Mining Matters - October-December 2012 2.08 MB

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2012
Pictured at Commodore Mine are (from left): Project Manager Collision Avoidance, Mandy Fleming;
Superintendent Collision Avoidance, Tony Brand; EGM Zero Harm, Mike Boyle; Senior Inspector of Mines – Electrical Mines
Inspectorate (Safety and Health), John Kabel; Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health, Stewart Bell;
Health and Safety Manager East, Barry Morssinkhof; and Commodore Project Manager/SSE, Clem Baldwin.
Celebrating what we value
W
ith over 5,000 employees working at more than 50 locations around the
world, it’s important to ensure that what we stand for is communicated
consistently to each other, our clients and the communities in which we work.
Our values allow us to do this by building a shared culture in which our people can
take pride.
Every year we celebrate those who bring our values to life through our Annual
Values Awards, which give employees the chance to recognise colleagues who
exemplify our values every day. The winners of the 2012 Values Awards were
announced at the Senior Managers’ Forum in November, and highlighted how the
special actions and behaviours of our nominees truly enhance our culture.
Otraco Southern Africa’s General Manager, Andre Bode, was recognised for the
instrumental role he played in securing Otraco’s Southern Africa contracts when
he won the Superior Value Creation and Client Relationship Development Award.
This award is testament to the way Andre has applied Otraco’s best-practice tyre
performance and safety initiatives at our Southern Africa contracts. This includes
implementing maintenance and management procedures, operator awareness
training, and tyre fire and explosion emergency guidelines.
Downer Blasting Services Training Coordinator, Glen Lewis, has identified that
a vast majority of our people learn best through ‘seeing’ and ‘doing’, as opposed
to reading and writing. With this in mind he goes above and beyond to tailor
training packages and key messages in a way that reaches employees at all levels
and makes everyone feel involved. It’s therefore not surprising that Glen won the
Strongest Focus on our People Award for his commitment to hands-on training and
information sharing.
Good health is the first step to ensuring a safe work environment, which is why
Group Health Manager, Shaun Smith, was the worthy winner of the Embodies the
Value of Safety and the Environment Award. Through establishing a unique health
research partnership with Queensland University of Technology and promoting
a range of health awareness programs and healthy living initiatives, Shaun has
demonstrated that looking after oneself helps promote safety at work and at home.
Continued on page 3
Commissioner
gives our collision
avoidance system the
tick of approval
C
ommissioner for Mine Safety and Health,
Stewart Bell, and Senior Inspector of
Mines – Electrical Mines Inspectorate (Safety
and Health), John Kabel, visited Commodore
Mine in December to see our new SAFEmine
GPS Collision Avoidance System in action.
Proximity detection and collision
avoidance have been key areas of focus for
the Queensland Mines Inspectorate, and
both Stewart and John were very impressed
with the implementation of the SAFEmine
system at Commodore, with John stating
in his report that: “From the presentation
and demonstration of the system involving
a light vehicle to heavy vehicle interaction,
it would appear to be well integrated
and implemented.”
SAFEmine uses proven GPS technology
and smart trajectory prediction algorithms to
calculate each vehicle’s path. Through audio
and visual indications, it notifies drivers of the
relative position of other vehicles and warns
of any pending collisions, allowing them to
take preventive action.
Roll-out of the SAFEmine system is now
underway at our operations at Boggabri, and
it will be progressively introduced at other
sites in collaboration with our clients.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
1
From the CEO
A
nother Christmas has been and gone,
and I’d like to wish you all a safe and
healthy 2013.
The year ahead will not be without its
challenges. Our contracts are coming to an
end at Wambo and Millennium, as well as
the exploration drilling component of our
work at Ok Tedi. However, our new fiveand-a-half year contract at Meandu Mine in
South East Queensland began on 1 January
and over 300 of the mine’s employees
have just joined our business. To all our
new Meandu employees, welcome to
Downer Mining!
2013 also holds many exciting
prospects. There are some
great projects to tender for,
we have begun some
early investigations into
opportunities overseas
and we have now finished
building an underground
mining team that is second to
none in the industry, ready to tackle
the market head on.
As I mentioned in the last edition of
Mining Matters, the continued success of our
business and steady contracts with bluechip clients have also meant that we have
been able to provide greater support to the
communities close to our operations and
those in which many of our employees live.
I am delighted to report that our support of
Food Rescue in Perth has assisted it to reach
an amazing 200,000 kilograms of surplus,
nutritious food rescued and redistributed
to Perth’s needy. At the Brightwater Care
Facility in Perth, which we also support, the
new facilities are now complete, providing
safe and secure housing to enable the
staged rehabilitation of people recovering
from severe acquired brain injuries.
To ensure that we continue to identify
opportunities for meaningful partnerships
with worthwhile community
organisations like these, we have
formed a Community Investment
Committee to identify and
assess appropriate events and
organisations. The primary focus
for this financial year’s program is
on health and education.
The committee members are:
nMike Connell
EGM People and Strategy
nNikki Wood
Communication and
Engagement
nDaniel Archer
Open-Cut West
nDaniel Hockey
Open-Cut East
nMelissa Ryan
Mining Services
nPaul Corrigan
Plant
nRoss Browning
Sustainable Development
The ‘new-look’ Refer a Friend employee
referral program also has a community
component. The winner of the annual draw
will still receive a holiday voucher, but now
they will also be given $7,500 to donate to
the charity of their choice.
