Mines safety alerts issued between 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2022. These alerts suggest practical measures to assist in reducing the risk of incidents reoccurring.
Mines safety significant incident reports
Significant incident reports (SIR) suggest practical measures to assist in reducing the risk of incidents reoccurring.
Note: SIR numbering is not continuous and may have been revised and reissued, or deleted as it no longer reflects best practices and/or the department's risk management approach.
- SIR No. 289 Damaged excavator recoil spring fragment became a projectile
- SIR No. 288 Off-highway haul truck tyre blowout in workshop injures workers
- SIR No. 287 Crush injuries sustained during maintenance activities
- SIR No. 286 Near miss following unplanned movement of autonomous haul trucks during recovery operations
- SIR No. 285 Near miss when an excavator fell from crane during lifting operation
- SIR No. 284 Service mechanic sustained serious hand injuries when struck by radiator fan blades on a generator
- SIR No. 283 Manned loader falls into open stope – fatal accident
- SIR No. 282 Fall of ground in a development heading resulting in serious injury
- SIR No. 281 Underground mine workers tipped out of work basket used with integrated tool carrier
- SIR No. 280 Bulldozer operator crushed between ladder and handrail – significant injuries
- SIR No. 279 Paste wall failure
- SIR No. 278 Trailer tarpaulin cover mechanism fracture – fatal accident
- SIR No. 277 Haul truck over open pit wall edge - fatal accident
- SIR No. 276 Fall from height after failure of retractable type lanyard
- SIR No. 275 Electrician received 1000V electric shock and burns
- SIR No. 274 Structural failure of fixed conveyor stacker
- SIR No. 273 Near miss when a failed rod ejected from a hydraulic pulling kit
- SIR No. 272 Sinkhole in open pit floor engulfs mine vehicles after collapse of backfilled stope
- SIR No. 271 Near miss when latch fails and gate swings open on a haul truck
- SIR No. 270 Operator trapped between elevated work platform (EWP) and overhead structure
- SIR No. 269 Structural failure of a corrugated steel water tank
- SIR No. 268 Near miss when accumulator components are ejected from a haul truck
- SIR No. 267 Haul truck operator loses control descending ramp on haul road - fatal accident
- SIR No. 266 Underground operator struck on the head by a high pressure air line
- SIR No. 265 Manned loader falling into an open stope
- SIR No. 264 Solvent vapour explosion during engine maintenance task
- SIR No. 263 Asbestos-containing material (ACM) disturbed in power transformer
- SIR No. 262 Integrated tool carrier tips over underground
- SIR No. 261 Face shovel operator crushed between ladder and handrail - fatal accident
- SIR No. 260 Autonomous truck significantly damaged by lightning strike
- SIR No. 259 Electrician injured by arc flash in low voltage switchboard
- SIR No. 258 Dinghy capsizes in dredge pond after entanglement
- SIR No. 257 Field technician collapses during exploration activities - fatal accident
- SIR No. 256 Process tank roof bursts due to uncontrolled reaction
- SIR No. 255 Telehandler rollover during a lift
- SIR No. 254 Uncontrolled release of energy during removal of luffing cylinder pin
- SIR No. 253 Injured worker not discovered and treated for extended period
- SIR No. 252 Fitter struck in chest by packing plate released under pressure
- SIR No. 251 Worker seriously injured while operating a block-making machine
- SIR No. 250 Unexpected initiation of detonator and detonating cord
- SIR No. 249 Drill offsider run over by tracked vehicle
- SIR No. 248 Worker seriously injured when caught in moving conveyor
- SIR No. 246 Fall from height during helicopter lifting operations
- SIR No. 245 Worker injured by low-voltage switchboard arc flash
- SIR No. 244 Failed gantry bridge crushes boilermaker working in thickener tank - fatal accident
- SIR No. 242 Tyre fitter's fingers crushed while operating hydraulic bead breaker
- SIR No. 241 Underground worker crushed between integrated tool carrier (IT) work basket and roof of excavation (backs)
- SIR No. 240 Haul truck collides with grader on active dump
- SIR No. 239 Low-voltage arc flash during switching operation
- SIR No. 238 Mobile plant interaction results in crush injuries
- SIR No. 237 Failure of crane head sheave
- SIR No. 236 Near miss when a pick-and-carry crane rolls over
- SIR No. 235 Scaffolder falls from height in a process vessel at a refinery - fatal accident
- SIR No. 234 Light vehicle driven partly over edge of open stope
- SIR No. 233 Worker seriously injured by hot caustic solution while cleaning an inline strainer
- SIR No. 232 Underground operator collapses underground – fatal accident
- SIR No. 231 Falling rock damages tele-handler leading to serious injuries
- SIR No. 230 Dump truck roll-over - fatal accident
- SIR No. 229 Worker injured using high-pressure water jetting equipment
- SIR No. 228 Seriously injured when sprayed by anhydrous ammonia after failure of flexible rubber hose
- SIR No. 227 Grid mesh falls from drill mast
- SIR No. 226 Collision between an autonomous haul truck and manned water cart
- SIR No. 225 Worker seriously injured by moving parts in a modified stemming bucket
- SIR No. 224 Underground workers injured by arc flash and blast from a MCC
- SIR No. 223 Worker stung by swarm of bees during rehabilitation operations
- SIR No. 222 Worker seriously injured by falling jib attachment on integrated tool carrier (IT)
