❓ Hon Robin Chapple asks the Minister for Mines and Petroleum about potential safety breaches at the Barrick Gold's Raleigh Mine explosives magazine, referencing photographic evidence of alleged unsafe practices and seeking details on safety protocols, potential breaches of legislation, and possible prosecution.
AnsweredQoN 2549Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to photographs available for viewing at,
http://www.robinchapple.org.au/node/460
entitled ‘2010-02-06 Normet Charge Vehicle Raleigh.pdf’ of a Normet charge vehicle taken on 6 February 2010 in the main explosives magazine at the Raleigh Mine in the Kalgoorlie region owned by Barrick Gold, and ask -
(1) With regards to the photographs referred to above which clearly depict a Normet Charge Vehicle that was parked and secured in the Main Explosives Magazine of the Raleigh mine with an earth strap that was not connected at one end, a charge vessel that is still loaded with ANFO and a fire extinguisher that is clearly not maintained in a proper and functioning manner, can the Minister state the number of levels below the surface that the main explosives magazine of this mine was located as at 6 February 2010?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister state the number of levels that are below the main explosives magazine in the Raleigh Mine?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state the maximum number of employees that work, including management staff and technical staff, at one time below the main explosives magazine in the Raleigh Mine?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) Can the Minister state the number of metres of pillar between the main explosives magazine and the main decline at the Raleigh Mine?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister state all the different types, and the maximum amount, of explosives stored in the main explosives magazine at the Raleigh Mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state all the different types, and the maximum amount, of smoke and gases that are produced when explosives similar in amount and type to that which is referred to in (9)?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Is it correct that, after an explosion during routine firing in the upper levels of the Raleigh mine, all gases and smoke usually move from the top levels of the mine down through the mine before being exhausted through the return air of the mine out to the surface?
(14) If no to (13), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(15) Is it correct that an explosion created by a similar amount of explosives as referred to in (9) would cause a substantial rock fall in any underground mine?
(16) If no to (15), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(17) Can the Minister explain and define what happened in the well known incident which occurred at the Telfer mine within the last 10 years, when the main explosives magazine caught fire and exploded, including a detailed description of how the fire began and of the damage that was reported to have occurred?
(18) If no to (17), why not?
(19) In light of (1), (3), (5), (7), (9), (11), (13), (15) and (17), does the Resources Safety Division of DMP regard the situation referred to in (1), as extremely serious and posing a very high risk and hazard to the occupational health and safety and lives of all employees in the Raleigh Mine, and showing a blatant disregard by all responsible persons at the Raleigh Mine for the occupational health and safety and lives of all employees in that mine?
(20) If yes to (19), why?
(21) If no to (19), why not?
(22) Have any sections of the
Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 and Regulations 1995
been breached in relation to the situation referred to in (1), which specific sections have been breached, and what is the maximum penalty for each breach?
(23) If yes to (22), will any responsible persons from Barrick Kanowna, including the resident manager, be prosecuted for these breaches?
(24) If no to (23), why not?
http://www.robinchapple.org.au/node/460
entitled ‘2010-02-06 Normet Charge Vehicle Raleigh.pdf’ of a Normet charge vehicle taken on 6 February 2010 in the main explosives magazine at the Raleigh Mine in the Kalgoorlie region owned by Barrick Gold, and ask -
(1) With regards to the photographs referred to above which clearly depict a Normet Charge Vehicle that was parked and secured in the Main Explosives Magazine of the Raleigh mine with an earth strap that was not connected at one end, a charge vessel that is still loaded with ANFO and a fire extinguisher that is clearly not maintained in a proper and functioning manner, can the Minister state the number of levels below the surface that the main explosives magazine of this mine was located as at 6 February 2010?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister state the number of levels that are below the main explosives magazine in the Raleigh Mine?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state the maximum number of employees that work, including management staff and technical staff, at one time below the main explosives magazine in the Raleigh Mine?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) Can the Minister state the number of metres of pillar between the main explosives magazine and the main decline at the Raleigh Mine?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister state all the different types, and the maximum amount, of explosives stored in the main explosives magazine at the Raleigh Mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state all the different types, and the maximum amount, of smoke and gases that are produced when explosives similar in amount and type to that which is referred to in (9)?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Is it correct that, after an explosion during routine firing in the upper levels of the Raleigh mine, all gases and smoke usually move from the top levels of the mine down through the mine before being exhausted through the return air of the mine out to the surface?
(14) If no to (13), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(15) Is it correct that an explosion created by a similar amount of explosives as referred to in (9) would cause a substantial rock fall in any underground mine?
(16) If no to (15), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(17) Can the Minister explain and define what happened in the well known incident which occurred at the Telfer mine within the last 10 years, when the main explosives magazine caught fire and exploded, including a detailed description of how the fire began and of the damage that was reported to have occurred?
(18) If no to (17), why not?
(19) In light of (1), (3), (5), (7), (9), (11), (13), (15) and (17), does the Resources Safety Division of DMP regard the situation referred to in (1), as extremely serious and posing a very high risk and hazard to the occupational health and safety and lives of all employees in the Raleigh Mine, and showing a blatant disregard by all responsible persons at the Raleigh Mine for the occupational health and safety and lives of all employees in that mine?
(20) If yes to (19), why?
(21) If no to (19), why not?
(22) Have any sections of the
Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 and Regulations 1995
been breached in relation to the situation referred to in (1), which specific sections have been breached, and what is the maximum penalty for each breach?
(23) If yes to (22), will any responsible persons from Barrick Kanowna, including the resident manager, be prosecuted for these breaches?
(24) If no to (23), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
10 August 2010
Responded by
Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Response time
42 days
Please refer to parliamentary question 2516.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.