The Hydraulic Advancing Temporary Support (HATS) System was designed by a team at Centennial Coal’s Myuna mine and addresses one of the greatest physical hazards associated with underground mining.

Myuna mine operator Bill Grundy said the award was “a testament to Centennial’s safety commitment, from the management to the coal face. We would like to thank Centennial for their support and ongoing commitment to their workforce,” he said.

The winning entry was selected from a field of 10 finalists, which had been short-listed from more than 30 entries from throughout the NSW minerals industry.

Xstrata Coal’s Beltana mine received the Highly Commended Award for the development of a Shuttle Car Tyre Handler, while Xstrata United Collieries won the Commended Award.

Xstrata’s Ulan longwall mine won the People’s Choice Award.

The upcoming June edition of Australian Longwall Magazine will feature in-depth information on the winning entries.