Unannounced Inspection 3rd May 2017 Day before Mines Rescue Competetion
MRE – Grosvenor Coal Mine + comments – 03.05.2017
The mine was in the process of preparation for the Mines Rescue Competition being held at the site the following day 4/05/17.
MOST MINES MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO HAVE THE MINE AS “TIDY” AS
POSSIBLE FOR A MINES RESCUE COMPETITION, SO THIS WOULD BE GROSVENOR
MINE AS POLISHED AS IT EVER WOULD BE WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE UNDERGROUND INDUSTRY IN QLD ATTENDING
POINTS TO NOTE
The Statutory notice board was observed to be lacking current information, this was raised with the UMM at the end of the inspection.
NO INDICATION OF WHAT WAS NOT UP TO DATE
3.0 Statutory reports and Gas Alarms in the Control Room
The event on the 1/05/17 tripped the CM heads, the event on 2/05/17 however tripped the CM and tripped power to the auxiliary fan. I discussed the two events with UMM Ivers and stated we would inspect the panel as part of this inspection.
FLOOR HEAVE and GAS EVENTS
01/05/2017 Tripped heads CM
02/05/2017 Tripped CM and Aux Fan
The pro forma for recording alarm logs does not allow enough room to go back to a previous line to record actions taken in most circumstances. I recommended to Mr Hall to follow up with other CROs and his supervisor to identify an appropriate solution.
YET ANONTHER RECOMMENDATION
SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT SSS GARDE OR UMM NOT THE CRO.
While in the Control Room, SSE Garde and UMM Ivers provided me with an update of the mine: Mr Ivers temporarily filling in as UMM, Mr Bull also filling in as SSE.
MAKES LITTLE OR NO SENSE. GARDE IS ON SITE SO HE IS THE SSE
Faceline 102 has recently been widened, the majority of Tell Tales have already reached Level 1 TARP trigger as well as level 2 triggers now initiated as well. Mr Garde explained the timing of the widening and the correlation to the 101 face position. Unfortunately the 101 conditions deteriorated further after the widening commenced. The faceline is currently monitored shiftly and, installation of passive support during Pan install is currently being considered.
HARDLY SURPRISING GIVING ROOF STABILITY ISSUES
WHY EXACTLY IS 102 FACELINE BEIMG WIDENED NOW?
HOW LONG TILL THE LW INSTALLATION IS PLANNED?
IS THIS A KNOWN AFTER EFFECT FROM CUTTING LW 101 BLOCK SHORT, WITH THE 102 BLOCK BEING SOME 1km LONGER?
The mine was in the process of preparation for the Mines rescue Competition being held at the site the following day 4/05/17.
MOST MINES MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO HAVE THE MINE AS “TIDY” AS
POSSIBLE FOR A MINES RESCUE COMPETITION, SO THIS WOULD BE GROSVENOR
MINE AS POLISHED AS IT EVER WOULD BE WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE UNDERGROUND INDUSTRY IN QLD ATTENDING
MG 102 Install Faceline
At 2 Ict MG 102 we stopped at an active gas drainage nich where 4 x Radco
Employees were working. We spoke with a drillers offsider initially about the ERZ Controllers inspection conducted prior to our arrival, the CMW provided his SLAM which created discussion on how the ERZ Controllers discharge their obligations to demonstrate they have indeed reviewed and discussed the detail with each CMW, this was being followed up further by UMM Ivers.
ERZC Gligor Turcas
SEEMS TO INDICATE LITTLE/NO EVIDENCE THAT ERZC REVIEWD AND DISCUSSED AND REVIEWED THE DETAIL WITH EACH MINEWORKER CMW.
DID HE TEST FOR METHANE IN PRESENCE OF CMW AND CROSS CHECK FIXED MONITORS THAT SHOULD BE IN PLACE AND ALSO ANY PERSONAL DETECTORS CARRIED BY THE DRILLER’S?
WHAT WAS UMM IVERS GING TO FOLLOW UP
Water in the travel road was struggling to be pumped, UMM Ivers had explained the current plan to address this.
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We entered the belt road via 26ct, between 26 and 30ct there were a number of items left behind by Development, 3 lifting chains were found amongst this equipment and were out of inspection code, this was found to be an isolated issue as all lifting equipment found elsewhere throughout the mine was in code, all persons challenged were aware of the lifting code for the Quarter.
STRUGGLING TO DEWATER
BELT ROAD 26 to 31 C/T POOR HOUSEKEEPING AND 3 LIFTING CHAINS OUT OF DATE. INDICATES POOR COMPLIANCE STANDARDS IN THIS SECTION OF MINE
Two Techserve CMW’s at 27ct were tracking the belt. When asked the last time they had been sampled with Gravimetric testing pumps for respirable dust, neither CMW had been tested, both CMW’s had worked at Grosvenor for approximately 2 years.
I discussed this with UMM Ivers, it is understandable that at its peak of around 750 employees and 200+ samples taken per year people can be missed. I noted this for discussion in the close out meeting.
WORKERS WHO HAVE BEEN EMPLYED FOR 2 YEARS IN BELT ROADS HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED
a stopping had just been completed at the MG end of the faceline and a ventilation was still to be constructed from the inbye chute back to the stopping, by the end of our inspection this was in progress.
