Dozer Safety on Stockpiles

Dozer Safety On Stockpiles

Purpose

– To increase the level of understanding around the risks associated with operating dozers on stockpiles with discharge feeders, and to share learning's and controls available to help minimise these risks.

Outcome

– Increased awareness around the operating risks

– Share learning's from two recent incidents– Share some of the available controls to

minimise these risks

Stockpile and Feeder Design- Stockpile Cross Section

Conveyor

Discharge Feeders

Live Zone Dead Zone

Stockpile and Feeder Design- Stockpile Cross Section

Conveyor

Discharge Feeders

Live Zone Dead Zone

Live Area of Feeder Cones

Principal Operating Risks and Hazards

• Falling into feeder

Principal Operating Risks and Hazards (cont.)

• Domed out or rat holed feeder

Principal Operating Risks and Hazards (cont.)

• Slumping

Principal Operating Risks and Hazards (cont.)

• Engulfment

Safety Statistics

Stockpile Incidents XXX

0102030405060708090

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Cum

ulat

ive

Inci

dent

s Feeder Incidents

Slumping Incidents

Total Incidents

Dozer Incident – 19th March 2006• 15:45 : Operator travels between feeder 7 and 8, Stops dozer

due to limited visibility. After 3 to 5 minutes of being stopped, dozer falls into feeder cone.

• 15:50 : Emergency signal received, Dispatch unable to verify with TRD 326, Supervisor asked to investigate

Dozer Incident – 19th March 2006 (cont.)

• 16:00 : Supervisor unable to locate Dozer, decision is made to stop the systems ( trippers and feeders).

• 16:10 : Mine rescue group informed.• 16:20 : Excavation commences on Feeder 1• 18:00 : Upper Portion of Ripper exposed in Feeder 8

Dozer Incident – 19th March 2006 (cont.)

• 20:42 : The rear window of the bulldozer is cleaned by rescue teams, who discover by way of signals that the operator is alive.

• 20:45 : Operator leaves the cabin of bulldozer 326 walking unaided.

Dozer Incident – 19th March 2006 (cont.)

•Cabin of dozer where operator was trapped, it is believed that the air conditioning fan continued to circulate air from engine bay through cabin throughout event

•Operator remained calm throughout event

•No additional oxygen supplies used,

•Recovered dozer

Learnings From These Events

Comunication/Emergencysystem needs to work in all conditions

Operators need to be able to understand the risk in order to control it

Challenge our operations to rigorously apply the hierarchy of controls

Hierarchy of Controls• Eliminate– Dozerless stockpiles • Separate – Remote Control Dozers

• Re-design – Stacker/Reclaimer systems, Load out bins

• Substitution – Low profile blades to improve visibility, Establish stockpile trigger points. Eg. >400Kt – Isolate feeders/trippers before pushing in

• Administration – training to increase awareness, GPS to locate feeders, Feeder indicating lights

• PPE – Oxygen in cabins, self rescuers, Strengthened glass, ROPS,