Mine worker safety was the order of the day at the annual Queensland District Site Safety and Health Representative (SSHR) conference held in June in Mackay.
SSHRs from across the state gathered for the week of discussions and lectures regarding the current state of safety in mine sites, hearing from a wide range of speakers including experts in spontaneous combustion, fatigue, psychosocial hazards and whole body vibration.
SSHRs also had the opportunity to share their experiences responding to accidents and high potential incidents on site, comparing standards and learning from each other. Keeping thorough notes was the most common piece of advice, as well as forming trusted relationships with your workmates so that they feel comfortable approaching you to raise issues.
One of the highlights of the event was listening to Josh Jones speak. He was left disabled after a tyre explosion at Dawson South in 2015 that took the life of his workmate. Josh spoke about the accident, the effect it had on his mental state, and the importance of maintaining good mental health at work from a safety perspective.
“The goal I want to achieve over the next few years is to shake up the industry, change the safety culture and mindset towards safety and to break down some barriers around mental health and the stigma that is often tied to it as I think that is one of the biggest risks that we face in our current industry,” said Josh.
“We must make sure we have a culture on site where people can openly talk about their issues and not be judged, and that there is easy access to help.
“That’s one thing I really want to try and help shift. We just need to be true and open and honest with the conversations that we are having if we want to make a difference.”
Also speaking was Professor Michael Quinlan, an internationally renowned expert on mine safety who developed the ’10 Pathways’ method of analysing and preventing mine fatalities. Professor Quinlan’s work has been adopted in part by the West Australian government in addition to several major mine operators.
MEU Industry Safety and Health Representative (ISHR) Jason Hill said the conference is an important training opportunity for those at the front line of safety as it empowers them to go home and create safer mines.
“It was great to have 60 safety representatives from across Queensland’s underground and open cut coal mines came together to discuss emerging issues, share experiences and learn from experts in the field on some of the biggest safety issues our industry is facing, such as psychosocial issues, fatigue, sexual harassment and dust.
“Thank you to all our guest speakers, as well as our SSHRs who gave up their personal time in order to keep our worksites safe.”
