A parliamentary question regarding a fly rock incident at a mine site, focusing on safety protocols and the proximity of personnel to the blast zone. The Minister's response indicates a lack of detailed records within the Department, deferring to the operating company for specific information.

AnsweredQoN 2960Legislative Council
Asked
17 November 2005
Portfolio
Consumer and Employment Protection

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to incident number 552 concerning fly rock reported under the
Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994
-
(1) Can the Minister identify the mine site at which this incident occurred and the date on which it occurred?
(2) Is it correct that fly rock landed within 20 to 50 metres of the vehicle for a person stationed at one of the roadblocks?
(3) If no to (2), why not?
(4) Was this person positioned 439 metres from the blast instead of the 650 metres specified by the minesite?
(5) If yes, what action was taken in this matter?
(6) Can the Minister state and identify the radius, if any, of the blasting exclusion zone used at this mine site?
(7) If no to (5), why not?
(8) Can the Minister state why the person was only positioned 439 metres from the blast instead of the 650 metres specified by the minesite procedure?
(9) If no to (7), why not?
(10) Assuming that a 650 metre exclusion zone existed, does the Department consider that to be an adequate level of protection for flyrock at this site?
(11) If yes to (9), can the Minister explain the reasons why?
(12) If no to (9), why not?
(13) Can the Minister state what tonnage of material was blasted in this incident?
(14) If no to (12), why not?
(15) Can the Minister state how much explosives were used for this blast which resulted in this incident?
(16) If no to (14), why not?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
30 November 2005
Responded by
Minister for Fisheries representing the Minister for Consumer and Employment Protection
Response time
13 days
(2) Yes. (3) Not applicable. (4) Yes. (5) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of what action was taken. (6) In this case 650 metres, though exclusion zones may vary from blast to blast depending on location, blast geometry, free-face disposition, powder factor and stemming depth and type. (7) Not applicable. (8) No. (9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(3) Not applicable. (4) Yes. (5) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of what action was taken. (6) In this case 650 metres, though exclusion zones may vary from blast to blast depending on location, blast geometry, free-face disposition, powder factor and stemming depth and type. (7) Not applicable. (8) No. (9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(4) Yes. (5) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of what action was taken. (6) In this case 650 metres, though exclusion zones may vary from blast to blast depending on location, blast geometry, free-face disposition, powder factor and stemming depth and type. (7) Not applicable. (8) No. (9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(5) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of what action was taken. (6) In this case 650 metres, though exclusion zones may vary from blast to blast depending on location, blast geometry, free-face disposition, powder factor and stemming depth and type. (7) Not applicable. (8) No. (9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(6) In this case 650 metres, though exclusion zones may vary from blast to blast depending on location, blast geometry, free-face disposition, powder factor and stemming depth and type. (7) Not applicable. (8) No. (9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(7) Not applicable. (8) No. (9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(8) No. (9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(9) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of why the person was positioned only 439 metres from the blast. (10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(10) The Department is unable to comment without specific knowledge of the blast location, blast pattern, hole diameters, amount of explosive used per hole, stemming depth and type of stemming material used. (11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(11) See answer to (10). (12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(12) See answer to (10). (13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(13) No. (14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(14) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the tonnage of material blasted. (15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(15) No (16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.
(16) This information is not available from the records of DOCEP. I refer the Hon Member to the operating company who may have records of the quantity of explosives used for this blast.

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