Australian Mine Safety Journal is digital publication on mining industry

A rescued survivor has told authorities that there are 17 people trapped inside a flooded mine in the Indian region of Meghalaya .   According to available reports the mine was flooded last Friday. The survivor told Indian press that “There were 22 people in all. Five of us were on the ground while 17 others were busy cutting coal,” said Sayeb Ali, 21, from Panbari village in the Chirang district of Assam. ‘Ground’ refers to the landing area inside the mine. “There are three others from my village alone, who are still trapped,” he said. “I was about five feet away from the ground that morning and on my way up, when I suddenly felt a lot of air and then saw water,” Ali said. “I caught on to the wire and managed to climb upwards till the people outside sent in a carriage,” he recalled. “I was all drenched,” he said. “The water helped to push me out,” he claimed, adding that “four others on the ground” were also rescued. “They are in Meghalaya,” he said. Ali had...

Peabody have provided an update overnight on the previously reported North Goonyella mine fire and have advised that the Queensland Mines Rescue GAG is now being returned offsite. Peabody says that activities at the North Goonyella mine site remain focused on assessment of underground conditions and advanced planning for re-ventilation ahead of potential re-entry to the mine when safe and appropriate to do so. The mine is still maintaining exclusion zones with underground access prohibited and limited access to surface areas of the mine and has been undertaking a range of surface drilling activities  to establish additional monitoring boreholes. The company says that drilling is near completion. Water has continued to plague the mine with a accumulation in a number of areas. Peabody say that “Pumping activities are advancing in response to ongoing accumulation of water in parts of the mine.” The update highlights that the use of cameras to assess undergr...

A US based mines rescue team has completed a search today of a sealed abandoned mine for a missing person. The mine was reportedly last entered in 1998. According to reports, the mine, in Boone County West Virginia, was permanently sealed off until two men broke through a concrete barrier at the portal. The mine was apparently signposted with no trespassing signs. The men had reportedly entered the mine to steal copper cables (possibly for scrap resale). Police said in a statement “One man came out from the mine but the other went missing” The Director of the West Virginia Office of Miner’s Health, Safety and Training said this morning that that they led a joint effort with Blackhawk Mining to enter the mine and start the exploration process underground for the missing man. A team of three rescuers, comprised of two members from MHST and one from Blackhawk Mining, equipped with breathing apparatus and gas detectors. An abandoned mine can pos...

OPINION: There’s an old saying “What a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive.” That saying might just apply to one of the world’s largest coal miners who, in cahoots with the Queensland Government, may have sought to cover up highly market sensitive information on the North Goonyella Mine Fire . This week Peabody Energy have been accused of one of the hugest porkies in relation to the North Goonyella Mine Fire. On Tuesday, Mathew Stevens from the Australian Financial Review (AFR) put a huge sword through the belly of Peabody Energy in his feature article ” Peabody admits that smoke really did mean fire.” Mathew highlighted that Peabody finally went to market three days after pictures had been posted publicly of black smoke billowing from the North Goonyella mine. This resulted in a massive drop in the Peabody Energy share price. Queensland Government Cover Up So you say, what about the Queensland Government’s role in the debacle? Well they too didn’t...

Austmine’s Brisbane End of Year Networking event provides an opportunity to celebrate with industry colleagues and the Austmine team at the end of a fantastic year for our industry. The event will be held on Monday 26th November 2018 at the Queensland Cricketer’s Club. Together mining and METS companies have reached new heights in 2018 and are ushering in an exciting digital age driven by new technologies, innovative thinking and collaborative problem-solving. This collective strength and support has enabled Austmine to explore new frontiers for our members throughout the year, such as the creation of international initiatives and projects, facilitation of key industry workshops, increased networking opportunities and greater influence to advocate for our world-leading METS sector. The event will facilitate new connections between METS and miners in attendance and will include short presentations and networking drinks and canapes. More details on the ...

In July this year a new standard for gas detection and monitoring equipment in coal mines was launched. The new standard incorporates world-leading practices feature for management of life saving gas detection equipment in coal mines across Australia and New Zealand. AS/NZS 2290.3:2018 , Electrical equipment for coal mines – Introduction, inspection and maintenance, Part 3: Gas detecting and monitoring equipment was published by the joint Australian and New Zealand technical committee of Standards Australia. “The primary emphasis of this standard is the safety of coal miners, by providing guidance on the use of gas detection equipment in mines,” said Dr Bronwyn Evans, CEO of Standards Australia. “ The Pike River Mine disaster of 2010 is one of the many devastating examples why continued standards development is so important. “Among the changes in this edition of the standard, is a new requirement for routinely measuring the response time of installed gas detection systems....

In preparation for cyclone season many mines across Australia have already formalised emergency response plans for cyclone related events but mining safety regulators are warning that there is no place for complacency. The cyclone season officially started on 1 November 2018 and will run through to 30 April 2019. The Bureau of Meteorology has indicated that the probability of cyclones will be reduced due to the effects El Niño On average, there are 10 to 13 tropical cyclones each season in the Australian region, four of which typically cross the coast. El Niño typically reduces the number of coastal crossings, but at least one tropical cyclone has crossed the Australian coast each season since reliable records began in the 1970s. The BOM advised that “during El Niño years, the first tropical cyclone to cross the coast is typically during the second week of January. This is generally later than seasons which are ENSO-neutral when the first cyclone landfall...