Mine operators are being urged to review their safety procedures following two separate serious incidents earlier this month involving mobile plant and conveyor equipment.

In the first case, a scraper at an open cut coal mine in New South Wales rolled onto its roof after the ground beneath it gave way while it was filling with gravel. The machine slid approximately three metres down a stockpile before overturning. The operator, who was wearing a seatbelt, escaped through the front windscreen using the emergency exit and sustained a minor injury.

In its incident report, the NSW Resources Regulator recommended that supervisors and equipment operators inspect and assess work areas before starting operations, particularly for hazards such as unstable ground or the risk of material collapse.

It advised that the operating environment should be checked to ensure: the ground is stable and free of faults or soft spots, no moisture is present beneath the surface, and work is not carried out close to edges or disturbed ground.

The regulator also stated that the incident underpinned the importance of seatbelts as a critical mitigating control during mobile plant rollovers.

In the second incident, an operator walking a longwall conveyor belt identified a 300mm flame and a glowing hot return roller. The operator then stopped the belt and doused the roller with water, according to the regulator. The roller had been installed to flatten the belt line for improved scraper contact.

Responding to the incident, the NSW Resources Regulator advised that mine operators must have systems in place to identify and replace defective conveyor rollers. It further recommended that installations of return rollers take into account high belt tensions, speeds, and deflection distances to prevent early failure.

The regulator also reminded operators that personnel conducting conveyor inspections should be alert to fire risks, including build-up of material, failing or collapsed idlers, and any contact between belts and fixed structures.