Queensland’s mining safety regulator has raised concerns over a worrying trend of flawed machinery isolation practices, warning that the systemic failures put resources workers at risk of severe injury or death.
Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) issued the safety alert after inspectors uncovered widespread issues with the isolation of generating and mobile plant across Queensland mine sites.
According to RSHQ Chief Inspector of Mineral Mines and Quarries, Hermann Fasching, recent site visits revealed absent isolation facilities, isolation points that could not be locked, and entirely incompatible isolation systems.
“Ineffective isolation of generating and mobile plant can lead to serious injury,” Fasching said.
“It creates significant risk because inadvertent energisation during maintenance can expose workers to crush, shear, entanglement, injection and electric shock hazards.”
The regulator noted that any safety risk to workers is unacceptable, urging the sector to remedy the flaws immediately.
As part of the alert, RSHQ has directed Site Senior Executives (SSEs) to audit all operational generating and mobile plant.
SSEs must ensure every piece of machinery is fitted with a compliant, clearly labelled energy isolation facility that can be securely locked out and tagged.
Recent inspections at surface mines captured examples of heavy mobile plant and diesel-electric generators where battery isolators could still be operated or actuated even after personal isolation locks and tags had been applied.
To prevent further non-compliance, RSHQ is advising mine operators to review their safety and health management systems.
The regulator stated that rigorous processes must be introduced to block any machinery or isolation locks from entering service if they are incompatible with the site’s established lock-out procedures.
“The resources sector in Queensland has a responsibility to remedy this situation as soon as possible,” Fasching said, confirming that RSHQ took immediate action to flag the dangers before a worker is seriously injured or killed.