If you have any suggestions for any other
ways we can support our communities, I’m
sure the Community Investment Committee
would love to hear from you.
2013 is shaping up to be a year in
which our business continues to evolve
in terms of both the markets in which we
operate and our renewed focus on building
effective, meaningful relationships with
our stakeholders. Despite the changes
we are continuing to see in the resources
industry, there are still many opportunities
to explore. With our strong set of our values
to inspire us and keep us connected, I’m
confident we will continue to build and
strengthen our business.
Supporting
Communities
Meandu Mine is situated just
25 kilometres from Kingaroy; a town
historically famous as being the “Peanut
Capital of Australia”. However, in recent
years it’s been the Wine & Food in the Park
Festival that’s drawn the crowds. We’re very
privileged to be the naming rights sponsor
of this year’s event to be held on Saturday
9 March, supporting the community
where most Meandu Mine employees
live. For more information, please contact
Daniel Hockey on 07 3026 6748.
Community Relations Manager - QPAC, Dan Hockey (left) and Meandu Operations Manager,
Dave Waddell (centre-back), with the South Burnett Wine and Food in the Park Festival
Organising Committee.
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Mining Matters October – December 2012
Celebrating what we value
Continued from front page
Otraco Training Manager, Tony Crilly,
won the Best Improvement through
Innovation Award for establishing the
Otraco Training Facility. The facility is
recognised around the world as setting
a new standard in training delivery, and
Tony innovated in a number of ways to
get it up-and-running. This included
developing a unique training style,
creating a state-of-the-art facility, and
drawing support from a network of third
parties, like BHP Billiton, to build a centre
at the lowest possible cost.
Ensham Site Manager, Tiweka Murray’s
ability to maintain the highest level of
integrity while under production pressures
was the reason behind his winning of
the Prominent Display of Integrity and
Ethical Behaviour Award. Tiweka shows
preparedness to take full control of
difficult situations, and when doing so,
makes decisions based on maintaining
OUR PEOPLE
integrity and ethical behaviour, while
ensuring safety or commercial outcomes
aren’t compromised.
Finally, taking out the Achievement
through Cooperation and Teamwork
Award was Group Training Manager,
Tim Wilkinson, who was nominated
for encouraging better collaboration,
communication lines and teamwork both
in his local team and across the national
department during his tenure as HSET
Manager – Western Region.
Pictured are (from left) Andre Bode, Tim Wilkinson, Tony Crilly, Tiweka Murray and Glen Lewis receiving their awards at the 2012 Senior Managers’ Forum in Perth.
A journey of opportunity
A
rmed with an Environmental Science
degree and a spirit of adventure, our
Group Environment Manager, Sophie Gaunt,
left the UK in 1999 on a round-the-world trip
and somehow ended up in the WA mining
town of Kalgoorlie. England’s loss has been
our gain, as Sophie’s expertise and
passion for the cause has helped
keep Downer Mining ahead of
the pack in environmental
sustainability.
Starting off as a Field Assistant for a
Kalgoorlie gold mining company, Sophie
quickly moved into an Environmental Officer
position, coordinating approvals for, and
rehabilitation of, exploration projects. She
then started working for Placer Dome (which
later became Barrick Gold) at Granny Smith
gold mine and followed this with a two-year
stint at Moly Mines.
Her next move was to a new client of ours,
Karara Mining, where she moved into an
Environmental Superintendent Operations
role. Her interest in joining Downer Mining
was actually kindled when she reviewed our
tender submission and was impressed with
our environmental component.
In 2010 Sophie started with us as
Environmental Superintendent – West, but
now oversees all our mining and services
operations as Group Environment Manager.
In this role she focuses predominantly on
identifying risks and ensuring that we have
a robust environmental governance and
compliance system to manage these.
Her new position has taken her all over the
country, and she has been really impressed
with the enthusiasm and ingenuity (from an
environmental and sustainability perspective)
that she has seen across the different areas of
our business.
Sophie sees Downer Mining as a contract
miner differentiated in the workplace
through our significant achievements in
environmental sustainability. She believes
we are in a position to turn environmental
risks into opportunities, for example, ‘cradle
to grave’ solutions for tyres with Otraco, the
use of biodiesel and the use of waste oil in
blasting by Downer Blasting Services.
Unsurprisingly, Sophie spends her
downtime enjoying the great outdoors.
Ever the adventurer, Sophie competes in
adventure racing events – cycling, swimming,
running and surf-skiing around the southwest of Australia. She owns a horse that
she has trained from track racing to event
jumping, and she is an avid road-bike rider –
often seen riding into the office.
Sophie has certainly had an impressive
journey so far and is looking forward to her
future with Downer Mining, based on the
sustainability projects we have in hand, what
we have done in the past and what we are
looking to achieve in the future.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
3
Networking and strategising at the 2012 Senior Managers’ Forum
T
ips on how to develop a values-driven culture,
insight into the company’s strategic plan,
and suggestions on how to further Zero Harm
and innovation within our business were the key
takeaways from the 2012 Senior Managers’ Forum.
