Mines Rescue is probably a phrase you hear used a lot – it’s integral to keeping people safe by preparing for all possible outcomes on a mine site. Mine sites are heavily regulated to provide and maintain a safe working environment for all staff, contractors and visitors, however it can still be a high risk workplace as it presents many and varied site specific and equipment risks to consider – so of course the skills required in Mines Rescue are diverse. 

 

You may already be in a voluntary emergency services role and looking to progress your career into a paid role or you may want to get started in the industry, either way the courses available in this area will be of huge benefit. Typically, Mines Rescue includes the following disciplines…

 

Risk control, communication, site policy and procedure

You need to be capable of conducting local risk control, maintaining and monitoring site quality standards, and communicating effectively. The importance of effective communication in an emergency situation cannot be overlooked – there is no room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding in these scenarios.

 

Breathing apparatus

Proficiency in using an open circuit breathing apparatus, and identifying hazards that require one are important skills in the safety personnel toolkit. Confidence and practice in this area is crucial as you may also be required to control teams of others using breathing apparatus at an emergency scene.

 

First aid

Emergency First Aid is providing initial care for a person following an incident or accident. This care generally consists of a series of simple, yet often life-saving techniques that you can learn to perform as part of a nationally accredited Advanced First Aid course. The action that you take and the techniques you perform can be the difference between life and death.

 

Fire

At the majority of mine sites, if you’re the person engaging in firefighting you’ll have little or no back up or help. Therefore, you must be trained to a proficient level, maintain the highest standards of safety, and be physically fit enough to handle the strenuous nature of firefighting. 

 

Road crash

Mine Emergency Services teams need to be equipped with the skills to undertake the controlled release of casualties from motor vehicle entrapment, an unfortunately common incident on mine sites. Entrapment requires a team approach to systematically dismantle the vehicle safely around the casualty.

 

HAZMAT – Hazardous Materials

Dealing with incidents involving hazardous materials, whether at the mine site or during the transportation of these substances via land, air or sea, is another important skillset in mines rescue. Effective management of HAZMAT, including the planning and development of emergency response procedures, can be difference between a minor incident and a major catastrophe. 

 

Vertical rescue

The nature of vertical rescue is that it is inherently dangerous and incorrect rope rescue technique or equipment can result in serious injury or death. To conduct this type of rescue, you must be proficiently trained and able to comply with a very high safety standard. Competency in this area can be achieved through training with experienced instructors. 

 

Confined space rescue

Accidents in confined spaces can result in severe injury or death, often due to hazardous atmospheres including toxic gasses or lack of oxygen. Physical hazards where workers may be crushed, struck by falling objects or restricted by surroundings are also very real scenarios. Working in confined spaces is often unavoidable in the mining industry and therefore it is so important that you are trained to deal with the conditions. So much of confined space rescue revolves around careful planning as we know that two out of three deaths that occur in confined space incidents around the world are actually caused by a poorly planned rescue by untrained personnel. 

 

 

The above snapshot of each key discipline provides insight into the areas involved in Mines Rescue. If you think the highly skilled and multifaceted nature of a role in Mines Rescue would be a good fit for you, you might be interested in completing a Certificate III in Mine Emergency Response and Rescue. This nationally accredited course is designed to provide all the essential knowledge and skills to operate safely within emergency services, across a variety of industries.

 

If you’re interested in Mines Rescue, whether it be as a volunteer or as a career path, you can train with us! Our nationally accredited RII30715 – Certificate III in Mine Emergency Response and Rescue is delivered through a combination of classroom learning, group discussion and practical activities, to give you the knowledge and confidence to respond without hesitation in any emergency situation.

 

Find out more about all the courses we offer here, download our 2020 Public Course Calendar here, or get in touch – one of our experts would be happy to answer any questions you have about Mines Rescue or training with SETS.

 

Phone Us:  (08) 9240 5191

Email Us: admin@setservices.com.au

 

RTO #52334