T ansac ions o he VŠB - Technical uni e si y o Os a a
Sa e y Enginee ing Se ies
Vol. VII, No. 2, 2012
20
HEALTH & SAFETY PRACTICES IN THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN
MINING INDUSTRY
Janis JANSZ1
1 Cu in Uni e si y, Facul y o Heal h Sciences, Depa men o Heal h, Sa e y & En i onmen , Wes e n Aus alia,
[email p o ec ed]
In oduc ion
The i s mine s in Aus alia
The wo d ‘Abo igines’ comes om he La in
wo ds ab o igine which mean ‘ om he beginning’.
In Aus alia i is hough ha he o iginal human
inhabi an s we e a small s a ue (less han 1 ½ me e s
all), da k skinned, cu ly hai ed, Neg i o ace ha a e
called he Ba inean people. These Neg i o people
came om Asia (India, Bu ma, Thailand, Cambodia
and Vie nam) in 2 wa es o mig a ion. The i s g oup
we e known as he Ka an cul u al g oup as hey
we e i s iden i i ed on he island o Ka a (which is
now called Kanga oo Island). The second g oup o
mig a e a e called he Ta gangan cul u al g oup as
hey we e i s iden i i ed on he island o Ta anga
in he Mu ay Ri e in Sou h Aus alia. This Neg i o
ace o people s ill li es in he A he on ableland
jungles o no he n Queensland. They we e common
in Tasmania when he i s Eu opean se le s came o
Aus alia (Tindale and Geo ge, 1973).
The nex wa e o se le s o come o Aus alia
was a ace o ai skinned, medium build, people
wi h s aigh hai who came om Asia. This ace
o people is called he Mu ayian. They we e gi en
his name by he Eu opean se le s as his ace o
people was i s ound o be li ing along he banks
o he Mu ay Ri e . The Mu ayian people mainly
li ed in he sou he n pa s o Aus alia and ook hei
land om he Neg i o ace o people. The Mu yian
ace o people is hough o be ela ed o he Ainu
Abo igines o Japan. The nex wa e o people o
se le in Aus alia was he Ca pen a ians. This ace
o people came om Asia. They a e all, hin, ha e
da k b own skin, cu ly hai and se led in he land
in he no he n pa s o Aus alia. The Ca pen a ians
a e hough o be ela ed o he Veddas people o S i
Lanka (Tindale and Geo ge, 1973).
Collec i ely he Ba inean, Mu ayian and
Ca pen a ian people in Aus alia a e called
Abo igines. The h ee dis inc aces o people we e
con o med in 1938 h ough he esea ch wo k o J.
Bi dsell o Ha a d Uni e si y in he Uni ed S a es
o Ame ica and No man Tindale om he Sou h
Aus alian Museum and he Uni e si y o Adelaide
in Sou h Aus alia. Toge he hese wo esea che s
made a de ailed analy ical s udy o he acial
cha ac e is ics o Abo igines in Aus alia a o e
100 i eld s a ions. When Cap ain James Cook came
o Aus alia in 1770 he e we e some 590 sepa a e
Abo iginal T ibes, each wi h hei own language,
cus oms, belie s and home land. Family g oups, o
15 o 40 people, (called a ho de), joined oge he
as a g oup o o m a ibe o ela ed people. Each
ibe usually had a abou 500 membe s (Tindale and
Geo ge, 1973).
F om when hey i s a i ed in Aus alia he
Abo iginal people we e mine s. Owne ship o
each mine es ed wi h he ho de o people on
whose land he mine was loca ed. Access o each
mine was only allowed i he land owne s ga e
pe mission. The main i ems mined we e ocks and
och e. Och e is i on oxide ha is used o eligious
ce emonies and o a wo ks. The ocks mined
we e used o make implemen s o ga he , o kill, o
o s o e ood. Rocks mined included “amphiboli e,
andesi e, basal , blue me al, chalcedony, che ,
diabase, g ani e, g eens one, g eywacke, i ons one,
limes one, muds one, obsidian, po phy y, qua z,
Resea ch a icle
p. 20 - 26, DOI 10.2478/ 10281-012-0015-8
Abs ac : This a icle aces he his o y o heal h and sa e y p ac ices in he Wes e n Aus alian
mining indus y om he mining pe o med by he Abo iginal people o he mining
indus y wo k in 2012. I iden i i es he success s a egies ha ha e made he Wes e n
Aus alian mining indus y a wo ld leade in ha ing a high s anda d o wo kplace heal h
and sa e y p ac ices.
