The annual underground emergency exercises at Anglo American’s Aquila Underground Coal Mine in Queensland have been hailed as another success, following the release of results from two recent drills.
The exercises, known as ‘Level 1 emergency exercises,’ are conducted by Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ), in collaboration with the Queensland Mines Rescue Service and industry safety and health representatives.
These drills provide coal mine workers with valuable practice in disaster scenarios to ensure they are prepared for real-life emergencies.
Both exercises conducted in 2023 involved vehicle accidents.
The first scenario, on 13 September 2023, simulated a collision between a load haul dump (LHD) and a special underground car called a Driftrunner.
Both drivers were injured, with one driver going missing.
The second scenario, on 7 November 2023, simulated a fire involving an LHD machine, which resulted in burns to the operator’s face and hands.
The operator initially communicated his escape but then went missing.
Chief Inspector of Coal at RSHQ, Jacques le Roux, emphasised the importance of these exercises in improving reactions and responses in real-life emergencies.
“The goal is to learn from each exercise, then share that with industry,” said le Roux.
The Level 1 emergency exercise planned for later this year will include an inspector specialising in open-cut mines, to conduct the first-ever above-ground Level 1 emergency exercise in 2025.
The full 2023 Level 1 Emergency Exercise report is available for review here.
