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Earth resources
A snapshot of how people employed in the earth resources industry get injured at work, and tips to help prevent these types of injuries from occurring.
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Injury Hotspot skeleton diagram, text information below.
Hazards
- Hazard 1Exposure to dust fumes and silica
- Eliminate or minimise health risk by designing work and the workplace to prevent contact with the hazardous substance (for example, extraction and ventilation in underground environments).
- Provide dust capturing equipment in dust-producing processes.
- After blasting, stop people from entering the mine until it’s safe to do so.
- Ensure all controls are maintained.
- You may have to do air monitoring to determine employee and contractor exposure levels and undertake health surveillance. If you are not sure if there is a problem, get some assistance.
- Hazard 2Heavy lifting and pushing / pulling objects
- Provide appropriate mechanical aids and equipment (for example forklifts and carryalls).
- Ensure mechanical aids and equipment are used properly and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
- Where manual handling is required, locate frequently used objects at waist height and minimise lifting by reducing the size and/or weight of objects.
- Hazard 3Noise
- Ensure employees and contractors are not exposed to noise that exceeds the exposure standard (regulations in Victoria limit exposure to 85 decibels (dB) averaged over an 8-hour period with a maximum (peak) noise level of 140 dB). An example of this level of noise is where employees and contractors have to raise their voices to communicate over a distance of one metre.
- Arrange for a noise assessment if employees and contractors are exposed to noise that exceeds the exposure standard or where there is uncertainty about whether their exposure may have exceeded the noise exposure standard.
- First try to eliminate and then reduce the source of noise wherever possible. For example:
- enclose or isolate noisy machinery
- reduce vibration
- use barriers to absorb and screens to block the direct path of sound
- use silencers on air exhausts
- exhaust pneumatics out of the area
- buy the quietest tools/machinery available.
- Place warning signs in areas where noise is likely to exceed the exposure standard and hearing protection is required to be worn.
- Warn other employees and contractors nearby that you will be beginning noisy work and advise them to move away or wear hearing protection.
- Provide employees and contractors with the appropriate type of hearing protection by considering the nature of the noise, noise level, duration of noise and systems of work at the workplace, and ensure it is worn at all times.
- Separate noisy and quiet processes.
- Use job rotation to limit employee and contractor exposure.
- Provide employees and contractors with audiometric testing.
- Hazard 4Operating vehicles and plant
- Construct haulage roads with appropriate material type and size, and maintain roads.
- Regularly service and maintain vehicles to minimise vibration.
- Ensure vehicles/mobile plant are appropriate height for first step up.
- Ensure drivers are not fatigued or affected by drugs or alcohol.
- Hazard 5Psychosocial
- Psychosocial hazards are factors in the design or management of work that increase the risk of psychological or physical harm. Examples include:
- work-related violence
- work-related fatigue
- workplace bullying
- work-related gendered violence including sexual harassment
- violent or traumatic events
- remote and isolated work
- high and low job demands
- low job control
- poor support.
- Ensure systems are in place to identify, assess and control risks to psychological health in consultation with employees, contractors and any HSRs. Systems should include processes for regularly reviewing and revising risk control measures to ensure effectiveness.
- Consider the design and management of work. For example:
- Are employee and contractor tasks appropriate for skill level and experience?
- Do employees and contractors have adequate training, resources and support?
- Is workload allocated to ensure it is reasonable and appropriate to skillset?
- Do employees and contractors have clear roles and reporting lines?
- Ensure systems are in place for employees and contractors to report psychosocial hazards and risks. Employees and contractors should be confident their concerns will be addressed in a fair and timely manner.
- Provide employees and contractors with adequate support. For example, supervisory support, peer support and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
- Psychosocial hazards are factors in the design or management of work that increase the risk of psychological or physical harm. Examples include:
- Hazard 6Repetitive tasks
- Provide appropriate mechanical aids and equipment (for example, automatic in-feed, adjustable and ergonomically designed tools).
- Ensure mechanical aids and equipment are used properly and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
- Mechanise repetitive work such as drilling, hammering or pounding by using powered equipment.
- Ensure plant handles or controls are positioned for easy use.
- Ensure employees and contractors are not exposed to repetitive work for long periods (for example by using job rotation, work variation).
- Ensure employees and contractors are not exposed to work that requires a significant amount of high force for long periods.
- Provide employees and contractors with regular breaks.
- Hazard 7Slips trips and falls
- Provide adequate lighting for work areas and walkways.
- Regularly carry out ground inspection and maintenance, and housekeeping.
- Equip mobile plant with non-slip steps to prevent slips and falls.
- Ensure all stairs and steps have handrails.
- Hazard 8Using mechanical tools and equipment
- Provide appropriate mechanical tools and equipment.
- Ensure mechanical tools and equipment used and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
- Provide powered equipment for breaking and shifting drill rods.
- Ensure drill rods have appropriate guarding.
'If you are injured at work' poster
Employers must display an 'if you are injured at work' poster in every workplace. You can download and print a poster in English as well as Arabic, Chinese simplified, Chinese traditional, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.