Key wo ds: Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y, Occupa ional Sa e y and Heal h, Educa ion.
T ansac ions o he VŠB - Technical uni e si y o Os a a
Sa e y Enginee ing Se ies
Vol. VII, No. 2, 2012
21
qua zi e, sands one, silc e e, silici i ed s one,
sil s one and achy e” (Mine al Resou ces, 2007).
Ce ain membe s in each ho de we e p o ided wi h
educa ion on how o co ec ly and sa ely ex ac
he esou ces om hei mine. A his ime wo ke
sa e y and heal h in he mining indus y was bo h
an indi idual and a ho de esponsibili y. Abo iginal
people we e he i s p o essional mine s in Aus alia
(Mine al Resou ces, 2007).
In some pa s o Aus alia mining was women’s
wo k. Fo example “Och e om nea Moun
Rowlands in Tasmania was mined by Abo iginal
women using s one hamme s and wooden chisels.
The och e was hen packed in kanga oo-skin bags
o anspo ” (Mine al Resou ces, 2007).
In o he pa s o Aus alia he mine s we e men.
Fo example:
The Wilgie Mai mine eas o Ge ald on in
Wes e n Aus alia was a majo ope a ion wi h a
mining ace o be ween 30 and 15 me es wide and
up o 20 me es deep. The ed and yellow och e
om he mine was exca a ed by men using hea y
s one mauls and i e-ha dened wooden wedges up
o hal a me e long. Pole sca olding was e ec ed
o wo king a di e en heigh s. Se e al housand
onnes o ock we e emo ed om his mine. Wilgie
Mai is conside ed ‘a place o abulous weal h’ by
Abo igines in he wes and och e om he mine was
used in a huge a ea o Wes e n Aus alia and may
ha e been ca ied as a as Queensland (Mine al
Resou ces, 2007).
Abo iginals mine s we e impo an people o
hei ho de and mine als ade was essen ial o he
economy o he ibe. Mos o he Abo iginal mines
we e open cu . The e we e a ew unde g ound mines,
such as he l in mine a Koonalda in Sou h Aus alia
ha ex ends 75 me es below he su ace and up 300
me es om he en ance o a ca e. In 2007 he New
Sou h Wales Depa men o P ima y Indus ies had a
eco d o 416 Abo iginal mines in Queensland, New
Sou h Wales and Vic o ia (Mine al Resou ces, 2007).
The Abo iginal popula ion in 1770, when
Cap ain Cook a i ed in Aus alia, was abou
300,000 people. On 30 h June 2006 ( he la es
census in o ma ion a ailable) he Aus alian Bu eau
o S a is ics (Aus alian Bu eau o S a is ics, 2010;
Aus alian Bu eau o S a is ics 2012) epo ed ha
Abo iginal people we e 2.5% o he Aus alian
popula ion and numbe ed 517,000 people. O his
popula ion o Abo iginal people 32% li ed in majo
ci ies, 43% li ed in coun y owns and 25% li ed
in emo e a eas. The Chambe o Mine als and
Ene gy o Wes e n Aus alia eco ds ha in Wes e n
Aus alia in 2012 Aus alian Abo iginal people
make up 4.2% o he mining indus y wo k o ce
(i.e. he e a e 3,816 Abo iginal male and emale
mine wo ke s).
