Four miners still in hospital two months after Grosvenor explosion

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This was published 3 years ago

Four miners still in hospital two months after Grosvenor explosion

By Lucy Stone

Four men injured in a central Queensland coal mine methane explosion almost two months ago are still in a Brisbane hospital, while a board of inquiry investigating the incident will also look at high-risk methane levels at the mine.

The May 6 explosion at the Grosvenor mine near Moranbah, owned by Anglo American, seriously injured five men, who were airlifted to Brisbane. One man was released from hospital weeks ago.

Four mine workers are still in hospital after the May 6 methane explosion.

Four mine workers are still in hospital after the May 6 methane explosion.Credit: File image/Glenn Hunt

The four remaining men are now out of intensive care but remain in hospital in a stable condition, an Anglo American spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, the board of inquiry set up by Mines Minister Anthony Lynham to investigate the incident has confirmed its terms of reference include "high potential incidents involving exceedances of methane" at Grosvenor and other mines between July 2019 and May 2020.

It had been disclosed that high methane levels were frequently reported at the Grosvenor mine in the months leading up to the incident.

Board chairman, retired Queensland District Court judge Terry Martin SC, said "all relevant parties" and their work would be considered.

The board is yet to set dates for public hearings for the inquiry, which will be live-streamed and publicly accessible.

"There is no prescription, nor proscription, as to how the board is to inquire into all incidents. All relevant evidence will be sought and considered," Mr Martin said.

"A number of notices to produce documents (attendance notices) have been given to various bodies.

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"Whilst it is an offence to fail to comply, all such bodies have been co-operative. Many more such notices will follow."

The board will make recommendations for future improvements to mine safety and health practices and procedures.

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In a statement issued on May 21, when the board of inquiry was announced, Anglo American said it was the largest underground coal miner in Queensland, in the "methane rich" area of the Bowen Basin.

The methane levels in the company's coal mines were "proactively managed" including exceeding regulatory requirements for methane sensors, the statement said, with many "high potential incidents" of methane accumulation reported to the Mines Inspectorate.

Chief executive of the company's metallurgical coal business Tyler Mitchelson said the safety of its people "is what is most important" and the company would co-operate fully with the inquiry.

"We want answers as to why an ignition of methane occurred at Grosvenor mine and we understand that everyone else does too," he said in May.

The Queensland Mines Inspectorate conducted 18 inspections of the mine between August of 2018 and the May explosion.

Anglo American has also gone to public consultation for an expansion to its second underground longwall coal mine in the Moranbah area, the Moranbah North Mine next to Grosvenor.

The expansion aims to open up access to 200 million tonnes of high quality coking coal and extend the life of the mine by 16 years.

About 660 people are employed at the Moranbah North mine.

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