Held for the first time in Perth, 115 members
of our management team from both our
Australian and overseas projects gathered to
network, collaborate and work out ways in
which they can better support each other and
the business in achieving its goals.
The forum provided a platform for
managers to hear first-hand from the Executive
Leadership Team as they spoke about their
team’s performance to date and their plans
for the future. A crowd favourite was Chief
Financial Officer, Peter Kerr’s “tipping of the hat”
presentation, where he tipped his top hat to last
financial year’s standout performers.
Through a series of plenary and concurrent
sessions, the forum enabled attendees to
listen and learn from success stories within the
business, as well as celebrate triumphs with
Co-founder of A Miner’s Legacy, Rachel
Blee, touched the hearts of many at the forum
when she spoke about the tragic event that
led to her establishment of the foundation
– a Queensland mining incident in 2007 that
resulted in the death of her partner, Jason
Blee. Rachel spoke of the suffering endured by
herself and her children, which served as a stark
reminder of why Zero Harm is, and will always
be, our number one priority.
Finally, at the gala dinner, the
management team heard from the CEO of
Brightwater Care Group, Dr Penny Flett. Penny’s
presentation allowed our managers to see how
our support for Brightwater is helping rebuild
the lives of those recovering from acquired
brain injuries.
Whether it was the range of topics
covered, the quality of the keynote speakers
or the opportunity to network, the forum left
managers feeling a strong sense of community
and with plenty of new ideas to share with
their teams.
the announcements of the HSE and Values
Awards winners.
Senior managers also had the privilege of
listening to some inspiring keynote speakers.
On the opening day, they heard from Rio Tinto’s
Head of Innovation, John McGagh, who spoke
about the issues facing the mining industry and
the key role innovation continues to play. John’s
presentation served as a catalyst for discussion
on how we can better encourage innovative
thinking within our business and capture ideas
from our people.
Managing Director of acQuire Technology
Services, Bill Withers, ran a session on how
integrating values into all facets of the business
– as he has done at acQuire – can build a
culture where employees feel motivated to
work and empowered to innovate. It challenged
our management team to think about ways in
which we can place a stronger focus on our
values – an idea that was later followed up in an
interactive session where managers were tasked
with personalising our values.
Our senior managers took pen to paper to personalise our values during one of the forum’s concurrent sessions.
Graduate program gets a revamp
W
e believe that our employees’
development opportunities are
also our opportunities. The more they
develop their skills and harness their talents,
the more we will develop as a company.
That’s why we place a great emphasis on
building employee skills and ensuring
support mechanisms are in place to assist in
their development.
One such mechanism is the Graduate
Development Program (GDP). As our flagship
program, it has recently been subject to
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Mining Matters October – December 2012
a thorough review to ensure it remains
attractive to graduates and adds value to
our business.
The results from a series of one-on-one
interviews and surveys with both graduates
and mentors have allowed us to identify the
current strengths of the program, as well as
areas for improvement.
A key area set to change early this year is
the mentoring component, which will see
the structure, training and matching process
refined. It will also involve an update of the
skills and competency requirements for
all graduates.
In addition, the GDP will now encompass
the Undergraduate, Cadet and the Civil
to Mining programs. Participants in these
programs will be supported by the Graduate
Community - comprising Organisational
Development, Human Resources,
Supervisors, Mentors, Career Champions
and Discipline Leaders - and will have the
opportunity to attend a number of
business-related learning modules.
OPEN-CUT WEST
Christmas Creek takes
recruitment drive to
fitZroy crossing
A
COO – West, Mike Sutton (right), hands over the equipment to Governing Council Chair,
Keith Vuleta (left), who accepted the donation on behalf of Polytechnic West.
DOWNER MINING DONATES EQUIPMENT
TO POLYTECHNIC WEST
W
e have donated two new pieces of machinery for training purposes to Perth’s
Polytechnic West. Valued at over $100,000, the Volvo L180 wheel loader and Caterpillar
773B Off-Highway truck will be used to facilitate learning in the diagnosis and repair of all
vehicular systems.
At an official handover on the 24 October, Jeff Gittos, Head of Programs for Heavy Vehicle
Training at Polytechnic West, received the wheel loader and truck on behalf of the college.
“Student learning will benefit in areas including steering, suspension, drive, hydraulics and
electronic engine/transmission management of systems,” he said.
Chief Operating Officer – West, Mike Sutton, attended the handover and said that the
machinery would provide apprentices and trainees with practical exposure to operational
equipment in a controlled environment.
In addition to donating the equipment, we spent over $50,000 to transport the machines
from Cracow in QLD and Wambo in NSW.
This donation was a national affair. Thanks must go to Mike Sutton, Danny Boyling,
Alex Grechko and Huy Do for giving this donation the green light, the teams at both Cracow
and Wambo for mobilising the machines off site and across the Nullabor to Perth, and to
Andrew Scudds and John MacDonald for coordinating the donation with Polytechnic West.
little over two years ago, Allan Daisybell
– an Indigenous Australian from Fitzroy
Crossing – attended the first information
session that we hosted in his home town,
advertising jobs available at our Christmas
Creek operations. From this session, he was
selected to attend one of our industryleading recruitment workshops and, after
impressing the selectors, was offered a job as
a mobile plant operator. He now commutes
to Christmas Creek on a dedicated charter
plane with fellow Indigenous employees
from our previous Fitzroy Crossing
recruitment drives.
