The rising injury rate stemming from drilling and bolting equipment in Australian coal mines has prompted the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to form a new guideline highlighting the risks and best safety practices involved in using the equipment.

 

The Guideline for Bolting & Drilling Equipment in Mines – Part 1 Bolting Equipment in Underground Coal Mines provides an industry benchmark for engineering standards and fit-for-purpose equipment and provides practical guidance to prevent injury to people.

 

NSW DPI inspector of mechanical engineering mine safety Peter Sunol said between 1999 and 2004, incident data from Coal Services shows 347 injuries relating to roof or rib bolting equipment, with injuries ranging from strains through to severe entanglement.

 

Sunol told International Longwall News the new guidelines had been compiled to encourage a management system approach to the design and safe use of bolting equipment in underground coal mines.

 

An industry committee comprising representatives from various stakeholder groups drafted the new guidelines last year, which were circulated for public comment in October 2005 and are now available again for public comment.

 

Sunol said the guidelines had been updated to comply as far as practicable with the Australian Standard 4024 regarding the safety of machinery.

 

He said the DPI’s main aim in implementing the new guidelines is to minimise the health and safety risks of people where strata support (bolting) and/or drilling activities are being undertaken in an underground coal mine.

 

The guidelines refer to equipment such as underground drill rigs, hand-held bolting rigs and underground bolting; and strata support equipment such as miner bolters, mobile bolting equipment and road headers.