RSHQ orders Qld coal mines’ compliance action after dozer rollovers

Five serious machinery rollovers within a fortnight on Qld mine sites has prompted the independent regulator to crack down and impose a deadline on operators’ safety management.

Queensland coal mine operators have a new deadline to take compliance action following a spate of serious machinery rollovers which put them under scrutiny.

There were five machinery rollover incidents across the Bowen Basin within a fortnight over January and February this year including at Peabody’s Moorvale mine where rescuers feared a dozer operator was buried alive.

Each incident was flagged with RSHQ, the sector’s independent regulator, which has since issued compliance directives to mine operators to manage risk to workers to an acceptable level.

RSHQ CEO Mark Stone said the directive was in line with its compliance and enforcement policy and combined education and corrective action.

“The compliance directives issued by the inspectorate require mine sites to take action within a specified time frame,” Mr Stone said.

“I expect for many operations, responding to the directive will validate that their safety systems are good.

“For some, the directive will help expose deficiencies and lead to improved risk control and learnings.”

Investigations are ongoing into a dozer incident at Curragh mine (pictured) less than 12 hours before a man was seriously injured at Saraji mine when a dozer reportedly rolled 12 times down the dig face.

The directive was issued in response to three incidents where worker-operated mobile equipment sunk into voids that had developed in stockpiles, the first of which occurred late last year, spurring RSHQ’s December 16 safety bulletin.

Two more recent incidents remain under investigation.

Minister for Resources Scott Stewart. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Resources Minister Scott Stewart welcomed the regulator’s directive.

“The health and safety of all workers is paramount,” Mr Stewart said.

“Regardless of the industry every worker deserves to come home safely from their job.”

It is understood recommendations have been made to mine site senior executives that they take steps to ensure systems are effective.

It comes as the CFMEU criticised the alleged ‘tick and flick’ practices within the industry, which fast-tracked the qualification of new or ‘cleanskin’ operators.

Read more from CFMEU Queensland president Stephen Smyth here.