- SIR No. 221 Operator struck by rolling rock at stope draw point - fatal accident
- SIR No. 220 Driver seriously injured when crushed between prime mover and loader
- SIR No. 219 Delayed detonation of explosives in a blast hole during post-blast inspection by shotfirers
- SIR No. 218 Horseplay at a mining operation results in a serious injury
- SIR No. 217 Underground worker crushed between charge-up basket and roof - fatal accident
- SIR No. 216 Fire in processing plant laboratory
- SIR No. 215 Overloaded stemming truck rolls over
- SIR No. 214 Haul truck collides with light vehicle in a designated controlled area
- SIR No. 213 Maintenance worker pinned by bulldozer belly plate - fatal accident
- SIR No. 212 Fall from height at mobile screening plant
Mining safety bulletins
- MSB No. 184 Workers ejected from underground work platform
- MSB No. 183 Hazard of lightning strikes on vehicles
- MSB No. 182 Competency of spotters for mobile load carrying equipment
- MSB No. 181 Hazards associated with the use of e-cigarette devices
- MSB No. 180 Welding quality and qualifications of welders
- MSB No. 179 Adequacy of windrows (bunds) for vehicle impact
- MSB No. 178 Working on open pit walls using rope access systems
- MSB No. 177 Installation and maintenance of temporary generators
- MSB No. 176 Inspection and maintenance of accessway and platform gratings
- MSB No. 175 Integrity of equaliser cables on vehicle hoists
- MSB No. 174 High pressure water cleaning creates mists and aerosols causing Legionnaires' disease
- MSB No. 173 Inspection and maintenance of handrails
- MSB No. 172 High pressure compressor systems on drill rigs - fire and explosion hazard
- MSB No. 171 Pit wall failure management
- MSB No. 170 Braking performance of relocation systems for heavy mining
- MSB No. 169 Managing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in the Western Australian mining industry
- MSB No. 168 Safe drinking water management at mine sites
- MSB No. 167 Adequate assessment of fitness for work
- MSB No. 166 Buried electrical cables and ground excavation permit procedures
- MSB No. 165 Safe access to high voltage powerline corridors
- MSB No. 164 Wheels detaching from graders
- MSB No. 163 Reducing exposure to respirable crystalline silica (quartz)
- MSB No. 162 Inspection and maintenance of special purpose lifting plant and hoists
- MSB No. 160 Using excavators as rock breakers
- MSB No. 159 Preventing worker exposure to harmful gold room exhaust discharge
- MSB No. 158 Inspection, testing, maintenance and use of fume cupboards
- MSB No. 157 Minimising dust generation during crushing, screening and conveying
- MSB No. 156 Stench gas activation stations for underground mining operations (reissued)
- MSB No. 155 Inspecting synthetic fibre round slings
- MSB No. 154 Managing long-term exposure to carcinogenic welding fumes
- MSB No. 153 Preventing noise-induced hearing loss in WA mines
- MSB No. 152 Hazards associated with accessing unoccupied mines for recreational purposes
- MSB No. 151 Ventilation design in underground mines
- MSB No. 150 Design, modification and maintenance of local extraction ventilation systems in gold rooms
- MSB No. 149 Hazards associated with batteries
- MSB No. 147 Minimising exposure to hazardous contaminants in gold rooms
- MSB No. 146 Contact with workers or equipment by excavators
- MSB No. 145 Uncontrolled movement and derailment of fixed cranes during storm wind events
- MSB No. 144 Gas storage for automatic fire-suppression systems
- MSB No. 143 Use of an excavator bucket as a lifting point
- MSB No. 142: Ratchet vehicle support stands
- MSB No. 141 Maintenance of refuge chambers for underground mines
- MSB No. 140 Structural collapse of buildings and temporary structures during wind events
- MSB No. 139 Suicide awareness for the Western Australian resources sector
- MSB No. 138 Electrical arc flash hazards in mining
- MSB No. 137 Hazards associated with helicopter lifting operations
- MSB No. 136 Safe use of angle grinders
- MSB No. 135 Support conditions for pressure vessels
- MSB No. 134 Overloading of bridge and gantry cranes
- MSB No. 133 Unloading of poly pipe from vehicles or trailers (reissued)
- MSB No. 132 Restraining devices on seated-model reach trucks
- MSB No. 131 Management of fibrous minerals on mining operations – sampling and detecting fibrous minerals, cleavage fragments and particles < 1.5 µm (any dimension)
Note: This safety bulletin has been withdrawn and will be reissued following the review. - MSB No. 130 Gold-leaching reagent containing cyanide – incorrectly labelled and transported by supplier
- MSB No. 129 Management of asbestos-containing materials at mine sites and accommodation
- MSB No. 128 Isolation issues with rail-mounted stackers
- MSB No.127 Maintaining the effectiveness of water-mist fire suppression systems on mobile plant (reissued)
- MSB No.126 Inspection and re-certification of a roll-over or falling-object protective
- MSB No.125 Compliance requirements for batch-type pneumatic filter presses used in laboratories
- MSB No. 124 Structural safety of buildings, plant and other structures
- MSB No.123 Hazards associated with rigging when replacing conveyor idlers and rollers
- MSB No.122 Use of tyre inflation cages
- MSB No.121 Hazards associated with dozers working near pit and dump edges
- MSB No. 120 Preventing loss of classified plant records
- MSB No. 119 Hazards associated with loading operations at the base of stockpiles
- MSB No. 118 Working alone with corrosive substances - potential loss of communications