MINING AND QUARRYING INDUSTRIES

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will the minister provide the house with details of the recent launch of a series of DVDs that address safety in the mining and quarrying industries?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:49): I thank the member for his very important question. I also acknowledge the many years that the Hon. Mr Kandelaars spent looking after the health issues of his members. On 24 February 2012, I had the pleasure of launching the Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee's safety series of DVDs for the mining industry.

As you know, South Australia has a rapidly increasing mining sector that is diverse in mineral types and mineral regions. There are $70 billion worth of mining and energy projects in the pipeline, while the proposed Olympic Dam expansion alone will generate up to 6,000 new jobs during the 11-year construction period and a further 4,000 full-time jobs when the mine reaches full production.

However, mining and quarrying are, by their very nature, hazardous industries. For this reason, the Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee was established to promote and support initiatives to improve work health and safety in South Australia's mining and quarrying industries, with a particular emphasis on protecting workers from silicosis, which is a dust-related respiratory disease caused by exposure to crystalline silica.

The Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee provides field services to the mining and quarrying industries, including: occupational health, safety and welfare training; plant and process safety; occupational health and safety audits; occupational health and safety management plans and procedures; training needs analysis; and mentoring those with site safety responsibilities.

These field services are complemented by the funding of research and other activities to identify preventive measures to improve workers' health and safety in the mining and quarrying industries. One such activity is the safety series of DVDs. The DVDs contain a series of short videos that promote safety and address major hazards of concern in the mining industry, such as safe access and egress, noise in the workplace, traffic management, dust and managing hazards.

The DVDs are designed to promote discussion at pre-start meetings, shift change meetings, or other operational forums where safety is the standing agenda item. The DVDs are available free of charge to the public and will provide an excellent educational resource, which will be of benefit to all workers in the mining industry. I would urge anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the MAQOHSC safety series of DVDs to visit the MAQOHSC website at www.maqohsc.sa.gov.au.