In early December, Allan was invited back
to an information session in Fitzroy Crossing,
this time as the guest speaker for our
fourth recruitment drive in the community.
Representatives from Christmas Creek,
including Project Manager, Barry Criddle,
along with members of the Indigenous
Affairs team and FMG’s VTEC Manager,
Damien Ardagh, presented the session
to over 30 local Indigenous community
members, advertising for a number of
‘green’ mobile plant operators.
Allan spoke, along with fellow Fitzroy
Crossing employee James Carter, about the
opportunities and challenges of fly in, fly
out work, and encouraged the attendees
to all apply for the positions available.
Community members were enthusiastic
about the prospect of working at Christmas
Creek, and were very happy to hear from
someone that had been through the
process and remained with the company for
the long term.
The team will head back to Fitzroy Crossing
after Christmas to run our recruitment
workshop for those selected from the
information session. Our new employees will
start on site early this year.
The attendees from
the Fitzroy Crossing
information session
with representatives
from Downer Mining.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
5
OPEN-CUT EAST
Holding a selection of the new home reading books are Goonyella Riverside HR Superintendent, Dayle Bird (centre-left), and
Community Relations Manager – QPAC, Daniel Hockey (centre-right), pictured with Moranbah East State Primary School’s Principal, Chris Munro (left),
and some of the junior students.
Education comes out on top
P
roviding education and training opportunities to communities where we operate is a key focus for us this financial year, and the QPAC
team is making it look as easy as ABC.
In October, the Goonyella Riverside team used funds raised from its coffee vending machine to donate over $3,000 to Moranbah East State
Primary School. The money went towards purchasing new home reading books for the school’s youngest students – the Preps to Year Twos.
Taking a leaf out of Goonyella Riverside’s book, the QPAC team also donated $300 to Dysart State High School to purchase student prizes
for the school’s annual speech night.
Commodore, too, jumped on the education bandwagon, opening its doors to two Year 10 students from Millmerran State High School
– Clint Caldicott and Braydon Gibbs – both of whom are interested in a career in the mining industry. Clint’s career interests lie in the field of
geology and he spent a week on site with production and technical services personnel, while Braydon spent a week in the workshop gaining
experience as a diesel fitter.
Community Relations Manager – QPAC, Daniel Hockey (right), presents
Dysart State High School Captains, Brooke Watson (left) and
Tegan Bull (centre) with our donation.
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Mining Matters October – December 2012
Pictured with Commodore’s Project Manager, Clem Baldwin
(centre), are Clint Caldicott (left) and Braydon Gibbs (right), who
spent a week at Commodore gaining work experience.
Recruitment team takes the assessment centre model to PNG
I
n response to the national skills shortage
for plant-related jobs last year and the
projected requirements for diesel fitters,
our recruitment team implemented an
international sourcing strategy. After
careful consideration of the skills and
experience required and analysis of where
those skills exist, Papua New Guinea was
selected as the appropriate destination.
In order to ensure a rigorous and
detailed selection process, an assessment
centre model was used, and included
face-to-face interviews, technical testing
and team-building exercises. Of the 40
people assessed, 14 were selected and
are now working at three of our sites in the
east – Boggabri, Goonyella Riverside and
Millennium.
The eastern recruitment team –
who were responsible for sourcing the
new recruits and assisting with their
international relocation – have received
glowing feedback from their supervisors
on site:
“They have great skills and knowledge
– they are some of my crew’s best
performers,” Millenium Maintenance
Superintendent, Dan Waters.
“Their personal safety standards are as
high as anyone else on site. Their work ethic
is also very strong. In fact, two supervisors
on site have gone out of their way to tell
me how impressed they are with how hard
they work,” Goonyella Riverside Senior
Maintenance Superintendent, Justin Webb.
“In the short time they have been on
site, it is remarkable how well they fit
in. Each fitter has contributed strongly
and has become a valued member of
their respective team,” Boggabri Senior
Maintenance Supervisor, Duncan Cannon.
While we continue to recruit the
majority of our workforce from the local
market, the international sourcing strategy
complements our onshore campaigns.
The recruitment team introduced our new fitters to some of their managers on their cultural awareness training day.
Commodore
turns up the
heat on prostate
cancer
A
Pictured with the donations from the Big Aussie BBQ are (from left): Production Supervisor, Mick
Robertson; Mobile Plant Operator, Tom Liddle; Project Manager/SSE, Clem Baldwin;
HSET Co-ordinator, Linda Cardinaels; and mobile plant operators, Owen McCullough,
Gail Bunyan and Andrew Stafford.
ustralians never need an excuse
to have a barbeque, but when
they can throw a snag on the barbie
to help raise funds for, and awareness
of, prostate health, it makes it even
more worthwhile.
In September, our team at
Commodore hosted a barbeque
in support of the Prostate Cancer
Foundation of Australia’s Big Aussie
BBQ month. The site raised $964
in gold coin donations, which the
company matched dollar for dollar.
