The project has sparked an offshoot seminar that will bring together ergonomists, site engineers and safety staff and manufacturers to discuss the outcomes of the project so far.
Project chief investigator Robin Burgess-Limerick said the Ergonomics of Underground Coal Mining Equipment Seminar will discuss ways of reducing injury risks associated with underground coal mining equipment.
He said in the three years to June 2005 in New South Wales, there were 447 injuries associated with continuous miners, 232 injuries associated with Load-Haul-Dump vehicles, 140 injuries associated with Shuttle Cars, and 140 injuries associated with personnel transport.
Collectively, these injuries accounted for 23% of all injuries reported by underground coal mines during that period.
An analysis of the injury narratives associated with these injuries suggested that the top priority injury risks associated with this equipment were:
Slipping off continuous miner platforms;
Caught between or struck during bolting;
Strain while bolting; strain while handling cable;
Collisions while driving vehicles; and
Driving or travelling in vehicles driving over potholes or other roadway abnormalities.
Burgess-Limerick said the project has involved visits to 13 Queensland and NSW mines to discover the ways in which injury risks are currently managed. He said the results of these investigations will be presented at the seminar to inform mines about control activities taking place at other sites.
“The aim of the seminar is also to encourage discussion between mines and manufacturers regarding potential improvements to the design of underground mining equipment to reduce these injury risks,” he said.
Delegates to the seminar will hear from a panel of four ergonomists experienced in applying ergonomics to underground coal mining situations: Barbara McPhee (NSW), Justin O’Sullivan (Qld), Lisa Steiner (USA) and Burgess-Limerick (Qld), as well as short presentations from a number of equipment manufacturers.
In conjunction with the Australian Coal Association Research Program and Xstrata Coal NSW, Burgess-Limerick & Associates will present the one-day seminar on October 17, 2006 in Pokobin, NSW.
For more details about the seminar and how to register, visit www.burgess-limerick.com.
