Awards for Excellence recognise outstanding achievement

Western Australia’s resources sector showcased its commitment to innovation and new technologies at the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Awards for Excellence Ceremony.

The department recognised five projects for their exceptional use of innovative thinking, including projects focussing on mental health, worker safety, environmental awareness and mine site rehabilitation.

DMIRS Director General David Smith said the awards provide the department with the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the world-class work that resources companies are doing within the industry and broader community.

“One of our key goals in holding these awards is to raise awareness of the high standards in health, safety, environmental management and community partnerships the Western Australian resources sector achieves,” Mr Smith said.

“The finalists have demonstrated outstanding work in leading the industry with innovative excellence and they are a credit to the minerals and energy sector.”

One of the department’s key goals in holding the awards is to raise awareness of the high standards in safety, environmental management and community partnerships the Western Australian resources sector accomplishes.

The consistently high standard of entries reflects the strong commitment resource companies and their local communities have when working together to achieve positive outcomes. This year's entries include a wide range of resource companies from across the State, ranging from the South-West to the Goldfields, Mid-West and Pilbara.
 

Awards
DMIRS presented the Safety and Health Sector Awards for the first time this year, with two of the three category winners focusing on the mental health and wellbeing of their workers.

Iluka Resources won the Systems and People category by partnering with Winston, a steer from Dardanup. The partnership is an innovative approach to raising awareness of mental health issues within the workforce, resources industry and wider community.

Fortescue Metals Group won the Safety Representatives category with the Safety Barometer, a means of understanding the impact of attitude and distraction on safety.

Rio Tinto took out the Engineering category for their rail-mounted working at heights platform, which addresses falling from heights, one of the top risks in the resources sector.

Now in its second year, the Community Partnership Resources Sector Award was taken out by a partnership with a long-term focus on cultural and community sustainability.

The winning entry of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Urban Landcare Group and Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines have worked together since 2005 to develop a number of key cultural, community and environmental awareness events to benefit the local community.

The prestigious Golden Gecko Award was presented to Hanson Construction Materials and Kings Park and Botanic Gardens for their restoration guide.

Using two decades of research, Banksia Woodlands – A Restoration Guide for the Swan Coastal Plain documents the new standard for mine site rehabilitation of Banksia Woodlands, and the winning project is actively sharing the knowledge within the industry and broader community.
 

2017 Awards for Excellence - full list of winners by region

Safety and Health Resources Sector Award
Engineering

• Winner – Rail-Mounted Working at Heights Platforms, Rio Tinto
• Certificate of Merit – Enhancing Electrical Safety Through DrawingBox, Aurecon
• Certificate of Merit – Drill of the Future, FORACO Australia
• Certificate of Merit – Elimination of excess temperature and high-risk levels of Legionella bacteria in eyewash safety showers, Heat Trap Solar Pty Ltd
• Certificate of Merit – Improving the Safety and Reliability of Distribution Power Lines, Rio Tinto
• Certificate of Merit – Safescape Edge Protector, Safescape

Systems and People

• Winner – Iluka Resources Winston Partnership, Iluka Resources (South West Operations)
• Certificate of Merit – Innovative technology to manage onsite inductions, Aglime of Australia
• Certificate of Merit – Onsite – Suicide Ideation Management, Fortescue Metals Group
• Certificate of Merit – Unmanned Aerial System for Abandoned Pit Lake Sampling at Tallering Peak, Mount Gibson Mining
• Certificate of Merit – Critical Risk Management – Fatality Elimination Program, Rio Tinto

Safety Representatives

• Winner – The Safety Barometer, Fortescue Metals Group
• Certificate of Merit – Scenario based learning, Fortescue Metals Group

Community Partnership Resources Sector Award

• Winner – KBULG and KCGM Environmental and Sustainability Partnership, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Urban LandCare Group and Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines
• Special Commendation – The Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation – Rio Tinto Partnership
• Certificate of Merit – The Wiluna Martu Ranger Program, Tarlka Matuwa Piarku Aboriginal Corporation, Central Desert Native Title Services, Land and Community and Northern Star Resources
• Certificate of Merit – Industry Road Safety Alliance South West – Shires of Boddington, Collie and Harvey, RoadWise, Main Roads WA, Road Safety Commission, WA Police, Department of Transport, Synergy, South 32 Worsley Alumina, Newmont Boddington Gold and Premier Coal
• Certificate of Merit – Swan Alcoa Landcare Program, Perth NRM and Alcoa of Australia

Golden Gecko Award

• Winner – Banksia Woodlands - A Restoration Guide for the Swan Coastal Plain, Hanson Construction Materials and Kings Park Botanic Gardens
• Certificate of Merit – Venturi Reverse Circulation Drilling Waste Removal System, Rio Tinto Iron Ore
• Certificate of Merit – Utilising Mining Technology for the Tracking and Management of Rehabilitation Materials, Roy Hill Holdings