Explosives Inspectorate | Alert | No.118 V 1 | 09 October 2024
Dragline bucket initiates an unknown misfire - Video
What happened?
On 18 September 2024, while moving blasted overburden material at an open cut coal mine, a dragline contacted unknown remnants (a misfire) resulting in an unplanned initiation at the site.
How did it happen?
A planned firing of two separate overburden trim blasts occurred at a mine site in preparation for dragline stripping operations. The production planning schedule at this site required that a dragline begin stripping the overburden. During this process, the dragline bucket contacted an unknown misfire which caused the misfire to initiate.
No injuries were reported, however minor pitting damage occurred to the dragline’s windscreen.
Key issues
- Unplanned initiation of explosives is a critical hazard to the safety of all mine workers. Primers contain impact-sensitive explosives which can detonate when impacted by equipment and machinery.
- Unplanned initiation of explosives has the potential to harm people and damage equipment being struck by flyrock.
- The unknown misfire was not identified during explosives loading, tie-up or post-blast clearances conducted by the shotfirers.
Recommendations
The cause of the incident above is still under investigation, but similar incidents have resulted in the following recommendations:
- Tempered glass prevented further damage and injury to the dragline operator. It’s recommended sites consider fitting equipment with tempered glass windscreens where possible, that is suitable and able to withstand flyrock.
- Shotfirers are to keep accurate blast records including quantity and type of explosives used in the blast, identify non-conforming blast holes and possible strata concerns.
- Ensure post-blast inspections are properly conducted to identify areas of potential misfires as instructed in section 152 of the Queensland Explosives Regulation 2017.
- Consider using more technology like drones and cameras to assist with reviewing blast footage for potential misfires.
Investigations are ongoing and further information may be published as it becomes available. The information in this publication is what is known at the time of writing.
We issue Safety Notices to draw attention to the occurrence of a serious incident, raise awareness of risks, and prompt assessment of your existing controls.
References and further information
Queensland Explosives Act 1999
Queensland Explosives Regulation 2017
Australian Standard 2187 part 2 – Use of Explosives
Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999
Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2017
Contact: Explosives Inspectorate, Resources Safety and Health Queensland explosives@rshq.qld.gov.au
Issued by Resources Safety & Health Queensland
Security: This information is a guide only and is issued to promote security through experience. It is not to be taken as a statement of law and must not be construed to waive or modify any legal obligation.
General: This information is a guide only. It is not to be taken as a statement of law and must not be construed to waive or modify any legal obligation.
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