MIRMgate digs up mining hazard information

A mining website on hazard and risk management from mineral processing to quarrying, has been launched by The University of Queensland’s mining safety centre.

The website, called the Minerals Industry Risk Management Gateway (MIRMgate), was created to be a one-stop portal for quality hazard related information during a mine’s lifetime.

It is a database of electronic and hardcopy records, on everything from handling dangerous goods to fatigue which have been handpicked and rated by mining experts.

MIRMgate leader Dr Guldidar Kizil said the site was unique because it had quality information at one-entry-point, browsable by hazard, task or subject.

Dr Kizil said the website was created because finding and accessing good-practice information was time consuming through conventional search engines.

She said the site could help mine personnel such as mine managers, inspectors, site personnel, researchers, students and in industries such as chemical and drilling.

MIRMgate is a project of UQ’s Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC), which was set up with funding from all state governments and UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute and is now sponsored by mining companies.

There are about 200 documents listed on MIRMgate but Dr Kizil hopes to have 400 by the end of the year.

Some of the documents are guidelines, standards, codes of practice, policy documents and fact sheet but other resources such as accident reports, technical data and journals will be added.

MISHC director Professor Jim Joy said MIRMgate was part of a broader program called the Minerals Industry Cooperation Initiative (MICI).

Professor Joy said MIRMgate was one of five MICI projects designed to improve health and safety at Australian mines and address community worries about their safety.

“They all [the projects] have a focus on trying to improve health and safety,” he said.

“MIRMgate does it by good practice, easily accessible, well selected information for anyone in the industry who’s making any decision about safety and health.”

For more information contact Dr Kizil (phone: 07 3365 6001, email: g.kizil@mishc.uq.edu.au), visit http://www.mirmgate.com or contact Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (phone: 3365 2619, email: m.holland@uq.edu.au)