2020 Winners

Finalists Video

Winner: Anglo American (Dawson Mine) – World’s first remote multi-pass drill

The Anglo American (Dawson) team produced the first known rotary blasthole drill rig to complete multi-pass operations remotely. This removes operators from the field, with strong safety outcomes.

Finalists

Anglo American – World’s first Group 1 Intrinsically Safe underground tablet

Anglo American successfully developed and launched the only Group 1 electronic tablet device certified for unrestricted use in underground mining globally. This allows for real-time communication and record-keeping underground.

Finalists Video

Winner: Gas Field Services – Hands Free Drilling – The Way of The Future

Gas Field Services introduced the LF-160 Drill Rig and Freedom Loader. This solution drastically reduces manual handling and increases safety-critical functions with hands-free drilling. 

Finalists

Mastermyne – Brain Science

Mastermyne created the Brain Science Project to engage staff in understanding how behaviour and emotion impacts safety, productivity and culture. There has been a notable reduction in safety incidents, as well as increased training benefits.

Waterline Projects – 3D Printing for Familiarisation

Waterline Projects created a safety training model with the help of 3D printing. This allows employee familiarisation with hazards while reducing safety risks on site.

Finalists Video

Winner: Polymathian  – Maximising NPV with Industrial Mathematics

Polymathian used their ORB mathematical solution to optimise mine planning for a client, condensing the planning process from weeks to just 12 hours. The client saw a 35% increase to NPV, with superior productivity outcomes.

Finalists

Gas Field Services – 4C Wireline – The New Drilling Technique

Gas Field Services implemented the 4C Wireline Coring system to complement their LF-160 handsfree drilling rig. This decreased rod hole trips by 70%, increasing production by 15 holes a year and saving just under 3 shifts.

Vayeron – Intrinsically Safe Wireless Longwall Inclinometer

Vayeron produced a wireless, plug and play sensor to replace expensive, permanently wired longwall inclinometers. The Vayeron sensor costs around $300 per device, rather than $1700.

Finalists Video

Winner: New Oakleigh Coal – Jeebropilly Mine Closure – ‘Finishing Well’ program

The Finishing Well program aimed to retain employees with a positive safety and productivity culture in the months leading up to the Jeebropilly mine’s closure. Staff retention through the 2-year program was 98.9%.

Finalists

Anglo American  – Anglo American LIVE online concert series

Anglo American created a series of online streamed private concerts for employees, contractors, stakeholders, traditional owner groups and their families. This helped decrease staff isolation throughout COVID-19 restrictions.

Hastings Deering – Together As One

Hastings Deering pioneered the ‘Together as One’ program, fostering cultural change throughout their 3,500 strong workforce. The program has resulted in more than 3000 employee experiences and over 15,000 website impressions.

Finalists Video

Winner: Byerwen Coal, Jangga Operations & Macmahon – Yila Yina Mundu (‘Turn Around from Here’) Program

This collaborative effort built on the Thida Bullaroo (Step By Step) program, expanding QCoal’s Indigenous participation strategy. 24 new-to-industry roles were created, with full-time employment offered following completion of training. 

Finalists

Anglo American – Balancing the Team Recruitment and Training Program / Anglo American’s female-only underground trainee intake

Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine took a different approach to recruitment and training to drive inclusion and diversity. Eight entry-level trainee underground miner roles were created, with no experience necessary. Trainees will complete a Cert II in underground coal mining and gain hands-on experience

Finalists Video

Winner: Bis – Razor: the proprietary underground grader increasing safety and performance

BIS realised that innovation was sorely needed to fix inefficient, underpowered machinery that lacked reliability. Razor – developed, designed and manufactured in Australia – delivers over 30% increased tractive effort, improved braking and most importantly, improved safety.

Finalists

Ava Risk Group & Mining3 – Aura IQ – Conveyor Health Monitoring

Mining3 and Ava Risk Group collaborated to deliver a game-changing predictive conveyor monitoring system. Aura IQ is intrinsically safe and virtually maintenance-free, meaning the solution can be used underground as well as on the surface.

Skopit – Structural Steel Clamping System

The Skopit system instantly eliminates hot welding work to structural steel in and around coal and mineral processing facilities. The clamp maintains steelwork integrity, is reusable and takes just minutes to install on any size beam or colum

SMW Group – The Ultralift – collaborative commercialisation

SMW Group solved a major logistical and safety problem by creating the Ultralift, a remotely operated mobile straddle carrier. Eliminating complex slewing crane lifts saves around $15,000 every time the Ultralift is used.

Finalists Video

Winner: KCB Australia – Isaac River Upstream Drop Structure

The Isaac River Diversion’s existing drop structure failed repeatedly under flood conditions. KCB Australia’s new design’s modelling predicts enhanced energy dissipation, improved flow stability and prevention of scour upstream.

Finalists

Mining3 – Alternative Explosives

Mining3 are testing alternative explosive formulations, eliminating the nitrogen component and replacing it with hydrogen peroxide. This has the potential for a zero harmful fume scenario, also lowering risks to the environment, safety and productivity.

New Century Resources – Economic Rehabilitation – a new approach to mined land rehabilitation in Queensland

Economic Rehabilitation involves recovering about 77 million tonnes of mineralised waste from tailings storage for reprocessing and sale, funding the future rehabilitation of the rest of the Century mine. Since commencing, 10% of the tailings have been reprocessed, and long-term monitoring data is shaping up to be world-class.

Finalists Video

Winner: Ava Risk Group | Mining3 – Innovation through Collaboration

Mining3 and Ava Risk Group collaborated to deliver a game-changing predictive conveyor monitoring system. Within 10 months, the team produced the Aura IQ, an innovative, low cost and flexible maintenance solution that uses fibre optics, signal processing algorithms and data analytics.

Finalists

Mitchell Services | Anglo American  – Underground Coal Gas Drainage Drill Rig

Mitchell Services’ most recent innovation in drilling solutions is the CX1500 CoalXplorer underground coal UIS drill rig. The rig delivers enhanced data capture of the geological environment. In trials on Anglo American sites, this showed potential to help improve safety and productivity of gas drainage through enhanced geological data capture.

Unearthed Solutions | BHP – BHP ‘Fast Track’ Challenge

In 2019, BHP partnered with Unearthed to run a global online crowd sourcing competition to improve their site access experience. 27 companies presented solutions, and 7 shortlisted entries worked directly with BHP’s team for evaluation. ComplyFlow provided the winning solution.

Universal Field Robots | IMDEX – UFR and IMDEX collaborate to improve drill and blast safety, productivity and reduce risk.

Universal Field Robots and IMDEX conquered the challenge of logging blast holes, while removing operators from harm’s way. The IMDEX BLASTDOG™ solution moved from concept to prototype in just four months, providing geological data and enhancing productivity.

Bowen Basin Mining Club Queensland Mining Contractor of the Year

Winner – Gas Field Services

QMA 2020 Winners Media Release