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Aug 27, 2023

Miner receives traumatic injury while changing drill rod  

The NSW Resources Regulator has issued a safety alert after a miner lost his arm during a drill changeover on a jumbo drill rig. The incident occurred in an underground operation as the drill rig was

The NSW Resources Regulator has issued a safety alert after a miner lost his arm during a drill changeover on a jumbo drill rig.

The incident occurred in an underground operation as the drill rig was being used to conduct drilling, bolting, and meshing ground support at a metalliferous mine.

“The drilling offsider approached the front of the jumbo to load a drill rod on the right-hand boom when his left arm became entangled,” the Resources Regulator said.

“This resulted in the traumatic amputation of his left arm below the elbow. An emergency response was initiated with the drilling offsider being transported to the surface and airlifted to hospital for treatment.”

A recent investigation into the June incident revealed that the worker inserted a 3.7 metre drill steel into the boom without using the immobiliser switch, which meant that the machine was still rotating.

The Regulator’s investigation revealed the following:

Following the incident, the NSW Resources Regulator is giving clear direction to the mining industry that effective immobilisation controls must be in place for drill rigs.

The Regulator commends that mine operators ensure:

Effective policy and safety training should always the first point of call when it comes to keeping a workforce safe, but technology can also do some of the heavy lifting.

Automated machinery is at work in mine sites across the country, keeping operators out of harm’s way. Some autonomous drilling solutions can even manage automatic drill bit changes.

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