Ma e ials and me hods
Recen mining ac i i ies in Aus alia
The nex wa e o se le s o come o Aus alia
was people om B i ain. On 13 May, 1787, ele en
ships, ca ying abou 1,530 people (736 con ic s,
17 con ic s' child en, 211 ma ines, 27 ma ines'
wi es, 14 ma ines' child en and abou 300 o i ce s
and o he s) unde he command o Cap ain A hu
Phillip, se sail o Bo any Bay in New Sou h Wales,
Aus alia. A ew days a e a i al a Bo any Bay he
new a i als om B i ain mo ed o Po Jackson
whe e a se lemen was es ablished a Sydney Co e
on 26 Janua y 1788 (F os , 2011). These people we e
no mine s. A eason o his was ha English law
(which uled hese se le s) demanded ha any gold
o sil e ound became he p ope y o he C own
(English Mona ch). Unlike he Abo iginal people o
he ime hese se le s could no p o i om mining
o mine al i nds.
Unlike some o he pa s o Aus alian, Sou h
Aus alia had ee se le s, no con ic s, as Eu opean
se le s. The i s mining by people o Eu opean
decen in Aus alia occu ed in Sou h Aus alia. In
Sou h Aus alia in 1841 lead was i s mined in he
Glen Osmond Hills. In 1842 coppe was i s mined
a Kapunda and in 1945 a Bu a Bu a in Sou h
Aus alia (Aus alian mining his o y, 2012).
In 1840 many people o Eu opean decen le
New Sou h Wales o go o Cali o nia in he Uni ed
S a es o Ame ica o mine o gold. To e e se his
end o Eu opean decen se le s lea ing Aus alia
he New Sou h Wales go e nmen o e ed a ewa d
o he disco e y o payable gold in Aus alia. The
ewa d was claimed in 1851 by Edwa d Ha g a es
(5,000 pounds), John Lis e (500 pounds) and
William Tom (500 pounds). F om his ime onwa ds
mine s in Aus alia we e allowed o keep he p o i s
om hei mining wo k and mining became an
impo an indus y in Aus alia (Aus alian mining
his o y, 2012).
The i s comme cial mining in Wes e n Aus alia
began in 1898 wi h coal mining a Collie. This was
ollowed in 1891 by gold mining in he Mu chison
dis ic ; in 1892 by gold mining a Coolga die and
in 1893 by gold mining in Kalgoo lie. In 1943 la ge
scale mining o asbes os began a he Wi enoom
Go ge. In 1951 i on o e mining a bo h Koolan
and Cocka oo Islands commenced in he no h o
Wes e n Aus alia. In 1953 oil mining began in he
Exmou h Gul o Wes e n Aus alia. In 1963 bauxi e
p. 20 - 26 , DOI 10.2478/ 10281-012-0015-8
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mining commenced in he Da ling Ranges. In 1969
nickel mining began a Moun Winda a (Aus alian
mining his o y, 2012; Depa men o Mines and
Pe oleum, 2012b). In 2012 Wes e n Aus alia has
90,856 people wo king in 513 comme cial mine al
p ojec s, 893 ope a ing mine si es, 64 ope a ing oil
and gas i elds and has 140 explo a ion manage s
helping o iden i y new mining oppo uni ies in
Wes e n Aus alia (Resou ces Indus y T aining
Council, 2010; Depa men o Mines and Pe oleum,
2012b). In he 2011 calenda yea he Wes e n
Aus alian mining indus y was wo h $107 billion
(Depa men o Mines and Pe oleum, 2012a).
Majo p oduc s mined in Wes e n Aus alia
include: I on O e, Gold, Alumina, Lead, Sil e ,
Coppe , Vanadium, Coal, Oil and gas, Nickel,
Mine als Sands, Clays, Sal , Diamonds, Cobal ,
Ch omi e, Manganese, Talc, Gypsum, Pegma i e,
Limes one, Manganese, Molybdenum, Tin, Ra e
ea hs, Phospha e, Tan alum, Li hium, U anium,
Zinc, Silica - silica sand (Resou ces Indus y
T aining Council, 2010).
