❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding a potential safety breach at the Kalgoorlie Superpit involving fly rock and the safety of blast crews. The Minister's response denies the incident and indicates no further action will be taken due to lack of evidence.
AnsweredQoN 2362Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM) operations, commonly known as ‘the superpit ‘in the Kalgoorlie Boulder region, with management from Russell Cole, Dale Oram, Willie Leslie and Mick Harvey, and ask -
(1) Was it reported, both to the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) and on the company’s internal record keeping system that, within the previous three weeks at the above mentioned operations members of the blast crew were instructed by management to work approximately 150 - 200 metres from a blast, that was initiated in the pit, which caused the blast crew to dodge some fly rock reported to be half the size of a basketball?
(2) If no to (1), will the Minister urgently require an investigation into this matter, and will he state the specific findings of that investigation?
(3) If no to (2), why not?
(4) Does the Minister and DMP inspectorate consider that incident referred to in question (1), above is extremely serious?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) Will the Registered Manager, or any other person at KCGM, be prosecuted for this incident referred to in (1), above?
(7) If no to (6), why not?
(8) Has it been recorded, both by the DMP, and on the company’s internal reporting system, that there has been an increase in incidents concerning fly rock at the above mentioned operations in the previous 24 months?
(9) Will the Minister table the total number of incidents, including such near miss incidents that have been reported both by the DMP, and on the company’s internal reporting system in the last 36 months for the above referred to mining operation?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state how many improvement, provisional improvement and prohibition notices have been issued by DMP inspectors for the last three years at the above operation?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) If yes to (11), can the Minister quote the specific text as to why each notice was issued?
(14) Does the Minister and the DMP inspectorate regard any size fly rock, impacting on the workers or members of the public, as a extremely serious matter?
(15) If yes to (14), why?
(1) Was it reported, both to the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) and on the company’s internal record keeping system that, within the previous three weeks at the above mentioned operations members of the blast crew were instructed by management to work approximately 150 - 200 metres from a blast, that was initiated in the pit, which caused the blast crew to dodge some fly rock reported to be half the size of a basketball?
(2) If no to (1), will the Minister urgently require an investigation into this matter, and will he state the specific findings of that investigation?
(3) If no to (2), why not?
(4) Does the Minister and DMP inspectorate consider that incident referred to in question (1), above is extremely serious?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) Will the Registered Manager, or any other person at KCGM, be prosecuted for this incident referred to in (1), above?
(7) If no to (6), why not?
(8) Has it been recorded, both by the DMP, and on the company’s internal reporting system, that there has been an increase in incidents concerning fly rock at the above mentioned operations in the previous 24 months?
(9) Will the Minister table the total number of incidents, including such near miss incidents that have been reported both by the DMP, and on the company’s internal reporting system in the last 36 months for the above referred to mining operation?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state how many improvement, provisional improvement and prohibition notices have been issued by DMP inspectors for the last three years at the above operation?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) If yes to (11), can the Minister quote the specific text as to why each notice was issued?
(14) Does the Minister and the DMP inspectorate regard any size fly rock, impacting on the workers or members of the public, as a extremely serious matter?
(15) If yes to (14), why?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
15 June 2010
Responded by
Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Response time
41 days
(1) No
(2) The district inspector has made enquiries with the blast foreman and managers at the mine and they have no knowledge of an incident when the blast crew had to dodge fly rock nor have they any knowledge of any persons instructed to work within the set exclusion zone on the blast plans.
(3) Not applicable
(4) Fly rock from a blast is a serious hazard and therefore an exclusion zone is established for each blast. However, the information provided by the company to the Department of Mines and Petroleum indicates that there was no such incident.
(5) Not applicable
(6) No
(7) There is no evidence at this stage of such an incident occurring.
(8) No. There has only been one incident reported on the KCGM system in the 24 month period but it related to sample bags left within the exclusion zone not employees.
(9) In the 12 months (prior to the 24 months) there were two reports on the KCGM system. One hit the window of a parked up loader causing a chip in the glass. The other related to some black and white void exclusion zone tape. These were not reported to the Department because there was no risk of injury to persons and the fly rock was within the blast exclusion zone.
(10) Not applicable
(11) No Improvement and Prohibition Notices have been issued in relation to fly rock. Provisional Improvement Notices are issued by Safety and Health Representatives and not by Inspectors.
(12-13)Not applicable
(14) Yes
(15) It could cause harm.
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(2) The district inspector has made enquiries with the blast foreman and managers at the mine and they have no knowledge of an incident when the blast crew had to dodge fly rock nor have they any knowledge of any persons instructed to work within the set exclusion zone on the blast plans.
(3) Not applicable
(4) Fly rock from a blast is a serious hazard and therefore an exclusion zone is established for each blast. However, the information provided by the company to the Department of Mines and Petroleum indicates that there was no such incident.
(5) Not applicable
(6) No
(7) There is no evidence at this stage of such an incident occurring.
(8) No. There has only been one incident reported on the KCGM system in the 24 month period but it related to sample bags left within the exclusion zone not employees.
(9) In the 12 months (prior to the 24 months) there were two reports on the KCGM system. One hit the window of a parked up loader causing a chip in the glass. The other related to some black and white void exclusion zone tape. These were not reported to the Department because there was no risk of injury to persons and the fly rock was within the blast exclusion zone.
(10) Not applicable
(11) No Improvement and Prohibition Notices have been issued in relation to fly rock. Provisional Improvement Notices are issued by Safety and Health Representatives and not by Inspectors.
(12-13)Not applicable
(14) Yes
(15) It could cause harm.
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
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