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A rare inquiry set up after last year’s horrific underground disaster at Anglo American’s Grosvenor mine is now finalising its investigation into the incident.
Since the hearings launched on March 9, the board has heard evidence from 15 witnesses including mining inspectors from Resources Safety and Health Queensland, industry experts and injured coal mine worker Wayne Sellars.
The hearings explored the Grosvenor mine disaster on May 6 2020 and the 27 methane exceedances that occurred at the mine between July 1 2019 and May 5 2020.
They also covered the role of the Mines Inspectorate and its response to high potential incidents.
An inquiry spokeswoman said the board was currently finalising its investigation and writing part two of its report.
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Subscriber only A worker injured in last year s blast at a Central Queensland mine will be the first to publicly speak about the disaster that left five men with serious burns injuries. He is expected to appear in person during Wednesday s Queensland Coal Mining Board of Inquiry hearing in Brisbane. Mr Sellars is expected to speak about last year s incident and answer any questions about it and related issues that board members ask him. It will be the first time one of the injured Grosvenor miners will open up about what happened at the mine on the day of the blast.
Anglo metallurgical coal business chief executive Tyler Mitchelson said the mining giant had explored every aspect of risk management in its underground mines, as well as automation and remote operation.
“As the largest underground metallurgical coal miner in Australia, we will continue to leverage our scale to find new ways of addressing safety risks, drawing on international best practice and technology development, to ensure our systems and processes extend beyond current industry best-practice,” Mr Mitchelson said.
“We have proactively responded to learnings from the Grosvenor incident and the board of inquiry and already have a significant body of work underway across our operations.
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Queensland’s Coal Mining Board of Inquiry is pushing ahead with a second tranche of hearings into last year’s Grosvenor Mine blast, with a list of witnesses set to be released in the coming days.
The second round of hearings will begin on Tuesday, March 9 2021 in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.
The hearings will explore high potential incidents of methane exceedances that occurred at Anglo American’s Grosvenor Mine between July 1, 2019 and May 5, 2020 as well as the May 6 blast that left five miners with serious burns injuries.
The inquiry began in August last year but faced delays.