North Goonyella, Grosvenor, Moranbah North. The only time Mines Inspectors use S167 Directive to suspend operations for unacceptable level of risk is after the event. What does it take for the Mines Inspectorate to get proactive and stop what seems to be a group of Incompetent Bullies before the event?
The Mines Inspectors have at least been consistent when the do use a Section 167 to suspend operations for unacceptable level of risk at Queensland Coal Mines over the last several years.
As North Goonyella, Grosvenor and Moranbah North demonstrate.
AFTER THE EVENT.
What does it take for the Mines Inspectorate to get proactive and stop what seems to be a group of incompetent bullies before the event?
North Goonyella
During the night of the 27th after being informed that as of 17:50 that black smoke was coming from the main fan, at 11pm Inspector Nugent issued a Section 167 Directive that stated
to suspend all operations within the exclusion zones established today to remove persons from these until an acceptable level of risk is achieved’
DNRME Directive issued not to enter past locked gate at site until risk is determined acceptable level and ALARA
The Inspectorate held Peabody’s hand on a daily basis at North Goonyella from the 3rd of September all the way up to the point of smoke coming from the main fan and portals on the 27th of September.
There are daily MRE’s from the Inspectorate that are in essence diary notes with summaries of
- The situation underground North Goonyella on that day.
- What has changed since yesterday.
- Discussions between the Management and the Inspectors and what the next 24 hour plan is.
The Inspectorate never intervene no matter how many times the Mine has to be evacuated because Spontaneous Combustion TARP’s have been exceeded.
Not even after Ethylene was first detected in August.
This we have discovered from Court Action in the United States against Peabody Energy for misleading the US Stock market over the real situation at North Goonyella.
GROSVENOR
As has been heard during evidence at the Grosvenor Inquiry and by MRE’s from 2016 onwards, the Mines Department never suspended Mining at Grosvenor due to an unacceptable level of risk from Methane.
Not until after the LW 104 Face ignition that grievously burnt 5 Mine Workers.
None of the RSHQ Inspectors who responded on the 6th of May 2020 gave evidence and their statements were never tabled at the Grosvenor Inquiry.
From the RSHQ Inspectors statements, we do know that at about 6:15 pm the Inspectors on site issued a Section 167 Directive, and in person informed the UMM Woulter Niehaus and Glenn Britton (Anglo Head UG Operations).
This was after an immediately prior phone conference with the Chief Inspector Peter Newman, Deputy Chief Inspector of Coal Mines Shaun Dobson.
During this phone conference DCIOM Shaun Dobson requested that the responding Inspectors issue a S167 Directive “Due to an Unacceptable level of Risk“.
“This was to prevent reentry to the mine until an acceptable level of risk could be demonstrated“
Moranbah North
The Inspectorate completed the Trifecta of “shutting the gate after the horses have bolted” after the “Overpressure Event” in the LW Goaf at Moranbah North in February 2021.
The Queensland Mines Inspectorate said it issued a directive to the mine operator to suspend all operations underground until the site senior executive could demonstrate the risk was at an acceptable level for coal mine workers to return underground.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-22/moranbah-mine-shut-due-to-gas-safety-concerns/13178558
The Queensland Mines Inspectorate said it issued a directive to the mine operator to suspend all operations underground until the site senior executive could demonstrate the risk was at an acceptable level for coal mine workers to return underground.