VENTILATION NOT IN PLACE BEFOREHAND AND SEEMS TO BEING CONSTRUCTED BECAUSE THE INSPECTOR HAS MADE AN UNANNOUNCED INSPECTION
At approximately 230m chainage in the 2nd pass, leaking gas was heard from a Mega bolt. Mr Bryan investigated with his Altair and confirmed the hole was breathing out however the methane was quickly diluting into the G/body. Intake side of the hole methane was 0.3%-0.4%, within 1 meter of the hole return side the methane was 0.5%. A similar methane leak was found in the bleeder road (around 213m) at a roof bolt, in this location there had been prior attempts to pressure grout. The volumes produced while ventilation maintained was minor, the potential impact of this during an extended fan outage could be problematic for the 101 longwall the way the ventilation is established. UMM Ivers was following up on the matter.
INDICATES A FAULT/STRUCTURE IS RUNNING AT AN ANGLE ACROSS THE BLOCK AND ROADWAYS.
WHY HAVE ERZC’S NOT HEARD THE METHANE COMING FROM THE BOLTHOLES AND INVESTIGATED AS WELL?
HAS PRESSURE FROM METHANE COMING FROM BOLTHOLES PREVENTED THEM BEING SUCCESSFULLY GROUTED OR IS THE ROOF FRACTUED AND THE GROUT BEING LOST.
FROM METHANE NICHE, VENTILATION STOPPINGS BEING ERECTED ON SHIFT, GAS COMING FROM MEGABOLT HOLES SHOWS POOR STANDARDS OF INSPECTION AND COMPLIANCE BY ERZC’S, SHIFT AND MINE MANAGEMENT.
COMMENTS ABOUT EXTENDED FAN OUTAGE. IS THIS AGAINA CONSEQUENCE OF
CUTTING THE FIRST LONGWALL SHORT
Walking along the travel road it was easy to identify the floor heave even with some remedial work having already been conducted. Electrical installations (DCB) were well demarcated and area tidy, all locks were in position.
We inspected B/hdg production face 23-24ct, the wheeling roadway was well maintained, this is obviously a function of the Shuttle Car drag bar. Very little evidence of the floor heave was still present at the face. Strata conditions were supported to Plan A and general body of methane was sitting on 0.3%.
We walked to C-B 24ct production face, there were signs of old floor heave looking at the cross grade of the wheeling road however no recent evidence at the production face was visible.
SIGNS OF FLOOR HEAVE OLD AND NEW.
I discussed the mining conditions with CMW’s at the face and I asked them how familiar they were with the serious accident from Grasstree Mine 2016 when a CMW sustained a fractured arm while bolting rib mesh from a continuous miner, neither could recall the incident. Due to the similarities of the process in bolting steel mesh panels it would be prudent for the Development Department to revisit the findings of this accident for learning outcomes.
BOLTERS HAD NO IDEA OF INCIDENT AT GRASSTREE MINE (ANGLO) FROM 2016. “PRUDENT” FOR DEVELOPMENT DEAPRTMENT TO REVISIT. NOT ADDRESSED TO SUITABLE STATUTORY OFFICIAL SUCH AS UMM IVERS.
NO DIRECTIVES TO MAKE CMW ARE OF SAFETY ALERTS OR TO REVIEW
General
All ERZ Controllers met underground were asked if they read the Inspectors MRE’s, there were mixed responses to this. I encourage all ERZ Controllers and CMW’s to read the MRE’s, there is relevant information for all CMW’s on the site.
IF SOME ERZC’S ARE NOT READING THE INSPECTORS MRE’S WHAT CHANCE IS THERE THAT COAL MINE WORKERS DO?
DOES INSPECTOR CHECK ON WHERE THE MRE’S ARE POSTED AND HOW EASY IS IT FOR CMW’S TO READ?
CLOSE OUT MEETING
The surface Statutory Notice Board in the Muster area was not up to date, there was an
MRE absent, the V.O’s monthly report was more than 3 months old and the Safety Bulletins were not the most recent Bulletins issued. Mr Ivers gave an undertaking this would be addressed.
SURFACE STATUTORY NOTICE BOARD NOT UP TO DATE
- MRE NOT POSTED AS PER THE ACT
- VO REPORT 3 MONTHS OLD (2 MONTHLY REPORTS OUT OF DATE)
- RECENT SAFETY BULLETINS NOT POSTED
UMM IVERS SAID HE WOULD ADDRESS THESE
THESE TYPE OF ISSUES SEEM TO COME UP CONTINUALLY
Gas leaking from bolt holes on MG 102 install face has been planned to pressure grout on the faceline, noted in the oncoming Nightshift planning notes.
ONLY NOW ARE THESE MEGABOLTS BEING PRESSURE GROUTED.
Prior to leaving site I met with Gas Drainage Engineer, Mr Salani Mudongo. We discussed the 2 most recent floor heave events that occurred in MG 103 on the A/Shift of 1/5/07 and A/Shift 2/5/17. Mr Mudongo explained the lithology of the seams and Interburden in the vicinity of the 103 floor heave events, the cause of the floor heave and the gas reservoir is to be determined. Mr Mudongo provided me with a copy of both Incident reports, I photocopied all Statutory reports that had reference to Floor Heave from 3/05/17 back to 6/03/17 with the intention to read all documents this evening..
I left site at 17:30hrs planned to return the following day for the close out meeting
