Improving mine worker safety top of the agenda for GRT

Press Release: July 30th, 2021 

Australian headquartered mining and civil services firm Global Road Technology (GRT), is aiming to place mine safety firmly on the national agenda over the next 12 months.

Using its work in the Central Queensland region of Bowen Basin as a ‘template’ it will be developing ongoing industry reports that will seek to showcase how its whole-of-site dust suppression strategies protect mine workers from life-threatening lung diseases – to create a benchmark standard for the sector. 

The core goal of GRT is to become the technology partner of choice for the mining sector and showcase that utilising its product suite reduces the dust pollution generated by mines and to stop it from spreading across the site and into local communities. 

GRT’s innovative product suite of dust suppression non-toxic chemical applications twinned with its engineered dosing and application techniques has seen it emerge as a national leader in the development of infrastructure and process solutions for the mining sector – as well as in the conversation around driving change.

This strategy focusing on partnering with the resource sector comes off the back of a renewed focus on dust suppression as recent cases of silicosis increase union pressure to ramp up health and safety measures to protect all workers exposed to deadly silica and coal dust at mining sites. 

According to GRT General Manager Daniel Grundy, the primary purpose of the next 12 months is to utilise the work being done in Bowen Basin and the Pilbara as an industry case study to showcase the efficacy of its products and techniques. 

“One of our core goals from our engagement based from the town of Moranbah and in the Pilbara region of WA is to build a report that highlights how by utilising GRT’s world-leading dust elimination technology and solutions, miners can minimise the impact of mining operations on workers, communities, and the environment” said Mr Grundy. 

“I have worked extensively in the mining and civil sectors for more than two decades and have seen first-hand the dangers of dust pollution on the health and wellbeing of workers. That’s why a core goal of our engagement in Moranbah is to develop a body of knowledge for general access showcasing how through the usage of GRT’s innovative products and whole-of-site approach we can minimise air pollution through our proactive approach to dust mitigation – protecting workers and nearby communities alike.” 

GRT has recently launched two new products developed from its in-house research and development hub in Australia as it seeks to set the industry standard in applying the latest innovations to reduce dust pollution.

GRT: Drill and Blast Dust Control, is a two-pronged attack on the hazardous, respirable dust generated from drill and blast activities. The first product, GRT: 12X targets the dust generated by drilling for blasting and exploration. GRT: 12X super-activates drill water so it saturates and captures the fine, hazardous dust drilling can generate, preventing it from becoming an airborne hazard. The second prong is GRT: DC Binder, a polymeric additive that prevents hazardous airborne dust from being generated from the piles of fine drill cuttings (DC) by creating a tough surface crust that binds the hazardous dust particles in place.

Along with these products, GRT has developed a range of innovative chemical additives – GRT: Haul-Loc, GRT: Activate UG, GRT: Ore-Loc, and GRT: Wet-Loc designed specifically for managing and containing dust to protect workers on mining sites and nearby residents and landholders from airborne dust pollution and disease. 

GRT will be measuring the effectiveness of these products along with its whole-of-site approach to dust mitigation when it comes to stopping the spread of super fine dust from becoming airborne when disturbed by the wind, vehicles, or even members of the blast crew as they work in the drill pattern area. 

For Daniel Grundy, this approach and willingness to share information with the industry to establish a benchmark epitomises GRT’s philosophy of dynamic dust management. 

“Our entire philosophy at GRT is based on dynamic dust management – that is proactively stopping dust generation at its source via our engineering processes and product suite, stopping the issue in its tracks,” Mr Grundy said. 

“Our goal is ending dust as a mine site hazard – with our offering designed to provide comprehensive, ‘whole of mine site’ Australian-owned solutions to ensure that the health of workers, communities, nearby farmers, and the environment aren’t negatively impacted by mining activity.  Our approach, backed by highly trained staff, years of R&D, and high-quality products, is to eliminate dust as a hazard. We are happy as a business to share our learnings so they become the norm, rather than the exception when it comes to protecting workers.”

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Source: Australasian Mine Safety Journal