Draft guidelines aim to identify hazardous energies associated with fixed and mobile plant.
| Date: | Monday, 03 August 2015 |
|---|
Workers being exposed to hazardous energies continue to cause a significant number of fatal and serious injuries in Western Australia's minerals sector.
This is why a new draft guideline on isolating hazardous energies on the State's mine sites has been released for comment by the Department of Mines and Petroleum.
State Mining Engineer Andrew Chaplyn said the draft guideline was developed using input from attendees at the 2014 Mines Safety Roadshow.
"At the roadshows, we actively sought input from industry regarding the development of guidance on isolating hazardous energies in fixed and mobile plant," Mr Chaplyn said.
The guideline is structured to support a risk management approach to the isolation of hazardous energies.
"It aims to assist mining operations to develop safe systems of work for fixed and mobile plant," Mr Chaplyn said.
"Under normal operating conditions, workers are generally protected from contact with hazardous energy through the implementation and monitoring of hazard controls.
"However, normal operating conditions can be interrupted when work is required to install, test, clean, decommission, or clear obstructions from plant.
"It is important to identify and control potential exposures to hazardous energies during this work, such as the movement or operation of plant and materials, and contact with sources of energy."
The comment period ends at 12 noon on Friday 11 September and can be emailed to RSDComms@dmp.wa.gov.au
You can access the draft guideline here. When making specific comments please reference the applicable page number.
Comment sought on DMP’s draft isolation guideline.