In 1902 he Wes e n Aus alian School o Mines
(WASM) was ounded in Kalgoo lie as a e ia y
educa ion school o p o ide wo k ela ed educa ion
o people who planned o wo k in he Mining
indus y. Un il 1969 his mining educa ional acili y
was managed by he Wes e n Aus alian Depa men
o Mines. In 1969 managemen o his School
was ans e ed o he Wes e n Aus alian Ins i u e
o Technology which in 1987 became Cu in
Uni e si y. The cu en Di ec o o he Wes e n
Aus alian School o Mines is P o esso S e e Hall.
The cu en Di ec o o he Wes e n Aus alian
Mines Sa e y B anch and S a e Mining Enginee
wi h Resou ces Sa e y ( he mining go e nmen
egula o y au ho i y), Simon Ridge, is a g adua e
o he Wes e n Aus alian School o Mines. Bo h o
hese men, who a e leade s in he Wes e n Aus alian
mining indus y in 2012, ha e a s ong ocus on
imp o ing, and in main aining imp o emen s, in
mining and mine al explo a ion heal h and sa e y
p ac ices.
Resul s
Heal h and sa e y in he Wes e n
Aus alian mining indus y
In he 1800s and 1900s in Wes e n Aus alia
mine s we e a i s indi idual p ospec o s who
we e esponsible o hei own sa e y and heal h.
Indi idual mining was g adually eplaced wi h
company mining as a mo e p o i able way o
conduc ing mining. Below a e he a ali y s a is ics
o he Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y o he
ea ly 1990s.
Tab. 1 Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y a ali ies
1901 - 1918 (Gil oy, 2012).
O e he yea s wo kplace heal h and sa e y has
imp o ed in he Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y
as is demons a ed in he ollowing g aph.
Fig. 1 Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y a ali ies
pe 1,000 employees om he 1950s o he 2000s
(Gil oy, 2012).
This imp o emen in wo kplace heal h and
sa e y o mine s in Wes e n Aus alia was b ough
abou by he combina ion o many ac o s ha
included imp o ed mining indus y heal h and
sa e y laws, en o cemen o hese laws and he
o ma ion o he Mining and Resou ce Con ac o s
T aining Associa ion which p o ides gene ic heal h
and sa e y induc ion educa ion o people be o e
hey wo k in he mining indus y and e eshe
heal h and sa e y aining o ongoing and upda ing
wo k ela ed heal h and sa e y educa ion o mine
wo ke s.
In 1981 he alue o mine al p oduc ion in
Wes e n Aus alia was B$2.692 p oduced in he
main by i e sec o s (Depa men o Mines, 1981).
Tab. 2 Mine al p oduc ion in Wes e n Aus alia in
1981
p. 20 - 26, DOI 10.2478/ 10281-012-0015-8
Yea Fa ali ies Wo k o ce Inciden a e pe
1,000 wo ke s
1901 45 16,755 2.68
1902 39 17,525 2.22
1903 42 17,329 2.46
1918 23 17,790 2.95
$m’s Employees
Bauxi e/Alumina 548 3378
I on O e 1,129 11,847
Nickel 324 3,141
Gold 153 2,147
Coal 68 962
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Employmen in he mining sec o was 24,063
mine s wi h 21,620 employed on he su ace and
2,443 unde g ound (Depa men o Mines, 1981).
By 1988/89 he alue o p oduc ion had inc eased o
B$7.90 which included pe oleum p oduc s alued
a M$69.6.
Tab. 3 Mine al p oduc ion in Wes e n Aus alia in
1988/9
In 1988/89 employmen in he mining sec o was
30,332 mine s wi h 27,558 employed on he su ace
and 2,774 unde g ound. The ema kable inc ease
in gold p oduc ion, occasioned by an escala ing
inc ease in alue, saw he eme gence o con ac ing
o ganisa ions usually es ablished by senio employees
o co po a ions who g asped he oppo uni y o
imp o e hei immedia e and u u e p ospec s. In
2012 in Wes e n Aus alia 70% o he mining wo k
o ce a e employed by con ac o companies.
