New Zealand Extractive Industries Mining, Coal Mining, Quarrying and Tunneling ~ Serious Harm Accident Summary 1998

Definitions

Serious Harm means death or

1. Any of the following conditions that amounts to or results in permanent loss of bodily function, or temporary severe loss of bodily function: respiratory disease, noise-induced hearing loss, neurological disease, cancer, dermatological disease, illness caused by exposure to infected material, decompression sickness, poisoning, vision impairment, chemical or hot metal burn of eye, penetrating wound of eye, bone fracture, laceration, crushing.
2. Amputation of body part.
3. Burns requiring referral to a specialist registered medical practitioner or specialist outpatient clinic.
4. Loss of consciousness from lack of oxygen.
5. Lack of consciousness, or acute illness requiring treatment by a registered medical practitioner, from absorption, inhalation, or ingestion, of any substance.
6. Any harm that causes the person harmed to be hospitalised for a period of 48 hours or more within 7 days of the harm’s occurrence.

SHIFR means Serious Harm Injury Frequency Rate, which is the number of serious harm injuries per millions of hours worked.

Table 1: Classification by Source - All Surface Mines and Quarries

Struck by falling object	1
Struck by moving object	2
Struck by stationary object	1
Slipping/falling	4
Falling from height	1
Handling materials	0
Body stressing	1
Exposure to fumes/dust	0
Submersion in water	0
Exposure to heat	1
Exposure to sound	0
Caught in machinery	4
Total	15

Table 2: Classification by Source - All Mines, Coal Mines, Quarries and Tunnels

Struck by falling object	6
Struck by moving object	5
Struck by stationary object	1
Slipping/falling	9
Falling from height	2
Handling materials	3
Body stressing	1
Exposure to fumes/dust	1
Submersion in water	0
Exposure to heat	1
Exposure to sound	1
Caught in machinery	4
Total	34

Table 3: All Surface Mines and Quarries - Classification by Body Part

A Head:	1
B Eye:	1
C Body:	1
D Back:	1
E Leg:	3
F Foot:	2
G Hand:	3
H Arm:	3
I Internal:	0
J Mutiple:	0
K Senses:	0
Total:	15

Table 4: All Mines, Coal Mines, Quarries and Tunnels - Classification by Body Part

A Head:	1
B Eye:	1
C Body:	3
D Back:	3
E Leg:	3
F Foot:	6
G Hand:	6
H Arm:	5
I Internal:	1
J Mutiple:	3
K Senses:	2
Total:	34

Table 5: All Mines, Coal Mines, Quarries and Tunnels - Major Serious Harm

DATE	OPERATION	INJURY	COMMENT	No	S*	BP*
14 January	Mercury Energy Tunnel, Penrose	Multiple, FATAL	Crushed when loco derailed	1	B	J
28 January	Mercury Energy Tunnel, Penrose	Spinal damage	Struck by fall of ground	1	A	D
1 March	Manapouri	Back injuries	Struck by fall of shotcrete	1	A	D
6 March	Matahina Dam Quarry	Head injuries	Thrown out of cab when mobile crane crashed	1	C	A
7 March	Everett Road Pit	Acid burns to both eyes	Battery exploded while attempting to jump start truck	1	J	B
4 June	Mt Davy u/g Coal Mine	Multiple, FATAL	Struck by outburst of coal	2	A	J
3 July	Whitestone Roading Quarry	Crushed injuries left arm and wrist	Caught arm in conveyor belt	1	L	E
8 July	Huntly East Coast mine	Internal injuries	Caught between shuttle car and ribside	1	B	I
27 July	Longburn Shingle Pit	Broken right radius and ulna	Arm caught by conveyor	1	L	E
12 October	Terrace u/g Coal Mine	Rendered unconscious	Overcome while opening stopping	1	H	K
3 December	Mercury Energy Tunnel, Auckland	Rib fractures and lung tear	Caught between concrete car and side wall	1	B	C

*S = Source
*BP = Body Part
(see tables 1 and 6 for classifications)

Table 6: All Surface Mines and Quarries

	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
No. Persons	3095	2969	3175	3303	3108	3103
No.	21	12	18	22	19	15
Frequency Rate	2.71	1.62	2.27	2.66	2.45	1.93
Incidence Rate	0.68	0.40	0.57	0.67	0.61	0.48

Table 7: All Mines, Coal Mines, Quarries and Tunnels

	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
No. Persons	3750	3690	3950	4171	4179	4179
No.	27	22	27	35	32	34
Frequency Rate	2.88	2.38	2.37	3.36	3.06	3.25
Incidence Rate	0.72	0.60	0.68	0.84	0.77	0.81