Then at another barbeque in
November, the site raised $431 in
gold coin donations to split equally
between the fundraising pools of the
site’s five ‘Movember’ participants.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
7
Commodore raises the bar in rehabilitation
C
ommodore Mine has some of
the most successful and stable
mine rehabilitation areas in Australia.
To maintain this high standard going
forward we have recently incorporated
a well-established monitoring practice
on site – the Ecosystem Functionality
Analysis (EFA).
The method has been taught on site
by the ‘Godfather’ of EFA, David Tongway,
and works by focusing on the density
of the vegetation in the landscape by
comparing the distance between plants,
the thickness of the plant base and the soil
in which the plant resides.
By assessing these traits individually
we can better understand what’s
happening in the landscape and the
progress of our rehabilitation. By doing
this, we can identify areas that may not
be doing well and implement solutions
to rectify any problems.
Pictured putting the EFA training into practice during an analysis are (from left): Environmental
Superintendent, Karen Hartley; Environmental Graduate, Iggy Czajkowski; and Millmerran Power
Partners Mining and Environment Co-ordinator, Joel Rickuss.
Simulator draws crowds in Kingaroy
M
embers of the Kingaroy community experienced what it’s like to be behind the wheel
of a large haul truck when we took our training simulator along to the Motors in Motion
community event in October and the Kingaroy State High School career’s day in August.
Drawing large crowds at both events, the simulator gave those having a go a taste for
what it’s like to drive along the haul roads of an open-cut mine.
Regional Training Superintendent, Cameron Martin (right), shows participants how the
simulator works at the Motors in Motion event.
8
Mining Matters October – December 2012
By Iggy Czajkowski
At the most recent training program,
members from the Department of
Environment and Heritage Protection
and our client, Millmerran Power Partners,
also attended to familiarise themselves
with this leading-edge method.
When completing our assessment on
the mine site we learnt an additional lesson
– be careful where you sit – because we
spotted a Brown Snake slithering out
of the area we had just left!
Millennium
milestone
H
alloween proved to be more
treats than tricks for our team
at Millennium this year, as it was the
mark of 1,000 days and over two
million man hours without a single
lost time injury (LTI).
The team celebrated the milestone
at a series of barbeques at the local
Coppabella Hotel in November.
Project Manager, Eric Morgan said:
“Thank you to everyone involved in
this achievement. Let’s keep up the
good work to reach additional LTI-free
milestones and reduce – and eventually
eliminate – incidents of any type.”
Peabody Build Pad Manager, Tim Heron (left),
and Downer Mining Maintenance
Superintendent, Dan Waters (right), enjoying
the celebratory barbeque.
MINING SERVICES
Pictured at Otraco’s 40th anniversary party are (from left): Otraco Site Consultant, Alex Taylor; Otraco Technical Manager, Tony Cutler; ex-Otraco
Area Manager, Jeff van der Plas; ex-Otraco Foreman, Steve Horo; ex-Otraco Area Manager, Stan Sheehan; Founder – Otraco, Basil Winterbourn;
GM – Otraco, Alistair Swanson; Downer Mining Services COO, Peter Newman; and Downer Mining CEO, David Overall.
Otraco donates
training
equipment to
Goldfields
Institute
S
tudents at Kalgoorlie’s
Goldfields Institute of
Technology (GIT) have added a
new piece of training equipment
to their collection, with the
donation of a Komatsu WA600
wheel loader from Otraco.
Ty Theodore, GIT’s Training
and Delivery Director, says
the wheel loader will enable
Goldfields Institute to offer
genuine live works training to
their Heavy Plant, Auto Electrical
and Fitting apprentices.
“This donation provides
a significant benefit to our
students, as apprentices can
learn using real-life applications.
It is our aim wherever possible
to replicate conditions and
facilities experienced in industry
to enhance the effectiveness
and quality of training for
both the apprentices and their
employers,” he said.
Bernd Tamsen, Otraco’s
General Manager Group
Project Development said that
by donating this equipment,
Otraco is emphasising its
commitment to providing
training opportunities for the
local community and equally,
its commitment to safety and
best practice.
Otraco turns the big 4-0!
A
gainst the backdrop of the beautiful Swan
River at Matilda Bay Restaurant in Perth,
friends, employees and clients – both old and
new – joined together to celebrate Otraco’s
40th anniversary. About 100 people attended
the party; a testament to the special place the
company holds in many hearts.
Amongst the familiar faces was the man who
started it all – Basil Winterbourn, Otraco’s founder.
Basil was sent to Newman to work at BHP Billiton’s
Mt Whaleback Mine in 1972, where the company
he was working for at the time promptly went
broke. The mine manager approached Basil
and asked him to start up his own company,
continuing the tyre maintenance and repair
services at the mine. He was just 23.
In a rousing speech, Basil described those
early years as being the time when Otraco’s
philosophy became clear and the culture was
developed. He told a story about a passionate,
and slightly wayward, Otraco manager
who worked at their operations on
Koolan Island and who dumped a
damaged haul truck tyre on the mine manager’s
front lawn after repeated requests to fix a
situation that was causing wear on the tyre.