In 1999 he incumben Labo Go e nmen ga e
no ice o i s in en ion o in oduce Robens - ype
occupa ional heal h and sa e y legisla ion o he
Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y which would
equi e employe s o co-ope a e and consul wi h
employees in he implemen a ion o heal h and
sa e y policies and p ocedu es in he wo kplace.
Employe esponse o he Go e nmen ’s p oposals
was ini ially nega i e as i was conce ned a he
po en ial o inc eased indus ial ac i i y by unions
esul ing om he appoin men and empowe men
o heal h and sa e y ep esen a i es.
The Occupa ional Heal h and Sa e y Ac was
p oclaimed in Wes e n Aus alia 1984 and, al hough
he mining sec o con inued o ope a e unde he
Mines Regula ion Ac , he e was a clea in en ion
by Go e nmen o ul ima ely b ing mining unde
he gene al indus y legisla ion. An al e na i e
was o amend he Mines Regula ion Ac o e l ec
he occupa ional heal h and sa e y p inciples
applying o all o he indus ies. In an icipa ion
o his ine i abili y he mining indus y began o
in oduce some o he p inciples o he Robens- ype
legisla ion in o i s p ocedu es and p ac ices and
also began o wo k mo e closely wi h i s egula o y
au ho i y in he d a ing o legisla ion ha e l ec ed
he Occupa ional Heal h and Sa e y Ac 1984 o
Wes e n Aus alia, and he conside able numbe o
egula ions necessa y o e l ec he legisla i e in en .
In 1989/90 he sa e y pe o mance o he indus y
was acknowledged as unaccep able wi h a se ious
inju y a e o 19 pe 1,000 employees and a mino
inju ies a e o 48 pe 1,000 employees. Fa ali ies
a ha ime had isen o an ala ming le el o almos
20 pe annum, occu ing mainly in me alli e ous
unde g ound mines. Con ac o s who we e ca ying
ou much o he wo k we e coming unde close
egula o y a en ion a his ime and we e equen ly
accused o ope a ing wi h inadequa e sa e y p ac ices
and p ocedu es.
The con o e sy ega ding he in oduc ion
o heal h and sa e y ep esen a i es and he
empowe men o he wo k o ce ollowing he
p oclama ion o he Occupa ional Heal h and Sa e y
Ac in 1984 was a signi i can ac o in gene a ing
a posi i e change o a i ude in he mining sec o .
Today in he Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y
he e a e 1,920 Sa e y and Heal h Rep esen a i es
(Ho, 2012). These Heal h and Sa e y Rep esen a i e
ha e had a majo in l uence in allowing employees
o be in ol ed in imp o ing he wo kplace, wo k
p ocess and people’s ac ions in ela ion o wo k
ela ed heal h and sa e y.
Awa e o he commi men o he Go e nmen o
inco po a e Robens- ype p inciples in o he mining
legisla ion, he Chambe o Mines es ablished
an Occupa ional Heal h and Sa e y Commi ee
which me o he i s ime on 1 Augus 1983. The
pu pose o he mee ing was o conside he likely
e ec s o in oducing he occupa ional heal h and
sa e y in o he indus y. In he yea s ha ollowed
he composi ion o he Commi ee was augmen ed
o include speci i c expe ise om all majo sec o s
and he di ec ion o he Commi ee ook a posi i e
di ec ion ha sp ead quickly h ough he egional
ne wo k o simila indus y commi ees. Expe ise
in he augmen ed cen al commi ee included
audiome y, indus ial hygiene, occupa ional
medicine and sa e y, and he Commi ee quickly
became in l uen ial in nego ia ing wi h Go e nmen
and, in pa icula , wi h i s egula o y au ho i y.
