Lightning Ridge opal mine safety course chalks up 6000th participant

6000 people have now attended the Mine Safety Awareness Course in Lightning Ridge, run by the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Trevor Currell from Wingham north west of Taree, this week became the 6000th person to attend the course in Lightning Ridge, which is also held in White Cliffs and South Australia

After completing the day and a half long course all attendees receive a certificate and participants are then able to have an opal mineral claim registered in their name.
A claim cannot be registered or renewed by anyone who has not completed the course, even those who have been mining for many years.

According to DPI’s Director Mine Safety Operations Rob Regan, these courses are widely credited with the dramatic improvement in safety on the opal fields.

“The NSW opal mining industry marked a decade without a fatality on April 29 this year. There had been an average one death a year in the preceding 10 years” said Mr Regan.

“The Opal Miners Safety Awareness Course is a shining example of how Government and industry working together can improve mine safety.”

“The safety performance of the opal mining industry prior to this course was unacceptable,” Mr Regan said.

“However, 10 years without a fatality and a significant reduction in serious injuries is a tribute not only to the course but to the presenters, the Department and the opal mining industry.

Ground support, ventilation, gases, dust and noise, electrical, underground surveying, are just some of the subjects covered in the course.

“The courses attract not only fulltime miners but also the hobby miner and those who have never mined before. People come from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and ACT,” said Mr Regan

“While some are total beginners, others have mined elsewhere, often in coal and want to have their own mine.”

Initially attendance was voluntary but was made compulsory for all new claim holders in 1997.

Meantime, a book chronicling the history of this highly successful occupational health and safety campaign has been released by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The First 5000 Attendees at the Lightning Ridge Opal Miners Safety Awareness Course documents the establishment and early years of the course.

The book was written by former Senior Inspector of Mines and course co-presenter Bruce Kremmer, with the assistance of NSW DPI Mine Safety and Titles staff.