Emergency Response

Tailings are forever so let’s talk about the people who live with them and why mining needs memory systems as enduring as the waste it leaves behind

At the AusIMM Life of Mine - Mine Waste and Tailings 2025 conference in Brisbane, Professor Deanna Kemp delivered a keynote address that cut to the core of one of mining’s most pressing and under-examined challenges: how tailings governance is - and isn’t - working when it comes to people.

Investigation reveals systemic failures behind catastrophic tyre blast that injured two workers at NSW quarry

A catastrophic tyre explosion that seriously injured two quarry workers was caused by a structural failure in the sidewall of a truck tyre and a series of systemic safety lapses, according to a detailed investigation released by the NSW Resources Regulator.

Worker injured in underground mine door failure prompts safety overhaul

A serious underground incident in New South Wales has sparked renewed safety warnings across the mining sector after a worker was pinned between two heavy ventilation doors during a planned airflow change at a coal mine in the Wollongong region.

WorkSafe shuts down WA iron ore mine over emergency response failures

A Western Australian open-pit iron ore mine was temporarily shut down earlier this month after WorkSafe inspectors uncovered critical gaps in the site’s emergency response capabilities.

Truck collisions and gas outburst highlight ongoing safety risks as NSW Regulator urges stricter controls and compliance across mining operations

The NSW Resources Regulator has reported 37 incidents for the week ending 11 July 2025, including three dangerous occurrences involving haul truck collisions and a significant gas outburst at a coal mine, as part of its ongoing effort to improve mine site safety across the state.

Broken Hill mine fire and Appin arc flash expose deep safety flaws as NSW Regulator pushes for urgent reforms in contractor and risk management systems

The NSW Resources Regulator has released two major safety investigation reports highlighting systemic failings at two mining operations in the state, with one incident involving a serious underground fire at Perilya’s Broken Hill Southern Operations and another where an electrician suffered burns from an arc flash at Appin Mine North.