PEABODY MINES HONORED FOR SAFETY INNOVATIONS
At the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference, the Centurion Mine was recognized as a finalist in the Innovation category for its industry-first solution: incorporating pre-existing LiDAR technology to design a Surface-to-Seam Torpedo Probe dubbed LiDAR Torpedo Probe.
In 2018, an underground fire at the Centurion Mine Complex (formerly North Goonyella) required operations to halt. The mine was evacuated and no one was injured, but critical risk assessments were needed underground before humans could safely enter for reconnaissance works. This posed a significant challenge to site management, as it was necessary to have quality images to complete a portion of the risk assessment.
Through deployment of the LiDAR Torpedo Probe, the information was collected to complete the risk assessment. This work ensured roadway seals were constructed correctly from the surface, and the mine could be reopened safely, among many other achievements.
Continuing Peabody’s tradition of excellence and innovation in safety practices, the Metropolitan Mine was recognized at the NSW Mining Health, Safety, Environment & Community Awards where it received the Health Excellence Award for its innovative Spring Panther system.
Spring Panther is a low-cost, high-return initiative combining a spring balancer with a lightweight monorail system to eliminate substantial manual handling risks from using hand bolters. Previously, the workforce at Metropolitan manually operated heavy hand bolters to carry out highly repetitive daily tasks. Consequently, there were negative effects on the quality of life of our workforce including increased muscle tension and related ailments as well as the flow on affects to productivity and costs.
Spring Panther addresses the necessity to modernize practices and protect workers from acute and chronic injuries, while benefiting production by cutting costs from injury payouts and lost labor.