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Safety is the highest operating priority
at Premier Coal, where employees have achieved a dramatic
improvement in the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)
- reduced from 148 in 1992 to zero in 2002-2003.
A Company record number of 425 Lost Time Injury Free Days
was achieved on 6 July 2003.
The Company employs the Riskmap Safety Management System
which has 67 Standards for the Premier site. Proactive
Hazard identification and diligent Hazard and Incident
Investigation are fundamental to the system.
Emphasis on personal protection and safety apparrel
is matched by incident and emergency preparedness. Premier
Coal also has a “fitness for work” program
aimed at fatigue management, physical and mental fitness,
and the achievement of a site free of risk from the
effects of alcohol and other drugs.
Employee health and wellbeing is a also a key focus,
reflected in a medical and fitness program to ensure
employees are assessed and educated about health issues.
Combined with a monthly physiotherapy clinic, the program
aims to improve overall health and reduce the risk of
illness, injury or reoccurrence of injury.
Provision of an Employee Assistance Program, using
ACCESS Counselling, is aimed at resolving or assisting
with personal issues that may have an impact on work.
Other initiatives include basic workplace first aid
training, ergonomic risk assessment of individual workstations
and training in strain injury prevention.
Premier takes a broad view of Safety and is a member
of the Local Emergency Management Action Committee (part
of the Police and State Emergency Services plans) and
also contributes to various committees such as the Chamber
of Minerals and Energy's South West Regional Occupational
Health and Safety Committee.
Premier's safety performance was recogised with a Gold
Achiever Award at the Industrial Foundation for Accident
Prevention/GIO Safe Way Awards in 2001. The Gold Achiever
Award is the highest level of recognition for safety
achievement under this scheme.
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The Premier Coal Safety and Health system is driven by a Policy
which acknowledges responsibility for a safe and healthy workplace
and the need for consultation, training, goal setting and review
of performance.
Click here to view policy
Our legal framework for Safety is the Mines Safety and Inspection
Act 1994, and the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995.
We comply with the revised Department of Industry and Resources
(DIR) incident notification procedures.
Premier Coal requires licenses and approvals under the Explosives
and Dangerous Goods Act 1961 and has a single licence for
our storage of hazardous materials and dangerous goods. We
have a comprehensive emergency management plan as required
by this licence. We maintain a compliance register of statutory
approvals, appointments and licences for specific functions
under various legislation covering our operations.
Our Safety Management System is the RiskMap Safety Management
System made up of 67 standards. The RiskMap standards specify
the minimum requirements of our safety systems. Risk assessment
has been developed that uses a rating system to identify extreme
and high-rated risks and for control and reduction of each
identified hazard.
A hazard register is maintained of the risks identified in
each operational area. Start-of-shift
briefings in the Production Department ensure a structured
method of relaying hazards and safety alerts to the oncoming
crews. Auditing instruments use a weighting and rating system
to determine risks requiring priority focus. Departmental
safety audits are conducted on a regular basis. We update
our safety procedures booklet as well as our pit procedures
booklet as necessary.
Hazards and incidents are captured within our Hazard and
Incident Reporting system. Investigation occur as soon as
possible with outcomes and actions recorded in our Human Resources
Information System. Any current reports and outstanding actions
are reviewed weekly, by an OH&S Committee including management
and 12 elected safety and health representatives, to monitor
progress.
Task observations are conducted in production areas regularly
to maintain the focus on diligence and continual improvement.
A regular insurance risk survey is conducted to examine our
fire emergency response systems. The survey includes testing
of hydrant systems for pressure and flow rates. This is combined
with an annual inspection and service of all our fixed fire
systems, including alarms, detectors and fire suppression
systems. All switch rooms and computer/communications rooms
are tested to ensure gas suppression integrity.
We have evacuation signalling systems in our main buildings
and switch rooms. Procedures for raising the alarm are part
of our induction and safety meetings feedback. We have an
emergency preparedness plan and a crisis management plan.
These include potential external threats such as suspected
biological hazards received through incoming post and packages.
A register of hazardous substances and dangerous goods is
maintained and audited annually. Any new chemicals are reviewed
and assessed prior to being allowed on site. Material Safety
Data Sheets for each of our hazardous substances and dangerous
goods items are maintained and available through our ChemAlert
Material Safety database.
High visibility clothing is a standard across the site to
ensure that all people, including employees, contractors and
site visitors, are visible to minesite traffic at all times.
Training is a key system component. Training is conducted
in the care and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Our frontline management training program provides supervisors
with specific skills for developing and maintaining a safe
workplace and environment. Each participant is required to
complete a department safety audit using the RiskMap auditing
tool, conduct task observations and provide instructive feedback.