The Chambe ’s Annual Repo o 1987 (The
Chambe o Mines o Wes e n Aus alia, 1987)
commen ed ha h ough i s ep esen a ion on he
Wes e n Aus alian Occupa ional Heal h, Sa e y and
Wel a e Commission, he Commi ee con inued o
p o ide posi i e inpu in o decision making on heal h
and sa e y in he wo kplace, he posi i e associa ion
wi h he Depa men o Mines in he p epa a ion o
app op ia e amendmen s o he Mines Regula ion
Ac and Regula ions and i s conside able inpu o
he de elopmen o he new compu e ised Acciden
p. 20 - 26, DOI 10.2478/ 10281-012-0015-8
$m’s Employees
Bauxi e/Alumina 1.62 5,393
I on O e 1.78 8,849
Nickel .63 3,271
Gold 2.03 9,915
Coal .16 1,271
Diamonds .36 824
T ansac ions o he VŠB - Technical uni e si y o Os a a
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Vol. VII, No. 2, 2012
24
Repo ing Sys em (AXTAT) o he mining indus y,
expec ed o ake e ec om 1 Janua y 1987.
A majo ini ia i e in 1990 was he o ganisa ion
o he i s Minesa e In e na ional con e ence which
was a ended by ep esen a i es o 15 na ions and
es ablished he Wes e n Aus alian mining sec o
as a wo ld leade in he discipline o occupa ional
heal h and sa e y. Fu he con e ences we e held in
Pe h in 1993 and in 1996, in Sou h A ica in 1998
and again in Pe h in 2000. Pape s p esen ed a hose
con e ences add essed e e y aspec o occupa ional
heal h and sa e y in he mining indus y.
Th oughou he la e 1980’s and he 1990’s a
unique wo king ela ionship de eloped be ween
indus y and i s egula o y au ho i y, he Depa men
o Mine als and Ene gy. The appoin men in 1984
by Go e nmen o an expe ienced, highly compe en
mining enginee om indus y o he posi ion o S a e
Mining Enginee , a a ime o indus y expansion
and he in oduc ion o occupa ional heal h and
sa e y legisla ion changed he na u e o he p e ious
ela ionship om a ms-leng h o close co-ope a ion
in he egula ion o he heal h and sa e y indus y.
A join app oach o he in oduc ion o Robens-
ype p inciples o imp o e s anda ds o occupa ional
heal h and sa e y, which included he in ol emen o
he con ac ing sec o , began o impac on indus y
sa e y pe o mance. The suppo i e esponse o he
conce ns o con ac o s led o he es ablishmen o
he con ac o sa e y aining o ganisa ion called he
Mining and Resou ce Con ac o s Sa e y T aining
Associa ion (MARCSTA) which was o play a
signi i can ole in he deli e y o high quali y sa e y
induc ions o mos sec o s o indus y.
This no - o -p o i o ganisa ion, o med in 1994
and inco po a ed in 1996, consis ed o 19 ope a ing
companies whose p ima y objec i e was o eplace
epe i i e and o he ques ionable induc ion p og ams
which we e no p o iding an app op ia e s anda d o
induc ion aining and we e esul ing in a nega i e
esponse o occupa ional heal h and sa e y pe se
and incu ing signi i can cos consequences. The
o ma ion o MARCSTA was gi en s ong and
en husias ic suppo by he S a e Mining Enginee
and his s a and was endo sed by he indus y body.
This p o essional o ganisa ion is s ongly
in ol ed in suppo ing occupa ional heal h and
sa e y employee and wo kplace heal h and sa e y
e ia y educa ion o he mining indus y. Since
2007 MARCSTA has p o ided he Jim To lach
Schola ship in memo y o Jim To lach who made
an ou s anding con ibu ion o he imp o emen
o sa e y and heal h in he Wes e n Aus alian
mining indus y h ough his comple e o e haul and
mode nisa ion o he mining legisla ion when he
was he S a e Mining Enginee . The Jim To lach
Schola ship pays he 3 yea s’ s udy ees o one
new s uden each yea who en ols o comple e he
Bachelo o Science (Heal h, Sa e y & En i onmen )
a Cu in Uni e si y. G adua es who ha e won his
Schola ship ha e gone on o wo k in he Wes e n
Aus alian mining indus y and ha e won awa ds o
he excellence o hei wo k in heal h and sa e y.