Forty years have come and gone, and Alistair
Swanson, GM – Otraco, is now at the helm
of a sophisticated international organisation
employing over 500 people worldwide… and
amazingly Basil’s first contract at Mt Whaleback
is still in place. This clearly demonstrates how the
unwavering commitment to Otraco’s philosophy
and culture – that was established in the early
days – is still alive and well. The passion and
dedication displayed by the manager at Koolan
Island is still evident today – albeit in more
orthodox ways!
The evening ended with the ceremonial
cutting of a tyre-shaped cake (naturally), with
members of the Otraco team from the past and
the present coming together to look to the next
forty years – celebrating a company with great
ambition for the future, built on the foundation of
a strong heritage.
Pictured with the Komatsu WA600 wheel loader are (from left): KCGM Apprentice Master, Peter Barclay; Otraco
Area Manager, Robert Dick; Otraco Site Manager, Graham Latter; Otraco GM Group Project Development, Bernd
Tamsen; and GIT Training and Delivery Director, Ty Theodore.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
9
A flutter of innovation
I
t’s usual practice when conducting blasting
operations on site to take the mine’s nearby residents
into consideration, but recently our Blasting team at
Pine Dale Mine has had to work in cooperation with a
different sort of neighbour.
At the end of last year, Pine Dale Mine received
approval for an extended mine lease. However, the
extension runs adjacent to an area of the Ben Bullen
State Forest that’s home to the endangered Bathurst
Copper Winged Butterfly.
In order to blast in an area so close to the butterflies
without affecting them, our team on site spread their
wings and came up with a solution. They developed
tailored blast designs using electronic detonators to
control the timing of blasts in a way that minimises
ground vibration, overpressure and noise.
The solution has been so successful that it has also
allowed for a reduction of the residential blast zone from
500 metres to 300 metres.
Pine Dale Mine’s neighbour – the endangered Bathurst Copper Winged Butterfly.
FROM ‘REFER A FRIEND’ TO FAMILY
HOLIDAY!
O
traco Site Supervisor – Telfer, Simon Dejager, and his
family are busy planning their family holiday to Disneyland
in Singapore and Mauritius, thanks to a $15,000 Flight Centre
voucher he won in our ‘Refer a Friend’ draw.
In keeping with our focus on community engagement, the
New Year brings a revamped ‘Refer a Friend’ prize, where the
winner will receive a $7,500 holiday voucher and will be able to
donate $7,500 to a charity of their choice.
Stefanie (right) and Jessica Tweed-Anderson
collected money for the raffle.
A girls’ night in, to help
girls out
I
n November our Underground team gave women in
Theodore the perfect excuse to catch up with each other,
when it donated $550 towards their Cancer Council Girls’
Night In.
Organised by Stefanie Moore, Evolution Mining’s
Receptionist/Administration Assistant at Cracow Mine, the
event raised over $12,500, which will go towards fighting
breast and gynaecological cancer.
Held at Theodore Hotel, attendees donned pink and
enjoyed a night of raffles, games and even an inspirational
address from a current breast cancer sufferer.
10
Mining Matters October – December 2012
Otraco’s Senior HR Advisor, Melissa Ryan (right), presents
Site Supervisor – Telfer, Simon Dejager, with his Flight Centre
gift voucher.
INNOVATION
Ok Tedi team designs its way
to an HSE award
T
he Ok Tedi team won ‘Best Health and
Safety Innovation’ for their modified
drill rigs at our annual HSE Awards. The 18
entries received in this category clearly
demonstrates that our teams are always
looking for new and innovative ways to
ensure that our people remain safe.
The diamond drill rigs on site at Ok Tedi
had contributed to a couple of lost time
injuries, and the team quickly decided that
better controls on the machinery needed
to be put in place to avoid any more
injuries. After researching existing items on
the market, they determined that there was
nothing suitable available.
The team therefore approached Alton
Drilling (Alton) about potential proactive
engineering solutions to make the
diamond drill fly rigs safer to operate. Alton
was very receptive to the team’s conceptual
ideas, and agreed to work with them to
design, engineer and fabricate components
to suit their needs.
Within three months Alton and the
Ok Tedi team had developed engineering
solutions for:
n S afety interlocked spin guards to
eliminate entanglement in rotating parts
n S afety interlocked levers to operate
functions such as rotation, feed, wire
lines and cable reel
n A
utorotation shut-off when the spin
cage is opened
The panel has control lockouts installed on the levers to prevent accidental engagement.
n G
uarding on all mechanical moving
parts, e.g. drum cables and foot clamps
n Adjustable offsider’s platform that can
be raised or lowered to suit the height of
the employee to eliminate slips, trips and
falls, as well as manual handling injuries
n Mechanical jaws to break drill joints
(breakout tool), which significantly
reduces the physical effort required to
manually break drill joints.
The first drill was manufactured with all
engineered modifications in July last year.
A detailed risk assessment was conducted
on the drill rig, and after rigorous testing in
the workshop, it was sent to Ok Tedi Mine
in November.
All modifications were designed with
the view that they should have the ability
to be retrofitted to the existing fleet
at Ok Tedi. Alton has already indicated
that the engineering modifications will
become Alton’s base standard for all new
drills manufactured.
By adopting these significant
engineering solutions, our people will
be removed from the “line of fire” and
inadvertent movements placing people in
harm’s way will be prevented.
