The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy has announced that a retired judge or a Queens Counsel is to head an independent mine safety Board of Inquiry following serious injuries to five coal miners in an explosion.
The Minister for Mines, Anthony Lynham said the Board would be able to conduct public hearings, call witnesses and make broad inquiries, findings and recommendations relating to the underground gas explosion at Anglo-American’s Grosvenor coal mine outside Moranbah.
Dr Lynham said the gas explosion was something the industry had not experienced for more than quarter of a century.
“An underground gas explosion in a coal mine is simply unacceptable in the 21st century,” Dr Lynham said.
“As serious as it was, it could have been far worse, as every underground coal miner and their families know,” he said.
“The inquiries that followed the underground gas explosions at Moura changed mine safety in Queensland. This latest Board of Inquiry is an opportunity to continue this Government’s sweeping reforms to protect mine workers.”
He said the last Queensland mine gas explosion was at Moura No 2 in 1994, when 11 men died.
He said a Mining Warden’s Inquiry, the forerunner of Boards of Inquiry, made a number of recommendations, including around self-rescue apparatus for miners, training for managers, and requirements for safety and health management systems.
“The inquiry reports that followed those tragedies recommended safety measures that still protect mine workers today and that have, no doubt, prevented further incidents and saved lives over the past two decades,” Dr Lynham said.
“Queensland has the world’s toughest mine safety and health laws, more inspectors on the ground than a decade ago, and industrial manslaughter laws before the Parliament.”
He said the latest Board of Inquiry was an opportunity to continue reforms to protect mine workers.
A shortlist of Board of Inquiry members was being considered and terms of reference refined with an announcement expected by the end of the month, he said.
