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An inquiry into an explosion at a coal mine in Central Queensland has found the mine's gas drainage systems couldn't cope with the rate of production.
Key points:
- The Coal Mining Board of Inquiry has released its report into what caused a serious explosion
- It found production at the Grosvenor mine exceeded drainage capacity and exposed workers to unacceptable risk
- Operator Anglo American says it's committing $5 million to an underground mine research fund
Five miners were seriously injured in the blast at the Grosvenor Mine in May last year.
The Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry was set up to examine the cause of the blast and other methane exceedances at the underground mine between July 2019 and the day before the blast.
A series of public hearings spanning several weeks were held throughout 2020 and early 2021.
One of the injured workers, Wayne Sellars, spoke at the hearings, describing the horrifying event as like "standing in a blow torch".
Supplied: Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry
)Workers subject to 'unacceptable' risk
In a report released today, the Board found mine operator Anglo American failed to take meaningful action to control the hazard posed by the gas.
It also found spontaneous combustion had not been factored into risk assessments, and that no adjustment to production had been made to allow for the lack of capacity in gas drainage.
"There is a strong correlation between the mine's production rates and the occurrence of the HPIs [High Potential Incidents]," the report found.
The blast happened in a section of the mine called Long Wall 104 (LW 1014).
"Producing coal at a rate that consistently exceeds the capacity of the critical control of gas drainage subjects coal mine workers to an unacceptable level of risk.
ABC News: Jemima Burt
)Business announces research fund
CEO of Anglo American's Metallurgical Coal business, Tyler Mitchelson, said the company was already acting on the recommendations of the Board of Inquiry.
The company said it had invested $60 million in safety initiatives over the past year.
"We are today committing a further $5 million to fund underground mining research, in partnership with our industry research and technology partners, to improve the industry's knowledge in certain technical areas," Mr Mitchelson said in a statement.
"We have been clear from the outset that the incident on 6 May, 2020 in which five of our colleagues were badly injured was unacceptable."
"The safety of our workforce is always our first priority."