The Downer Mining-specified Alton Fly Rig complete with the new controls.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
11
Stockton’s Temporary Dam
Diversion takes top
environmental prize
S
tockton’s proactive approach to protecting a section of streambed
containing unique aquatic bryophyte (moss and liverwort) communities
won it the Best Environmental Innovation Award at our 2012 HSE Awards.
The team was faced with the challenge of constructing a concrete
diversion weir in the streambed to build an access road. This meant
damming and diverting the stream. Instead of following the ‘normal’
practice of creating an earth dam upstream of the work site (which would
result in significant, and potentially irreversible, sedimentation in the
streambed), they came up with a temporary way to divert the stream.
They filled clean one-tonne fertiliser bags with inert site-sourced
aggregate (granite chip), then craned the bags into position upstream of the
construction site to create a temporary dam. Water was then pumped from
the resulting impoundment around the work site. When the engineered
weir was completed, the aggregate bags were lifted back out of the
streambed and stored for reuse.
The result was an environmentally sustainable, cost-effective solution.
The effects on the streambed have been localised, and are short-term and
largely reversible with negligible water-quality impact.
The team plans to use the same method in another similar activity
upstream at the mine in the coming months.
The finished work site, after removal of the temporary dam, with no observable effects.
12
Mining Matters October – December 2012
The work site showing the weir formwork in place and the
temporary dam with the aggregate-filled fertiliser bags
forming the bund.
ZERO HARM
A safety milestone
worth celebrating
I
t’s not often that a business reaches four years without incurring a single
lost time injury (LTI), but to do so during a period of significant growth
makes it an even greater achievement.
In October Downer Blasting Services (DBS) hit four years LTI free,
despite the business more than doubling in size during this period,
and therefore facing additional safety challenges associated with an
expanding workforce, strained resources and delivery pressures.
This milestone was complemented by continuous improvement
in its Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (TRIFR) 12-month
rolling average, which continued to drop over the past four years to
5.7 in October (from 16.1 in June 2009).
In addition, DBS has seen improvements in its lead indicators,
such as Hazard Reporting and Safety Behaviour Observations,
which is a positive reflection of its open and honest
reporting culture.
Congratulations to the entire DBS team for keeping safety
front of mind.
Each DBS employee received a commemorative backpack to mark the occasion.
Environmental sustainability –
a bright prospect
I
n November we were a finalist at the Australian Mining
Prospect Awards for the “Excellence in Environmental
Management” and “Contract Miner of the Year” categories.
These awards recognise our ongoing environmental leadership,
excellence and innovation in the Australian mining industry.
Our Low Emissions Mining Solutions™, rehabilitation projects,
water management, sustainability policies and environmental
management systems are pivotal in creating sustainable
business outcomes.
We continue to support the renewable fuels industry as its
largest consumer of B20 biodiesel in the mining sector and are
engaged in ongoing investigations into alternative fuel sources
for our operations.
Our management of project greenhouse gas emissions
reduction and energy efficiency through the Downer Energy
and Emissions Measure™ (DEEM) encourages and nurtures
fuel-efficient innovations across our sites. This includes
modifications to electric-drive truck powertrain control units
to minimise idle fuel use during deceleration, and efficient
technologies in lighting, vehicle and workshop infrastructure.
A business plan founded on the three pillars of
environmental governance, business improvement and
business development allows us to effectively respond to
environmental risks and opportunities. As we maintain our
industry-leading environmental stewardship, we will continue
to deliver sustainable value for our stakeholders.
Service Person, Dean Cassidy, refuelling one of our haul trucks
with B20 biodiesel at Boggabri Mine.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
13
Why we work safely
T
he team at Paraburdoo has come up with a novel way to
ensure that safety is always their number one priority.
On a noticeboard outside the crib room, the team has pinned
up photos of their families and friends – a reminder of what
means the most to them in life and who is relying on them to
stay safe at work.
A simple approach is often the most powerful, and we
congratulate the team at Paraburdoo for this proactive initiative.
Construction PA, Nikki Coughlan, using the AED at the
St John Ambulance training session.
Downer Mining has
finger on the pulse
I
n the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, time is of the essence.
For every minute that the victim is not defibrillated, they
lose a 10% chance of life; so after 10 minutes chances of
recovery are virtually nil.
With this in mind, we recently purchased two Automated
External Defibrillators (AEDs) for our offices in the West and
arranged for St John Ambulance to provide training for
our employees.
The training covered:
n
Sudden cardiac arrest: what is it?
nDefibrillation
The ‘Why we work safe’ board at Paraburdoo.
nThe Community First Responder System, which is based
on distributing as many AEDs through WA as possible
to allow the community to fend for itself as far as
practicable until professional help arrives
prosta
t
EA practical demonstration.
n
ca
prostatE
cancEr
aWarEn
Ess camp
aign
ncEr
aWa
ss
camrpEanEFor
ign those who were unable to attend, St John Ambulance is
running an online course to ensure that everyone in our Perth
offices is familiar with the equipment and how to use it.
Manly miners aren’t afraid of a
prostate cancer check
W
ith over 22,000 men in Australia diagnosed with prostate cancer
every year and around 3,300 men dying as a direct result, we
feel it’s important to educate our people about the disease and the
importance of early detection.
