Australia s Whitehaven Coal
said on Monday fourth-quarter output was impacted by a labour
crunch and equipment overhaul at its key Narrabri mine, but a
stronger sequential performance helped the coal.
Governance questions gush from drilling bill spat
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Disaster can strike in many ways when drilling hundreds of metres down for minerals and metals such as gold or coal.
A man can suffer serious spinal injuries when a 270-kilogram drill rod falls on him, oil can spray over hot exhaust when a rig hydraulic line ruptures, a worker can lose his arm when his jacket entangles in rotating rods.
Nathan Mitchell with a rig during the boom times in 2009.
Glenn Hunt
There is even a 68-page code of practice published by Western Australia’s Department of Mines and Petroleum outlining ways to prevent such historical horrors.