MARCSTA membe s also suppo mining
indus y heal h and sa e y esea ch. Fo example
Ba minco is unding esea ch on he e ec s o
exposu e o diesel pa icula es on employees in an
unde g ound mine in Wes e n Aus alia o iden i y
ways o make wo king in unde g ound mines
sa e . I is also suppo ing esea ch o iden i y i
ciga e e smoking is a isk ac o o noise induced
hea ing loss in Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y
wo ke s. The e is s ong indus y in ol emen in
he e ia y educa ion o mining indus y heal h
and sa e y p o essionals. Fo example, o p omo e
a high s anda d o mining indus y sa e y and
heal h managemen knowledge and skills Ba minco
p o ide an annual $5,000 p ize o he s uden wi h
he highes s anda d o heal h and sa e y managemen
p ac ice in he Bachelo o Science (Heal h, Sa e y
and En i onmen ) a Cu in Uni e si y.
F om he yea 1989/90 he occupa ional sa e y
and heal h pe o mance o he indus y began
o e l ec he combined e o s o indus y, i s
con ac o s and he egula o y au ho i y and he
indus y began g adually o mo e owa d i s a ge
o wo ld leade ship in occupa ional sa e y and
heal h. By 1998 he membe ship o he Chambe o
Mines included no less han 17 majo con ac o s,
many o whom we e ep esen ed on he a ious
occupa ional heal h and sa e y commi ees o he
Chambe , pa icula ly in he Eas e n Gold i elds
egion. Con ac o s by his ime we e becoming
inc easingly ac i e in all sec o s o he indus y and
we e demons a ing hei commi men o achie ing
high s anda ds o heal h and sa e y o mee indus y’s
expec a ions.
The incidence o a ali ies (numbe pe 1,000
employees) declined om 0.527 in 1988/89 o 0.047
in 2010/11.
p. 20 - 26, DOI 10.2478/ 10281-012-0015-8

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Vol. VII, No. 2, 2012
25
Fig. 2 Fa ali y Inciden Ra e pe 1,000 employees in
he Wes e n Aus alian mining
The incidence o los ime and se ious inju ies
was educed simila ly.
Fig. 3 Los ime inju y equency a e pe million
hou s wo ked in he Wes e n Aus alian mining
indus y
In 2012 con ac o s now p o ide he majo i y
o p oduc ion o he Wes e n Aus alian mining
indus y and hese employe s and a e espec ed o
he high s anda ds o heal h and sa e y p ac ices o
hei wo k o ces.
Wo ke s’ compensa ion p emiums a e pe haps
he mos objec i e indica o o he heal h and
sa e y s anda ds exis ing in majo indus y sec o s.
The con inual downwa d end in p emiums o
he mining sec o , pa icula ly om 1990 onwa d,
p o ide con incing and i e u able e idence o he
indus y’s s a us as a wo ld leade in wo kplace sa e y
and heal h. The con ac ing indus y can igh ly
claim o ha e been a majo in l uence in achie ing
his s a us and pe haps he mos no ewo hy aspec is
he o al absence o any con l ic wi h majo mining
companies o e he pas 25 yea s in he ansi ion
occasioned by he in oduc ion o he Robens s yle
occupa ional sa e y and heal h legisla ion in Wes e n
Aus alia.
The Wes e n Aus alian Depa men o
Comme ce (2012) has eleased da a on occupa ional
sa e y and heal h in Wes e n Aus alia de i ed
om wo ke s’ compensa ion claims in 2010/11 o
wo ke s co e ed by he Wo ke s’ Compensa ion and
Inju y Managemen Ac 1981 o Wes e n Aus alia.
Fig. 4 Wo ke s compensa ion los ime inju ies pe
million hou s wo ked in Wes e n Aus alia
I is clea om his in o ma ion ha he mining
indus y in Wes e n Aus alia is pe o ming a a le el
unma ched in he wo ld oday.
Conclusion
Heal h and sa e y p ac ices in he Wes e n
Aus alian mining indus y ha e changed o e ime.
