Beaconsfield Rescue

[Smabb]

I thought a few people might want to discuss this?

Incredible turn of events and amazing achievement to all involved getting those 2 blokes out and in reasonable health at that.

Had a beer (Smabb "White Tail") to celebrate last night.

[NTRabbit]

I wonder how many generations it would take before there became noticeable differences in physiology, specifically those which are of great benefit, in miners with extended miner antecedents in all sections of their family tree.

[Dogger Dan]

Always a good day when you can back to roof.

I almost cried when I heard the news. Two thumbs up

Dogger

[yardglass]

AWU mutterings on the grapevine say it has a horrendous safety record and is not long for this world.

i've mates who work underground (coal), their current view is that safety is taking a back seat to production because of the big push on atm.

[Beerpig]

Maybe a dark ale to celebrate the rescue?

Cheers

[ACTbrewer]

I knew Brant Webb when I was in Bowen (Nth Qld), he was heading off to live in Tassie then. Top guy. What an amazing survival story, and full marks if they can both cash in on the experience.

[NTRabbit]

Seems to me that a lot of people (ie media) are forgetting that, unlike their gig at the anchors desk, mining is actually an inherently dangerous occupation.

[Beerpig]

No occupation is worth a life

Well done to the rescue team & the blokes who got out

Let's hope that lives were not put at risk because of greed

Cheers

[ACTbrewer]

Now thanks to little Johnny, any worker who doesn't want to accept dangerous conditions and less pay can be sacked even more easily.

[r.magnay]

Don't think that is an issue at all ACTbrewer, like many jobs now the workers get a pretty reasonable quid............if they are prepared to work, and the shortage of blokes who are willing to work means that the ones who do, do OK, and that is partly to do with the new IR policies rather than in spite of them. But all that aside, I spent some time working underground in a gold mine as a mine sparky, bloody good money but I hated not seeing the sun for a couple of weeks at a time, I have always worked outside and in the bush, so being underground didn't suit me, but many of the blokes I worked with had done it all their working lives, and though there is an element of danger in the job non of them seemed to acknowledge it too much, and indeed after some time I must admit I got a bit the same. Miners are a pretty close knit mob, whenever a new bloke came to the site, he knew at least a couple of blokes from some other mine and so on, when those blokes got out everyone felt pretty good, but I reckon if you have ever worked down there it meant something even more special.

[yardglass]

you're right Ross, there is good coin to be made atm, you don't necessarily have to go UG to get it though.

[r.magnay]

No Yardy you don't, I was refering to anybody who is prepared to do a days toil, not suggesting that office Johnny's don't earn their quid, but the distinct lack of tradesman and labourers is what has pushed up the amount you can get. I am a self employed sparks, but I have heard that the Mount Isa mines is paying ..................wait for it............$100.00 an hour for sparkies because they just can't get them! That is in the plant I believe, so you are above ground. As for mining being a dangerous job, well I s'pose it is, but I would be interested to know the figures regarding mining accidents as opposed to things like Truck driving, construction work and even agriculture. It is a few years now since I left the mines, but the OH&S bs that is around now was already well and truly in place when I left, and the few accidents that happened while I was there, thankfully all minor, could only be blamed on the people involved, mainly through ignoring the safety rules that were in place.

[ACTbrewer]

"Mining deaths in Australia have risen to an average of 27 per year since 1988. In 1996-97, a total of 33 miners were killed.
This is still too high. It's possible, he says, to get mining accidents down to zero fatalities a year.

Most mining accidents are caused through the miner being inattentive for some reason or other. It could be stress, due to a relationship problem for example, or they could be under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Or they could simply be exhausted. The mining industry is under increased pressure to compete more effectively globally, and one of the ways companies have responded is to introduce longer shifts, with more days off. It's not uncommon for miners to work 24-hour shifts. Irregular work and sleep patterns are associated with increased work-related fatigue, decreased alertness and increased risk of accidents, especially in the early morning hours."
http://www.abc.net.au/health/regions/fe ... efault.htm

Good point about truckies R.M, I suppose you would have to look at the number of men underground each day compared to truckies on the road. Any occupation that uses big machinery, or dangerous equipment, becomes potentially deadly when you are tired.
What I am concerned about is men who might look at a situation or condition ( ie boss says work a very long shift,or use this piece of dodgy equipment), and if they decide to choose their safety over the dollar, then they can be sacked far more easily. Those men used to be protected better through the unions.
Yes there probably always will be someone else willing to take that job, but that still doesn;t make the woprkplace any safer, and as Beerpig said, no amount of profit for a company is worth a life.

