25th annual Mechanical Engineering Safety Seminar 2015

1. 25th Mechanical Engineering
Safety Seminar
What does the future hold for mechanical
equipment?
25th Mechanical Engineering Safety Seminar
Presented by: WJ Koppe – Inspector of Mechanical Engineering
Resources and Energy – Mine Safety
9 & 10 September 2015

2. What does the future hold for mechanical
equipment?
We expect equipment used at mines to:
 Become larger
 More complex
 Have lower factors of safety
 Have more sensors and warning devices
 Have automatic functioning
 Involve more electronics / computer control
 Require more specialised electrical and mechanical maintenance personnel
 Require more involvement of suppliers
 Be involved in future fatalities

4. What can be used to predict the probability of
future fatalities?
A review of:
 Incidents including near miss events
 Accidents
 Equipment limitations
 Competence assessment
 Compliance to standards / guidelines
 Risk analysis / management
 Fatality database

5. What equipment has been involved in
fatalities?
Surface mines and quarries
 Trucks
 Excavators
 Tyres
 Elevated Work Platforms
 Walkways
 Overhead Power lines

6. Underground Metal Mines
 Winders
 Trucks
 Remote controlled LHD’s
 Raise Borer

7. Underground Coal Mines
 Gas ignitions from Brakes, friction, sparking
 High Pressure hydraulics
 Canopies of Continuous Miners
 Canopies on LHD’s
 Drift Haulage
 Rail Haulage
 Conveyors
 Drill Rigs
 Vehicle Park Brakes

9. What suggests more winder fatalities may
occur?
 Recent incidents where winder ropes were substantially
below the minimum factor of safety
 A design issue where the brakes were inadequate because
of reliance on braking effect of the worn reducer
 The age of some of the equipment
 The lack of knowledge of some of the responsible
personnel
 The safety equipment / standards of some of the
equipment used for shaft sinking
 The need to have power on for some maintenance tasks
 The complexity of the systems

10. Winder Incidents
Year 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Coal Mine 22 13 20 12 67
Metal Mines 2 7 1 3 13
Total 24 20 21 15 80

11. Coal U/G 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Southern mine A 4 2 4 4 14
Northern mine B 1 0 0 0 1
Western mine C 1 1 0 1 3
Northern mine D 0 0 1 0 1
Western mine E 1 0 0 1 2
Western mine F 3 0 6 0 9
Northern mine G 1 0 0 0 1
Western mine H 9 7 6 4 26
Western mine I 2 2 3 1 8
Northern mine J 0 1 0 1 2
Total 22 13 20 12 67
Winder Incidents

12. Metals U/G 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Metal mine A 2 2 0 0 4
Metal mine B 0 0 0 1 1
Metal mine C 0 2 0 0 2
Metal mine D 0 3 1 2 6
Total 2 7 1 3 13
Winder Incidents

13. Significant Winder Incidents
 Material falling down shafts during operation
– Head frame steelwork
– Concrete from head frame
– Skip wheel
 Wet brakes
 Moisture in controls
 Travel in wrong direction
 Dump brake failures
 Failed to decelerate near end of wind
 Collision between skips
 Failure to enter guides
 Control failures
 Pre torque out of adjustment

14. What Suggests More Gas / Coal Dust
Explosion Fatalities May Occur?
 Gas trips
 Gas exceeding 2.5%
 Cable arcs
 Failure of explosion protection (Electrical)
 Failure of explosion protection (Diesel engines)
 Fires underground
 More conveyors and equipment in return airways
 Deeper mines / higher production
 Frictional ignition
 Spontaneous combustion
 Higher voltage equipment on longwalls
 Gas outbursts on the increase

16. Cable Arcs
Area North East South East Total
Incidents 168 89 257

17. Cable Arcs
Year 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Incidents 70 64 70 52 257

18. 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Mine A 4 7 9 4 24
Mine B 2 4 0 3 9
Mine C 1 3 2 1 7
Mine D 2 2 3 4 11
Mine E 4 5 2 5 13
Mine F 2 0 1 1 4
Mine G 1 0 0 0 1
Mine H 1 1 3 2 7
Mine I 1 2 1 1 5
Mine J 3 2 2 0 7
Mine K 2 2 7 9 20
Mine L 2 0 2 1 5
Mine M 5 1 1 0 7
Mine N 3 3 2 1 9
Mine O 5 2 0 0 7
Cable Arcs

19. 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Mine P 1 1 0 1 3
Mine Q 11 9 10 13 43
Mine R 1 1 0 1 3
Mine S 5 4 13 2 24
Mine T 5 2 0 0 7
Mine U 0 5 0 0 5
Mine V 1 2 3 4 10
Mine W 0 0 2 0 2
Mine X 1 0 1 1 3
Mine Y 2 2 3 1 8
Mine Z 1 0 0 0 1
Mine AA 0 1 0 0 1
Mine AB 1 1 0 0 2
Mine AC 3 2 3 1 9
Total 70 64 70 53 257
Cable Arcs

20. Explosion Protection Failures -
Mechanical
Area North East South East Total
Incidents 283 407 690

21. Explosion Protection Failures -
Mechanical
2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Mobile
Equipment
201 201 141 120 663
Fire
Equipment
15 1 7 4 27
Total 216 202 148 124 690

