Detailed in the Queensland Mines Inspectorate’s accidents and high potential incidents compilation report for the month, the incident involved an Eimco EJC130 load haul dump.

While servicing the unit the articulation bar was incorrectly secured onto the boom locking lugs.

Later when the hydraulic ram was activated to lower the boom the retaining chain and collar from the locking pin snapped and flew across the workshop, striking a fitter standing 3 metres away.

The fitter sustained a serious shoulder injury.

Among other incidents in Queensland mines during the month a shearer on a longwall stopped while several shields continued to advance, and three mesh block ventilation seals in an underground coal mine were found to have not been constructed to the design standard.

A shuttle car cable caught on a cable hangar on the corner of a roadway and became trapped under the car.

When the operator stopped, the cab squashed the cable against the ground, causing an arc flash.

A methane drainage hose parted under pressure, allowing methane to vent into the intake air of a development panel.

Power to the section tripped when a 2% methane reading was recorded.

While withdrawing a 6m drill steel from a hole during bolting operations in a coal development panel, a blowout of gas occurred from the hole causing the bolter operator to feel dizzy and his offsider to feel nauseous.

Subsequent analysis of the gas in the hole found it contained 16% oxygen and 20% methane.

As for non-coal mines, level 3 fumes from a shot breached the exclusion zone and drifted across the mine’s boundary.

The diluted fumes drifted over an adjacent mine.

One of two 50kW electric powered air compressors housed in a shed caught fire and was destroyed.

A water truck had to be used to extinguish the fire after two hand held fire extinguishers were ineffective due to limited access within the shed.

In a separate incident, an operator suffered an eye injury when he put down a high pressure water hose after cleaning under a crusher.

The on/off valve on the hose triggered and the hose swung around, blasting the operator in the eye.

He was taken to hospital for treatment for a damaged retina.

Overall there were 165 serious accidents and high potential incidents in May, up from 162 in the previous month and above the growing 12 month rolling average of 147.

However, the recent tally was down on the 189 notched up in February when mines were troubled then with wet conditions.