SPECIALIST HEALTH AND SAFETY RESEARCH, TESTING AND CERTIFICATION SERVICES - ONE STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING SAFETY IN AUSTRALIAN MINES

摘要

The conception and development of SIMTARS(Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station), Queensland,Australia is reviewed and SIMTARS contributions to mininghealth and safety are discussed. These include research projectsin the areas of occupational health, mining disaster events, andelectrical equipment; testing and certification services; and latestgeneration nune atmosphere monitoring Systems. The differentrequirements of mine owners, unions and regulations in respectof such specialist services are considered, in the light ofchanging social expectations and the need to maintaininternationsl competitiveness. Medium term strategic plans forSIMTARS are related to anticipated requirements bystakeholders. initiatives under consideration include the conceptof a national mining safety centre, an increased focus onmodelling/virtual reality techniques, and increased automationof mining and monitoring processes.