Dozer Safety On Stockpiles

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Dozer Safety On Stockpiles
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Purpose

• To increase the level of understanding around the
  risks associated with operating dozers on
  stockpiles with discharge feeders, and to share
  learning's and controls available to help
  minimise these risks.

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Outcome

• Increased awareness around the operating risks
• Share learning's from two recent incidents
• Share some of the available controls to minimise
  these risks

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Stockpile and Feeder Design
- Stockpile Cross Section
Live Zone
Dead Zone
Conveyor
Discharge Feeders
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Stockpile and Feeder Design
- Stockpile Cross Section
Live Area of Feeder Cones
Live Zone
Dead Zone
Conveyor
Discharge Feeders
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Principal Operating Risks and Hazards

• Falling into feeder

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Principal Operating Risks and Hazards (cont.)

• Domed out or rat holed feeder

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Principal Operating Risks and Hazards (cont.)

• Slumping

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Principal Operating Risks and Hazards (cont.)

• Engulfment

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Safety Statistics
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Dozer Incident 19th March 2006

• 1545 Operator travels between feeder 7 and 8,
  Stops dozer due to limited visibility. After 3
  to 5 minutes of being stopped, dozer falls into
  feeder cone.
• 1550 Emergency signal received, Dispatch
  unable to verify with TRD 326, Supervisor asked
  to investigate

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Dozer Incident 19th March 2006 (cont.)

• 1600 Supervisor unable to locate Dozer,
  decision is made to stop the systems ( trippers
  and feeders).
• 1610 Mine rescue group informed.
• 1620 Excavation commences on Feeder 1
• 1800 Upper Portion of Ripper exposed in Feeder
  8

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Dozer Incident 19th March 2006 (cont.)

• 2042 The rear window of the bulldozer is
  cleaned by rescue teams, who discover by way of
  signals that the operator is alive.
• 2045 Operator leaves the cabin of bulldozer
  326 walking unaided.

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Dozer Incident 19th March 2006 (cont.)

• Cabin of dozer where operator was trapped, it is
  believed that the air conditioning fan continued
  to circulate air from engine bay through cabin
  throughout event
• Operator remained calm throughout event
• No additional oxygen supplies used,

• Recovered dozer

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Learnings From These Events

• Comunication/Emergency
• system needs to work in all conditions

• Operators need to be able to understand the risk
  in order to control it
• Challenge our operations to rigorously apply the
  hierarchy of controls

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Hierarchy of Controls

• Eliminate Dozerless stockpiles
• Separate Remote Control Dozers
• Re-design Stacker/Reclaimer systems, Load out
  bins
• Substitution Low profile blades to improve
  visibility, Establish stockpile trigger points.
  Eg. gt400Kt Isolate feeders/trippers before
  pushing in
• Administration training to increase awareness,
  GPS to locate feeders, Feeder indicating lights
• PPE Oxygen in cabins, self rescuers,
  Strengthened glass, ROPS,

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QUESTIONS?