The Queensland Government has released its annual Queensland Mines and Quarries Safety Performance and Health Report, which shows improvements across most key measures of safety and health during 2009–10.

 

The report found:

  • There was a general improvement in performance in comparison with 2008-09
  • Lost time injuries were down from 301 to 285 injuries
  • Disabling injuries (injuries where personnel are placed on alternative duties) were down from 417 to 413 injuries
  • Medical treatment injuries were down from 924 to 546 injuries
  • High potential incidents were up from 1022 to 1751 - this is good as it shows improved reporting
  • Lost time injury frequency rate was up from 3.4 to 3.5 injuries per million hours worked
  • Number of permanent incapacities was up from 39 to 47 injuries/illnesses
  • Days lost to lost time injuries were down from 17,387 to 10,335 days
  • Days lost to disabling injuries were down from 12,346 to 9,306 days
  • Duration rate (the average number of days lost per injury) was down from 41.4 to 28.1
  • Severity rate was down from 337 to 239 days lost per million hours worked

 

The Queensland mining industry suffered one fatality during 2009–10 – a vehicle-related accident in a quarry – compared to four industry fatalities the previous year. Work-related injuries in the industry also fell in key performance areas of severity, duration and days lost to injury.

 

Medical treatments dropped from 924 to 546 injuries while lost times injuries fell from 301 to 285 injuries. There were 413 disabling injuries, down from 417 the previous year. The lost time injury plus disabling injury duration rate  fell from 41.4 days to 28.1 days per injury.

 

While the number of high potential incidents rose from 1022 to 1751, this increase demonstrated better reporting of such incidents by industry operators. Mines inspectors conducted nearly four times as many audits during 2009–10 (243) compared to the previous year (65), and the number of inspections increased from 1508 to 1535.

 

The Mining Safety and Health division is working with industry to implement proximity detection systems into vehicle fleets to reduce the risk of vehicle-related accidents,  as well as training to minimise the impact of vibration on workers operating vehicles.

 

Other programs aim to enhance industry awareness about dust issues and improve dust reduction strategies in the industry, particularly at quarrying operations, and to improve health surveillance systems to address worker fatigue that can lead to accidents.

 

The department has also assisted small mines to develop safety and health management systems to meet new legislative requirements that came into force in September 2010.

 

A copy of the 2009–10 Queensland Mines and Quarries Safety Performance and Health Report is available HERE.