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27 July, 2009
ICEM affiliate the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), this month, has stepped up its campaign for improved safety and health conditions for its members, working at BHP Billiton’s operations in Western Australia. The concerns follow two rockslides at the Leinster mine in a month.
Workers refused to work in the unsafe conditions until the mine had been officially declared safe. West Australia Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore had “serious safety concerns” for the entire site; the Minister raised the possibility that the Perseverance mine could be closed on safety grounds. “I have asked the state mining engineer to give me his professional advice whether there is reason to stop the Perseverance mine from continuing operations.”
The moral of workers at the site was reported to be low. “The crew are not in a good state of mind and are traumatised,” stated one mineworker.
The first rock fall, on 10 June, triggered by a small tremor, brought down 500 tonnes of rock. Twenty-five tonnes of the rock fell close to a worker, Jason Rose, who was trapped more than a kilometre below ground for 16 hours
The July rock fall was triggered by a seismic tremor, up to ten times more severe than that of the previous month. A driller was trapped underground for more than two hours, and another was injured
AMWU secretary Steve McCartney said that these incidents added to a long string of safety problems at BHP mines. He added that repeated calls by the union to local government, to improve mine safety in Western Australia, had been ignored.
Five BHP employees have been killed in the last 10 months on the company’s iron ore sites in the Pilbara region, in the north of Western Australia. There are disproportionally more accidents at BHP Billiton mines, in the state, than at mines run by other companies.
Further safety concerns over BHP workers at the Leinster nickel mine have been worrying the AMWU and ICEM. It has emerged that when workers return home for their break, the majority drive long distances after 18 hours without sleep. This is equivalent to taking the road with a blood alcohol level over the limit. The company acknowledge the danger but have refused to change the shift times, or flight times home back to Perth.
“It seems that the workers at Leinster are not only subjected to safety problems at work but this latest information shows they are also at risk on their way home,” AMWU Secretary McCartney said.