Moranbah North 26th March 2021. Meeting RSHQ Inspectors and Anglo MNC Representatives but still not the Ventilation Officer. The requirements to be met for re-entry with the SSE demonstrating an acceptable level of risk from spontaneous combustion were tabled for discussion.
On the 26 March 2021 , a meeting was held at the office of Resources Safety & Health Queensland (RSHQ) with Moranbah North Mine Representatives. The meeting was chaired by Inspector Paul Brown
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the mines actions undertaken to address the current Directive Section 167 Directive, given on the 21/02/2021 “for a suspension of re-entry into the mine until such time as the SSE can demonstrate an acceptable level of risk.”
Questions surrounding the requirements to be met for re-entry were tabled for discussion.
The outcome of the meeting was there were still documents requiring review and, Moranbah North Mine were still in the process of preparing to re ventilate 112 bleeder road which is required to be completed prior to re-entry.
At the close out of the meeting IOM Brown committed to providing to the SSE the salient points of the meeting agenda. This was completed by email on Sunday 28/03/21
Representatives participating in the meeting were
- RSHQ Paul Brown (Inspector of Mines, Lead Investigator) Nathan Parsons (Inspector of Mines), Stephen Smith (Deputy Chief Inspector of Mines)
- Moranbah North XXXX (SSE), YYYY (UMM), ZZZZ (Longwall Superintendent), the Ventilation and Gas Superintendent, the Technical Services Manager and the (Safety Systems Officer) also acting as MNM Scribe
Again the Ventilation Officer is still not present or referred to after still another week and well over 2 calendar months have passed with all workers out of the mine due to uncontrolled spontaneous combustion
How can anyone from Moranbah North discuss this matter with the RSHQ Inspectors without the VO being present?
It seems that Anglo just lives in its own little Universe where the Statutory Position of Ventilation Officer sits so low in the Management Totem Pole that they never have to be brought out of the Administration office cubby hole to have any discussions or any description with the Investigating Mines Inspectors.
This with a near 6 week long uncontrolled spontaneous combustion combined with an “Over-Pressure event in the goaf on the 20th of February.
For Over-Pressure Event just read it as a “Methane Explosion” just like occurred at Anglo Grosvenor 9 months earlier