Safety and health representatives, supervisors and managers
attended workshops and conferences such as the WorkSafe conferences
to keep abreast of mining safety and health issues.
Emergency Preparedness is a key feature of our Safety System.
Monthly Mines rescue training is conducted to ensure skills
are maintained. Training involves rescue from height and depth,
fire fighting, hazardous chemical response, first aid, vehicle
extrication, confined space rescue, use, care and maintenance
of equipment such as breathing apparatus and hydraulic cutting
tools.
Our Mines Rescue team is manned voluntarily and has won many
competition awards such as the 2001 WA Chamber of Minerals
and Energy south-west regional emergency skills competition,
held as part of the Perth Royal Agricultural Show. The team
was judged overall winner, as well as winning the fire fighting,
team skills and confined space rescue events. All team members
are medically and physically assessed for fitness to start
or continue as mine rescue team members to the requirements
of the Department of Industry and Resources (DIR).
Premier Coal has developed a program in conjunction with
local companies for the purpose of training new industrial
emergency team volunteers to a basic set of competencies useful
for mutual aid. Two consecutive five-day courses, based on
the Australian Fire Authority Council competencies, are to
be conducted annually at the participating Company sites.
Basic fire training in the use of extinguishers and hose
reels is given to all our employees.
Employee health and wellbeing is a key focus area for Premeir
Coal. We use the HealthMap medical and fitness assessment
program which involves personal monitoring and promotion programs
to ensure our workforce is assessed and educated about health
issues. Available to all employees, we commission local medical
practitioners and a physiotherapist to provide free confidential
“snapshot” reports of health status. Employees
can either attend the HealthMap sessions on site or visit
their own doctor.
Premier Coal also runs a monthly physiotherapy clinic as
part of our injury management program. This program is aimed
at musco-skeletal injuries incurred at work and offsite, ensuring
these injuries are not aggravated by current activity. Assistance
such as task modification and strengthening exercises are
advised.
Our health promotion can change focus from year to year.
For example, in 2002 we concentrated on on strain injury prevention,
fitness for work, weight loss and a smoke-free environment.
A variety of other programs are provided such as Diabetic
risk assessments and weight-loss group meetings. We run both
Gutbusters and Weight Watchers programs with employees’
partners and spouses welcome to participate. Teams regularly
enter the annual National Heart Foundation stair climbing
competition “Climb to the Top” and we also participate
in the QUIT anti-smoking campaigns.
Some private, employee wellbeing issues are addressed by
our Employee Assistance Program involving an independent service
provider, ACCESS Counselling, available free to our employees
and their immediate family. This is a confidential service
aimed at resolving or assisting with personal issues that
may have an impact on work.
In accordance with regulatory requirements, we have a Mine
Workers Health Surveillance program which includes testing
of hearing.
Basic workplace first aid training is available to all employees,
run monthly through St John Ambulance, with a view to there
always being personnel with knowledge to apply first-response
techniques in an emergency.
Health concern extends to ergonomic risk assessment of individual
workstations for each department to ensure our personnel are
trained in the correct use and layout of computer workstations.
Training is also provided in strain injury prevention including
various topics such as spine physiology, care of the musco-skeletal
system and correct manual handling techniques.
Premier Coal also has a “fitness for work” program
aimed at fatigue management, physical and mental fitness,
and the achievement of a site free of risk from the effects
of alcohol and other drugs to maximise workplace safety.
With 12-hour rosters, fatigue and shift work issues require
a special effort by our employees. Premier has run courses
in “managing a shift work lifestyle” and provide
a reference booklet for everyone.
Premier Coal is a member of the Local Emergency Management Action
Committee (LEMAC), which is part of the Police and State Emergency
Services plans. Each year, LEMAC reviews the emergency services
plan for the Collie region.
We are also represented on various committees of the Chamber
of Minerals and Energy allowing us to participate in discussion
of issues concerning the mining industry in WA. An important
aspect is participation in the Chamber’s South West
Regional Occupational Health and Safety Committee. This committee
hosts educational conferences as well as emergency skills
competitions between local and regional mining companies.
In 2000, Premier Coal received a Minex award recognising our
comprehensive safety systems and pursuit of excellence in
safety performance.
We were one of only five Gold Achiever Award recipients recognised
in the 2001 Industrial Foundation for Accident Prevention/GIO
Safe Way Awards. The Gold Achiever Award is the highest level
of recognition for safety achievement under this scheme. In
addition to the gold award, we received eight other achievement
awards.
Premier Coal’s Maintenance Department was the first
Operational Department in the Western Australian Coal Industry
to achieve a Zero LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate).
This was achieved in 2001/02 with a very credible run of 420
consecutive days without incurring a lost time injury.
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