In he days when only he Abo iginal people we e
Aus alian mine s he e was educa ion p o ided by
ibal Elde s o de elop he skills o he new mine s o
assis hem o be able o wo k sa ely and e ec i ely
in he p o ession chosen o hem. When he people
o Eu opean decen commenced mining in Wes e n
Aus alia many o hei mining p ac ices we e
unsa e as hey we e no p o ided wi h educa ion on
how o wo k sa ely as mine s. Pa icula ly silicosis
became a majo occupa ional disease o he mine s
in he Wes e n Aus alian Gold i elds. Ha ing good
occupa ional heal h has become impo an in he
Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y. Wi h imp o ed
mine en ila ion and wo k p ac ices he e ha e been
no new cases o silicosis in he Wes e n Aus alian
mining indus y o a leas 20 yea s. The e was
also a high wo k ela ed a ali y a e in he Wes e n
Aus alian mining indus y.
Wi h he building o he Wes e n Aus alian
School o Mines in Wes e n Aus alia o mal
educa ion o mining indus y employees began.
Heal h and sa e y p ac ices in he Wes e n Aus alian
mining indus y we e imp o ed h ough he
implemen a ion o he Robens s yle mining heal h
and sa e y legisla ion, en o cemen o his educa ion,
he wo k ha Pa Gil oy and o he s ha e done h ough
he Chambe o Mines, he in e na ional mining
con e ences ha we e held in Wes e n Aus alia, he
p. 20 - 26, DOI 10.2478/ 10281-012-0015-8
0
0,1
0,2
0,3
0,4
0,5
0,6
1988Ͳ89
1989Ͳ90
1990Ͳ91
1991Ͳ92
1992Ͳ93
1993Ͳ94
1994Ͳ95
1995Ͳ96
1996Ͳ97
1997Ͳ98
1998Ͳ99
1999Ͳ2000
2000Ͳ01
2001Ͳ02
2002Ͳ03
2003Ͳ04
2004Ͳ05
2005Ͳ06
2006Ͳ07
2007Ͳ08
2008Ͳ09
2009Ͳ10
2010Ͳ11
Fa alInju yIncidenceRa e
Fa alInju yIncidenceRa e
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1988Ͳ89
1989Ͳ90
1990Ͳ91
1991Ͳ92
1992Ͳ93
1993Ͳ94
1994Ͳ95
1995Ͳ96
1996Ͳ97
1997Ͳ98
1998Ͳ99
1999Ͳ2000
2000Ͳ01
2001Ͳ02
2002Ͳ03
2003Ͳ04
2004Ͳ05
2005Ͳ06
2006Ͳ07
2007Ͳ08
2008Ͳ09
2009Ͳ10
2010Ͳ11
Los TimeInju yF equencyRa e
Los TimeInju yF equencyRa e
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Manu ac u ing
A sand ec ea ionse ices
Heal hca eandsocialassis ance
T anspo ,pos alandwa ehousing
Ag icul u e, o es yand ishing
Cons uc ion
Allindus ya e age
Educa ionand aining
Wholesale ade
Re ail ade
Accommoda ionand oodse ices
Ren al,hi ingand eales a ese ices
Publicadminis a ionandsa e y
Mining
Elec ici y,gas,wa e andwas ese ices
O he se ices
Adminis a i eandsuppo se ices
In o ma ionmediaand elecommunica ions
P o essional,scien i icand echnicalse ices
Financialandinsu ancese ices
F equency a eo los  imeclaimsbyindus y2010/11
T ansac ions o he VŠB - Technical uni e si y o Os a a
Sa e y Enginee ing Se ies
Vol. VII, No. 2, 2012
26
MARCSTA gene ic heal h and sa e y educa ional
p og am a ailable o e e yone who wo ks in he
Wes e n Aus alian mining indus y, and h ough
p. 20 - 26, DOI 10.2478/ 10281-012-0015-8
he p o essionaliza ion o mining indus y wo ke s’
educa ion and wo k p ac ices.
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