IN-DEPTHREVIEWOccupationalsafetyriskmanagementinAustralianminingJ.JoyAbstractInthepast15years,therehasbeenamajorsafetyimprovementintheAustralianminingindustry.Partofthischangecanbeattributedtothedevelopmentandapplicationofriskassessmentmethods.Thesesystematic,team-basedtechniquesidentify,assessandcontrolunacceptableriskstopeople,assets,theenvironmentandproduction.Theoutcomeshaveimprovedminemanagementsystems.Thispaperdiscussestheriskassessmentapproachappliedtoequipmentdesignandminingoperations,aswellasthespecificriskassessmentmethodology.Thepaperalsodiscussesthereactivesideofriskmanagement,incidentandaccidentinvestigation.Systematicanalyticalmethodshavealsobeenadoptedbyregulatoryauthoritiesandminingcompaniestoinvestigatemajorlosses.KeywordsAustralia;mining,occupationalsafety;riskmanagement.Received13February2004Revised26February2004Accepted20April2004IntroductionAcrosstheglobe,lawsregulatingthehealthandsafetyofworkersareincreasinglyincludingrequirementsforriskassessmentandriskmanagement.IntheEuropeanEconomicCommunityandinAustralia,codesofpracticehavebeendevelopedtoincluderiskassessmentaspartofthemethodologytoaddressareassuchasplantsafety,andthestorageofhazardouschemicals[1].Fifteenyearsago,theAustraliancoalminingindustrystartedtoinvestigatetheuseofmoresystematicsafetyengineeringtoreducethehighlyunacceptableinjuryandfatalityratesoccurringintheindustry.Thisinitialinterestoccurredsimultaneouslywithintheregulatoryagenciesandthecoalminingindustrywiththeregulatorspresentinginformationonsafetyandriskmanagementwhiletheindustryestablishedaresearchprojecttoinvestigateandtrialtheapproaches.Sincethoseearlyinitiatives,riskassessmentandmanagement,oftenusingsystemsafetyprinciples,hasbecomeanintegralpartofcoalminingineasternAustralia.Someoftherelatedinitiativeshavehelpedreducethelosstimeinjuryfrequencyrate(LTIFR)inAustraliancoalminingfrompre-1988sitelevelssome-timesexceedinga200LTIFRtocurrentlevelsof<20and,insomecasescloserto5.Thetrendisverypositive,leadingallminingcompaniestobelievethatsinglefigureLTIFR’sareachievable[2].Reductionoftheindustryfatalityratehasalsobeenheartening.Thisapparenttrendhasoccurreddespitemajorreductionsintheindustryworkforceandchangesinminingtechnology,ofteninvolvingmajorhazards.Althoughthefullimpactsofriskassessmentontheindustryhavenotyetbeenobjectivelymeasured,commentsfromalllevelsoftheminingindustryaregenerallypositive.Itisclearthattheapproachhasavaluableroleinassistingwithplanningandmanagingoperations,aswellashelpingequipmentmanufacturerstosupplysafermachines.Thisshouldhaveevengreaterfuturesafetyandproductivityimplicationsfortheentireminingindustry.Currently,mostAustralianstateminingregulatorsrequireriskassessmentfordevelopmentofmanagementsystemsandotherapplications.However,manyminingcompanieshavegonebeyondregulatoryexpectations,developingproceduresandresourcesintheareathatclearlyindicatea‘good-business’beliefbehindtheeffort.MineralsIndustrySafetyandHealthCentre(MISHC),UniversityofQueensland,Queensland,Australia.e-mail:j.joy@mishc.uq.edu.auOccupationalMedicine2004;54:311–315doi:10.1093/occmed/kqh074OccupationalMedicine,Vol.54No.5©SocietyofOccupationalMedicine2004;allrightsreserved311RiskassessmentbackgroundIncreasingly,thecontrolofrisksisnecessarytosecurecompliancewiththerequirementsofOccupationalHealthandSafetyActs,StateCoalMinesRegulationActs,Environme...
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