The design, known as the Centennial Hydraulic Isolation Control System (CHICS), limits human exposure to the failure of high-pressure fluid system components.
In awarding Centennial Coal the NSWMC Health and Safety Innovation of the Year in the Hunter Valley Monday night, the judges commented that CHICS was “a major and timely innovation for control of high-pressure hydraulic systems, eminently transferable [to other industries]” and represented “a very significant safety improvement”
The People’s Choice award and Highly Commended (Health) went to Centennial Coal’s Awaba Colliery for its 20-litre Oil Drum Cassette and Lifting Handle.
Highly Commended (Safety) was won by Rio Tinto Coal Australia’s Bengalla Mining Company for its Handle with Care.
NSWMC CEO Dr Nikki Williams said the high quality of the entries showed the industry’s commitment to innovation in the name of improving the health and safety of its workforce.
“Each year our Innovation Awards throw up amazing examples of ingenuity to eliminate risk from the workplace. As we have seen so tragically in the past week, the industry’s objective of zero harm is a moving target which can never be taken for granted,” she said.
“It was very pleasing to see some of the initiatives that are underway in NSW mining operations which are focused on overall health and wellbeing. While the safety of our workforce on minesites must always be our top priority, there must be an understanding that a holistic approach to healthy lifestyles has undoubted safety benefits for everyone.”
The judges noted the very high standard of all entries, even some that were not selected as finalists, and acknowledged that all innovations would benefit mine workers, Dr Williams said.
The winners were selected from 10 finalists and 41 entries overall.
There were 31 entries in the long-standing Safety Innovations category and 10 in the Health Innovations category, which appeared for the first time in 2009.
The entries ranged from simple, manual solutions to more complex, electronic innovations.