[yardglass]

As for mining being a dangerous job, well I s'pose it is, but I would be interested to know the figures regarding mining accidents as opposed to things like Truck driving, construction work and even agriculture.

Ross,

I should have been more specific, i'm in Construction for the Mining Ind in CQ, what i meant was that i have mates who go UG and (IMO) put themselves at risk far more than myself and our earnings are comparable.



It is a few years now since I left the mines, but the OH&S bs that is around now was already well and truly in place when I left, and the few accidents that happened while I was there, thankfully all minor, could only be blamed on the people involved, mainly through ignoring the safety rules that were in place.


Sometimes it's bloody difficult to do your job with all the Safety BS, we have TWO Safety Officers on site.
One of these blokes will pull you up through the course of the day with the most ridiculous 'potential hazard' scenarios.
If you don't satisfy this dickhead with the correct procedure to 'Identify', 'Reduce' or 'Eliminate' his Scenario you get the slapped wrist and a chat from the Supervisor.
Similar to a lot of the blokes on Site, i've been in my Trade for almost 20yrs without killing anyone or losing a limb.

apologies for the rant but anyone in the game will go along with me.

[r.magnay]

Your on the money Yardy, I think we pretty much agree with the way things are.

Yeah ACT,
I hear what you are saying, but all too often the blame is put on the gov. or the bosses when a lot of the time it is just plain stupidity, a small example is safety glasses, it is, or at least was a sackable offence to not wear them at all times underground, but one day I revved up a young fitter in the workshop for not wearing his glasses while angle grinding on a bogger, now those of you who have been in the industry will realize that things get pretty rusty and corroded down there so how bloody stupid is that? The worst part of all that is, even though the company supplied as many pairs of glasses as you might need, and made it a sackable offence for not wearing them, if someone got inured without their glasses on it was still the bosses fault!!! Don't be too quick to blame the bloke who gives you the job in the first place, we are not still in the early 1900's you know.

[ACTbrewer]

No, you can't legislate for stupidity, and I think most people are smart enough to protect themselves. I do think the fear of being sued has made the world go crazy, but I am still very wary of corporates who care more about their shareholder profits than the safety of the men who might be getting it for them. It's all balance I suppose. Anyway be very interesting to see what become of the Beaconsfield inquiry.

[Ash]

I'm damn glad they're out but I'm wondering if the Beaconsfield will be a ghost town in 5 years now....

No, you can't legislate for stupidity, and I think most people are smart enough to protect themselves.

Are you really sure of that? I think the gene pool needs a hell of a lot more chlorine these days.

I do think the fear of being sued has made the world go crazy, but I am still very wary of corporates who care more about their shareholder profits than the safety of the men who might be getting it for them. It's all balance I suppose. Anyway be very interesting to see what become of the Beaconsfield inquiry.

I think it's the smaller outfits where this is more of an issue, not the really big guys.

I did a bit of looking into who actually owns (company wise) Beaconsfield & it appeared they were their own entity (Couldn't find reference to BHP or MIM owning them for example, please correct me if I'm wrong)

I know locally QNI & Sun Metals are absolutely anal about OH&S, but a smaller unnamed company formerly in the area was pretty lax on it.

What I'm getting at is the bigger the company, the more money they can throw around, the more govt attention they will get & the less penny pinching the directors/management will be (because they can't get away with it).

My 2.2c (Inc GST)


ps: Hope I'm not stepping on any toes, being new here & all. Feel free to correct me on anything, I'm only a young bloke after all & don't profess to know everything.

[r.magnay]

That Ash, sounds pretty close to the money as well ol' mate.........or in your case young mate. The biggest problem we have in Australia these days..............again, in my opinion, is that too many people, in too many places try to find someone else to blame for everything that goes wrong ............... except perhaps if you stuff up a brew,.not enough people will be accountable for their actions, and that goes from kids at school right through to the blokes running the show up the top.

And one other thing.........half your bloody luck that you're only young!!!

[Tipsy]

Mineing is a dangerous occupation, but you get paid pretty well.
Is this over simplifying it?

Shit how do you spell simply fi ing

[WSC]

What ever your view on this Channel 9 and Eddie Maguire are trying to milk this.....the footy show last nite made me nearly throw up.

Commercialism gone made...very transparent.

Yeah two blokes, lived but one died. Bit of respect from the media wouldn't go astray. You can't just shout beers at a pub act like your everyone's best mate and buy me out Eddie!

Anyway that's off my chest now.