$10 billion project warned about poor OHS standards
Roy Hill, a 55 million tonne per annum, $10 billion mining operation in Western Australia’s Pilbara Region has this month come under fire from Mines Minister, Bill Marmion.
In the wake of a number of safety incidents at the mine Roy Hill executives have been notified that responsibility for the safety of their workers lies with them. The WA Mines Minister has reportedly warned the company, majority-owned by Gina Rinehart, that their OHS standards need serious improvement.
This news comes in the wake of nine prohibition orders issued by the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) since July 2014 together with a further nine improvement notices. Prohibition notices issued include the banning of the use of cranes at Roy Hill’s processing facility in January this year.
Although a number of prohibition and improvement notices have been issued, incidents at the Roy Hill site continue to occur, bringing the number to more than 30 since July 2014.
Some of the latest include:
- Boom dropped on a crane during maintenance
- Heavy construction module fell from its jacks in a laydown area
- Light vehicle rolled with four people inside
- Dump truck hit an earth windrow and rolled
- Workers developed respiratory problems after exposure to toxic fumes during welding of imported material
Roy Hill is currently 75% complete and aims to ship its first ore in September. The mining project stands as an important reminder that even the largest, most well-funded of commercial enterprises can fall short of meeting OHS requirements.
If you would like to know more about meeting the required safety standards of your industry, please contact Safety Services Australia today on +61 2 9634 5912 or info@safetyservices.net.au
