The study, and the plan, is in addition to significant efforts being made by individual companies to protect the health and safety of their employees said QRC Chief Executive Susan Johnston.

“These efforts have led to a considerable improvement in the safety performance of the sector,” she said. “For example, the number of lost time injuries per million hours worked has fallen from 15.5 in 1997-98 to 6.8 in 2002-03, and permanent incapacity injuries from 11 in 1999 to five in 2002-03. However we have no doubt that more can be achieved.

“As part of the industry ’s ongoing improvement drive, this study will be specifically aimed at targeting those risk factors that can, in certain circumstances, result in serious injuries or fatalities.”

While serious incidents and near misses have been investigated previously, this study will draw together all of these various incidents to help identify any safety issues that are not being adequately addressed, and highlight measures to f ix them.

Brisbane’s Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC) has been commissioned to carry out the work and results will be available in December 2004.

Johnston said the study was one of several proactive measures contained in the five-year Health and Safety Plan that has identified industry-wide health and safety improvement opportunities.

The QRC is also working to develop new safety indicators to provide a true reflection of the industry’s performance. Injury data such as lost time injuries, medical treatments, severity and duration rates does not provide a true reflection of the industry’s performance as these ‘lagging’ indicators only measure failure. Instead, the resources sector is committed to developing comparable, proactive, leading safety indicators, QRC said.

The QRC also intends to work with manufacturers to improve equipment ergonomics; poor ergonomics have been associated with a number of incidents. It will ensure that health and safety research results reach industry operators who are in a position to effect change. And the QRC will work with the State Government and mining industry unions to ensure that the Mines Inspectorate is adequately resourced, staffed and supported and to highlight occupational health and safety risks that require a stronger industry focus.

The Health and Safety Plan will be reviewed annually. The plan can be seen on QRC’s website at

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