- Safety Performance
- Health Performance
- Communications
- Leadership
- Contractor Management
- Safety and Health Risk Management
- Emergency Response
- Safety Management System
- Health and Wellbeing
Emergency Response
Crisis management
A “crisis” is any event, excluding financial or marketing matters, that seriously threatens OZ Minerals’ people, operations, assets, environment, or long-term prospects and reputation.
During 2008 OZ Minerals developed a crisis management plan which outlines the roles, responsibilities and processes that the corporate Crisis Management Team (CMT) would follow in the event of a crisis event occurring. The team includes representatives covering operations, legal, commercial, safety, environment, community, media and government relations aspects of a crisis event.
Some examples of events requiring activation of the CMT include;
- Fatality, serious injury or entrapment
- Large fire or explosion
- Significant material release or marine incident
- Natural disasters
- Kidnap or significant security incident
A quick reference guidebook was produced and issued to all members of the CMT, and an exercise is planned for 2009 to test the plan and supporting processes.
Emergency response
We must be adequately prepared to respond to all potential emergency situations at our operations effectively and in a timely manner. Each of our operations maintains a fully-staffed mine rescue team on-call, which is trained in numerous emergency disciplines such as fire fighting, search and rescue, first aid, vehicle extraction, vertical rope rescue and long-duration breathing apparatus.
Our rescue crews are trained to work in close co-operation with experienced mine incident controllers whilst carrying out emergency operations such as making explorations ahead of fresh air to reach trapped people or to look for and extinguish fires. Each rescue team has a structured annual training program that is designed using internal instructors, complemented as required by emergency training professionals.
The following table outlines the emergency response (ER) resources available to each OZ Minerals operation
OZ Minerals recognises that skills maintenance is a very important aspect of our emergency preparedness. During 2008, a number of our mine rescue teams participated in rescue competitions through out Australia with some good results. Group Office also provided an adjudicator for the 2008 Victorian Mine Rescue Competition.
Sepon emergency response: SX plant fire
Members of Sepon’s Emergency Response Team
SX Plant at Sepon
On the 27 May 2008 at 3.30am, a fire broke out in the electro-winning tank house at the Sepon copper plant in Laos. Sepon’s emergency processes were activated and the operation’s emergency response personnel extinguished the fire some two hours later.
There were no injuries to any personnel during the incident or response thereafter. The resulting plant and roof damage was substantial and led to a production interruption of 10 days. Partial production was restored on Saturday, 7 June with the ramp up to full production completed on the 10 June 2008.
OZ Minerals personnel undertook a full investigation using the Incident Cause Analysis Method (ICAM).
The investigation found that the fire started as a result of maintenance work being conducted on crane rails within the SX plant building on the previous day. The maintenance operation required the use of hot work, the sparks from this activity landed on a wooden beam. The fire smouldered slowly until noticed by plant personnel early the following morning.