22. 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Mine A 9 2 3 7 12
Mine B 2 0 0 3 5
Mine C 5 12 4 2 23
Mine D 25 16 6 6 53
Mine E 11 8 2 6 27
Mine F 6 1 8 4 19
Mine G 1 0 0 0 1
Mine H 1 0 0 0 1
Mine I 1 2 0 0 3
Mine J 2 2 2 1 7
Mine K 6 2 3 0 11
Mine L 1 4 4 4 13
Mine M 19 21 8 16 64
Mine N 14 23 5 0 42
Mine O 5 5 2 1 13
Mine P 6 3 4 0 10
Explosion Protection Failures - Mechanical

23. 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14
2014 –
15
Total
Mine Q 7 4 4 5 20
Mine R 1 0 1 1 3
Mine S 2 1 4 6 13
Mine T 3 12 6 0 21
Mine U 5 0 3 3 11
Mine V 10 11 3 0 24
Mine W 1 7 2 3 13
Mine X 5 2 10 5 22
Mine Y 1 1 0 0 2
Mine Z 15 6 2 5 28
Mine AA 0 1 13 7 21
Mine AB 13 3 3 6 25
Mine AC 13 23 7 3 48
Mine AD 21 15 8 13 57
Mine AE 3 7 22 11 43
Total 216 202 148 124 690
Explosion Protection Failures - Mechanical

24. Explosion Protection Failures -
Electrical
Area North East South East Total
Incidents 232 363 595

25. Explosion Protection Failures -
Electrical
2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Incidents 92 147 173 183 595

26. 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Mine A 4 2 9 3 18
Mine B 2 0 0 1 3
Mine C 5 2 3 3 13
Mine D 7 9 16 40 72
Mine E 2 0 4 3 9
Mine F 3 3 3 3 12
Mine G 1 0 0 0 1
Mine H 0 2 0 0 2
Mine I 0 9 8 14 31
Mine J 3 1 7 3 14
Mine K 0 2 0 0 2
Mine L 5 1 2 0 8
Mine M 3 11 11 18 43
Mine N 4 15 10 0 29
Mine O 12 8 8 5 33
Mine P 1 2 0 0 3
Explosion Protection Failures - Electrical

27. 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
Mine Q 2 15 9 12 38
Mine R 4 4 2 3 13
Mine S 0 3 5 7 15
Mine T 0 1 4 1 6
Mine U 1 9 4 2 16
Mine V 3 2 4 1 10
Mine W 1 5 5 11 22
Mine X 7 8 11 4 30
Mine Y 1 0 0 0 1
Mine Z 3 4 8 6 21
Mine AA 1 0 3 16 20
Mine AB 1 7 5 2 15
Mine AC 5 6 11 1 23
Mine AD 4 13 17 16 50
Mine AE 7 3 4 8 22
Total 92 147 173 183 595
Explosion Protection Failures - Electrical

28. Area North East South East Total
Cable Arcs 168 89 257
Explosion
Protection
Failures –
Mechanical
283 407 690
Explosion
Protection
Failures-
Electrical
232 363 595
Continued next slide

29. Area North East South East Total
Conveyor Fires 1 4 5
Drill Rig Gas
fire
1 0 1
Coal Self
Heating
2 1 3
Total Reported
Potential
Issues
686 864 1551

30. Potential Ignition Sources – NOT
reported
 Strata support bolt failures
 Conveyor idler bearing failures
 Conveyor belt rubbing
 Drill flushing failures
 Failures detected when equipment is not in
operation

31. Gas Outbursts – in 4 years
 Incidents
– Shot firing 23 at mine A
– Remote Mining 2 at mine A
Note: a number of shot firing related outbursts involved
the ventilation tripping from high methane.
The gas outbursts also involved release of significant
coal dust.

32. Gas Trips - Longwall
Area North East South East Total
298 359 657

33. Gas Trips Total
2011 – 12 2012 – 13 2013 – 14 2014 – 15 Total
285 224 222 179 910
Note:
Gas trips not reportable from 1 February 2015 unless >
2.5% CH4.
Rarely identified if gas concentration is in explosive range.

34. What has improved over 4 years?
 Compliance with stone dust requirements has
improved generally now + 95%.
NOT at a large gassy South Coast mine
 Stone dust requirements increase on 1 November
2015

36. What suggests longwall automation will result
in fatalities?
 Experience with remote control of LHD’s at metal mines
and continuous miners at coal mines
 Increase on speed of chock advance
 Limited walkway
 Reliance on personnel to constantly move in order to
remain in the ‘safe zone’
 Failure to provide proximity detection to ensure personnel
are not in ‘no go zone’
 Failure to use proximity detection where provided

37.  Failure to adequately control software by mines
and OEM’s
 Failure to adequately test and commission the
controls after changes made or components
changed
 Failure to act on OEM safety alerts relating to
identified issues
 Having too many unknown ‘cooks’ making
changes
 Lack of competence of supervisors
 Production pressure

38.  Necessary interaction between personnel
and the automated equipment
 Failure to adhere to basic principles covering
access of personnel into automated
operational equipment areas
 Failure of electrical controls due to ingress of
water
 Wear of hydraulic components

39. The following accidents / incidents have occurred
on operational longwalls
 When sprays were activated shield lowered
because solenoids were swapped

40. Unplanned Chock Movements
Mine No
Mine A 2
Mine B 1
Mine C 3
Mine D 1
Mine E 5
Mine F 2
Mine G 1
Mine H 1
Mine I 1
Mine J 4
Mine K 4
Total 25

41. Management recommendations
 Don’t bog down in everyday issues
 Identify high risk issues
 Learn from others
 Ask questions
 Identify trends
 Don’t leave everything to OEM’s
 Communicate
 Initiate improvements
 Monitor change
 Regularly review your areas