In November – or should that be Movember? – we launched our Prostate
Cancer Awareness campaign, designed to encourage male employees to have
a prostate cancer check, as well as female employees to urge their partners or
male friends to be tested.
As part of the campaign, a video was produced and distributed to all sites
to run as toolbox talks. In the video Commodore Training Officer, Darroll
Kowald, shares his story about his battle with prostate cancer, and
Prostate Cancer Researcher, Professor Pamela Russell, explains more
about the disease.
as your agE
incrEasEs, so
doEs your risk
of dEvEloping
prostatE cancEr.
BE a manly minEr
and Book your
prostatE cancEr
chEck today.
E n h a n ci n g
Wo r k fo rcE
h E a lth
DOW9822_Prostate Poster.indd 1
Prostate Cancer Awareness campaign poster.
14
Mining Matters October – December 2012
16/11/12 4:08 PM
COMMUNITY
At the presentation of Ok Tedi’s cheque to A Miner’s Legacy are (from left): Director – A Miner’s Legacy,
Mark Parcel; Plant Superintendent, Robert Ingram; Health and Safety Manager, Rodo De Boer; A Miner’s
Legacy Co-founder, Rachel Blee; and Member – A Miner’s Legacy, Leanne Barker.
A win for communities at the HSE Awards
T
he winners of our annual HSE Awards were
announced at our Senior Managers’ Forum
in November, with the best health and safety,
environmental and sustainable development
performances by our sites recognised by their
peers. Each winning site received $5,000 to donate
to the charity of their choice, giving back to the
communities in which we operate.
The Ok Tedi team, who won the award for
the Best Health & Safety Innovation, and the
Goonyella Riverside team, who won the Best HSE
Performance for a Short Term/Small Project for
its Industrial Area Upgrade project, both chose to
donate their money to A Miner’s Legacy – a not for
profit foundation that was established to provide
support, advice and assistance to families of
mineworkers involved in fatal mine accidents.
Co-founder of A Miner’s Legacy, Rachel Blee,
was a guest speaker at the Senior Managers’ Forum,
sharing with our senior managers the tragic event
that led to her establishment of the organisation.
Rachel’s partner, Jason Blee, was fatally injured
in an underground mining accident at Moranbah
North in Queensland in 2007. She did not want
Jason to become another statistic, so has become
dedicated to improving mine safety.
These donations will help Rachel to continue to
tell her story in the hope that it will improve safety
and save lives.
Presenting the cheque to the Chief Executive of the Homebuilders West Coast Trust,
Lorraine Scanlon (centre-right), are (from left): Stockton Alliance Environment and
Community Manager, Barry Walker; Stockton Alliance General Manager, Michael Harrison;
and Stockton Alliance Environmental Supervisor – Cypress Project, Nick Reedy.
The other winners and their beneficiaries were:
n B
est HSE Performance: Norwich Park –
CQ Helicopter Rescue
n B
est Environmental Innovation: Stockton –
Potikohua Trust and Homebuilders West
Coast Trust
n S ustainability Award: Norwich Park –
CQ Helicopter Rescue.
Stockton Alliance General Manager, Michael Harrison, presents the $2,500 cheque to
Potikohua Trust Manager, Rae Reynolds.
Mining Matters October – December 2012
15
Smiling for Smiddy
W
hen Adam Smiddy tragically died from an aggressive melanoma
in 2006, his mates were determined to honour his memory and
cycled from Brisbane to Townsville as a tribute to their friend.
This was the start of ‘Smiling for Smiddy’, a cancer research charity
set up in memory of Adam. This year, JDE Programmer, David Lynch,
participated along with 50 other cyclists to honour loved ones who
have been affected by cancer.
The event raised over $300,000, with David personally raising over
$8,000 with great support from his friends and colleagues at Downer
Mining. We also arranged the use of a Toyota Prado support vehicle to
accompany the riders along the 1,600 kilometre stretch to Townsville.
Congratulations to David, and thanks to all our employees who
supported him on his journey. If anyone is interested in participating
in a Smiddy cycle event, visit www.smiddy.org.au.
The 2012 Smiling for Smiddy team.
Because Family Matters
W
hen people discuss the challenges of fly
in, fly out (FIFO), they often think about
the impact it has on the worker; however the
impact it has on their family is often just as
significant. That’s why Alicia Ranford, mining
wife and mother of two, set about creating the
Mining Family Matters website – a website we
proudly sponsor.
Providing free professional support and
practical advice to families in the Australian
mining and resources sector, Mining Family
Matters helps families deal with issues such
as isolation, relocating to remote towns and
alcohol abuse.
Monthly columns, Q&A sessions and online
forums are a few of the many ways in which
this website shares ideas about the ups and
downs of the mining lifestyle.
Attracting more than 7,000 people every
month, the website is proving to be a helpful
tool for mining families, and we’re happy to be
a part of such a valuable initiative.
Head Office
SW1/104 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101
PO Box 8221, Woolloongabba QLD 4102
T: +61 7 3026 6666 F: +61 7 3026 6060 E: info@downeredimining.com
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Mining Matters October – December 2012