BMA's Broadmeadow No. 1 - with the four winning teams now progressing to the national competition in October.

 

Queensland Mines Rescue Service's Lindsay Creighton told International Longwall News the competition was run in a completely new format this year, which proved an outstanding success for QMRS and the competitors.

 

The event was run in two rotations - with four teams competing in four above-ground activities while the other four completed the underground exercise.

 

Underground exercise

 

Teams were asked to go under oxygen on the mine surface at the fresh air base (FAB) and to travel to a hub centre underground, complete four tasks and return to the surface FAB.

 

The exercise was considered training to test skills and drills of the teams, with each team completing the following tasks in a round robin rotation:

 

Task 1 - Travel on foot to set location, build a cog at a predetermined site and complete a ventilation survey at a survey station nearby.

 

Task 2 - Travel by foot via a predetermined route to search for missing persons evacuating from the mine. The missing persons were travelling in a mine cruiser and had crashed into the rib and two had minor injuries. One person had a damaged CABA mask, was losing air pressure in the CABA unit and required being changed to an alternate breathing apparatus.

 

Task 3 - Travel by foot to a seal to check the seal integrity, take a bag sample (general body) and read a tell tale.

 

Task 4 - Travel by foot to inspect a stopping. On reaching the stopping the team were advised that their route of travel was blocked and that they were required to go into entrapped procedure. After a given time they were instructed to go back to normal operation and withdraw to the hub centre.

 

Creighton said after all four tasks were completed, the teams returned to the surface FAB to complete the exercise. The team captains then had a specified time to hand in a written report of all tasks and findings undertaken in the exercise.

 

Above-ground activities

 

• Skills exercise

All teams took part in an exercise testing leadership skills and innovation where they were required to cross a river of toxic liquid to reach a person requiring rescue.

 

"The team could only use equipment provided and the team captain and vice-captain were not permitted to talk or write notes - which did cause the captains some high emotional stress," Creighton said.

 

• CABA exercise

Teams were told that a head frame at Shaft 2 was full of smoke and that two workers were missing in the head frame. Because of smoke teams were required to use CABA to effect the rescue. One live person would be located and teams were required to lead them to safety and fresh air.

 

• Trauma exercise

An accident had occurred in the winder house of Shaft 2 where a fitter had fallen into the winder drum pit and sustained a broken leg, abrasions and contusions while an electrician had been injured and suffered electrical burns due to arcing in the winder electrical substation.

 

The electrician had facial burns and other injuries and suffered cardiac failure. Teams were required to complete CPR on the electrician and the fitter also had to be treated and retrieved from the winder drum pit.

 

"During all this action a work mate to these tradespersons was trying to be a nuisance and display their concern - which was also required to be managed by the teams," Creighton said.

 

• Fire exercise

At Shaft 2 there is a coal stacker belt which sustained a fire at the jib roller. Teams were asked to run fire hoses to the belt and up the walkway to access and extinguish the fire.

 

• Theory

All team members were asked to complete a theory paper consisting of 60 multiple-choice questions and answers. The paper was screened using Microsoft PowerPoint with each question timed to screen for 20 seconds only.

 

The four top teams will now compete at the Australian National Competition at Ashton Mine, Singleton on October 20.

 

The competition was sponsored by Draeger Safety, Wormald, Northern Light Technologies, Department of Mines and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.