Confined Space – Gas Testing – Believe your gas meter

We (the construction contractor) had to do a cut-in to the client’s tank and enter the tank under a confined space entry permit drafted by the client.The vessel had been cleaned out by the client - but still had some residual and deemed…

Confined Space – A hydrogen gas explosion

Our construction team was conducting Confined Space  “Hot Work" - Oxy cutting, welding and grinding” inside a vessel when there was a very sharp and loud bang “Explosion” type of noise.The vessel was constructed of an external…

Fatality – Fall from Height – Lots of Talk and No Action

A Fatal FallThis story describes a “Fall from Height” incident at a Queensland construction siteA 30 metre diameter by 13 metre high tank was being fabricated and installed on site.The slightly dome shaped tank roof consisted…

The Power of Water – Commissioning a Piping and Pumping System

,
Commissioning – Allowing for an unlikely scenario The task was to commission a 600 mm diameter and 500 metre long rising main process water line and associated supply tank, pump and control valves.The main purpose of the commissioning…

A haul truck training accident – A good operator is not always a good trainer

 Training - good , bad or dangerousA trainee operator was undergoing live training to drive a haul truck on an active open cut mine in the Pilbara -Western Australia.The trainees’ previous experience was driving coaster busses.He…

An Isolation (LOTO) Incident – People are creatures of Habit

,
Role of the Witness - Isolation Permit Many hazardous energy Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) procedures have a witness to verify the nominated point on an Isolation permit is the correct point that has been locked out and isolated by the authorised…

Bolt Failure – How not to remove bolts and components from a structure

A large iron ore screen bin had been assembled in China and shipped to a construction site in the Pilbara – Western Australia.The bin was one of several bins that were craned into position onto a steel frame structure and bolted in on…

Officers’ Due Diligence : A glimpse of the future Western Australia

Officers’ Due Diligence:Is a proactive duty and is part & parcel of leadership, Is a duty imposed on officers personally, It is a duty to put in a corporate governance regime and can be breached for merely failing to do so.Primary…

A Latent Electrical Hazard – An arc flash incident

A team of electricians was removing redundant electrical cables from a 440 volt switchboard at a Pilbara Iron Ore Mine.The task was to remove “Dead – Non-Energised” redundant electrical cables from the switchboard by externally pulling…

How to find an asbestos “Needle” in a mining “Haystack”

This story  summarises the applied research work to determine the presence of crocidolite asbestos in a maiden untouched iron ore deposit located in the Pilbara in Western Australia.The purpose of the exercise was to assist mine planning…