In a first for a NSW underground coalmine, trialling new carbon fibre ventilation tubes in place of traditional fibreglass significantly reduces their weight (from 35-40kg to just 9kg), increasing productivity and minimising heavy lifting risks like muscular-skeletal injuries.

Presenting the trophies to the winners at the Monday night ceremony in front of 550 conference participants, NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee said that the bar was set higher each year as both the competition and awards grew in stature and prestige.

“Our Innovation Awards encourage miners to identify areas where health and safety can be improved and then develop and road test creative solutions that can be adopted at other mining operations,” Galilee said.

“It’s important to recognise our high achievers and it’s wonderful to see a real competitive spirit emerging amongst our member companies, who keep innovating and improving all the time.

“The creativity and ingenuity emerging from these awards reinforces the fact that safety is our number one priority.”

Centennial Coal’s Myuna colliery was highly commended for its SOTO tow hitch system.

This innovative rigid towing device minimises the risk of safety incidents by increasing control of movement while towing heavy mine equipment underground. It can be used in all conditions and can be operated by just one person.

BHP Billiton’s Mt Arthur Coal was also highly commended for its “Marnett” belt lifter bracket.

This specialised bracket allows conveyer belts without a mechanical belt lifter to be periodically changed without manual handling and pinch point hazards. It saves time by around 25%, can be used on any conveyor and costs less than $300.