Man dead in outback Queensland..

There was more on the ABC local news tonight.

They were working for a mining camp and were out in the field..2 vehicles, 2 people.

They became bogged, so the both walked off to get help.

30 minutes into the walk, the lady turned back and went back to the vehicles, while the chap walked on.

From what I was gathering it was 12 hours before the mining company started the search, with police and station people. The lady was found safe and alive back at the bogged vehicle, while the man died from exposure and no water in over 40 degree temperatures.

Without knowing any more and from I know when my son worked up in Moomba, the mining company will be in very deep shit.

The very first thing that was drummed into all workers in the event of trouble, never leave your vehicle and call for help on the communication that they had. Also every vehicle was fitted with GPS tracking and in the event of no movement when you should, alarm bells were put into action and they only gave you a 120 minute leeway to be back in camp from when you were due back and they would send out a helicopter to search for you.

They did name the mining contractors, but it was not SANTOS.

An EPIRB wouldn’t have saved his life, because he made a bad decision to leave the vehicle.

A PLB on his belt would have led the searches directly to him, IF he had activated the PLB.
I would have thought that all mining vehicles would be equipped with PLBs, so I suspect it was not?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Gronk

An EPIRB is only recommended for water activities while a PLB is more designed for land use, both being different and will work in both environments.

If the poor lad had a PLB and activated it, he would have been found safe and alive and within 1 hour of it being activated………period

SANTOS take their safety highly who would have launched a helicopter immediately, but not the contractor will have many serious questions to answer for and possible jail time for their Safety Officers.

Stephen things have probably changed over the yrs but around 15yrs ago give or take a bit I had my epirb registered to my boat and 4wd on the appropriate web site. There were options in the list on the web site to add vehicle's it was all about just having something with you. I deleted both when I sold the boat several years ago. A PLB is basically just a smaller version of an epirb designed for ease of carrying for hiking etc as the old epirb was reasonably heavy for hikers to comfortably carry. I don't know if they float like an epirb but something is better than nothing.

Hi Stephen,

You can register an EPIRB to any vessel or any vehicle. I have my EPIRB registered to my vehicle.

When I purchased it several years ago, my Brother-in-Law was thinking of buying a boat, so it was going to be used for both my car, and his boat.

From why research prior to purchase, if the EPIRB is activated, the response to the activation will be based on where the GPS signal emanates from. An activation at sea will result in a water and air search, if activated on land, an air and land search will be initiated.

Macca.

As mentioned an EPRB is designed for boat/water use. It floats upright to give the antenna the best aspect and some will auto activate when in the water. It is normally larger than a PLB.

A PLB is designed to be carried on the person (the P in PLB) - it does float but not all upright so the user in water may have to hold it up right.

BOTH send out out the same signal - so both can be used in either condition - land or water. The EPIRB is just bigger and heavier.

Some major very important differences regarding a EPIRB and a PLB

To activate a PLB, you must first lift the antenna and providing the battery is in full active service, the PLB is designed to work continuously for 24 hours.

A EPIRB was originally manufactured for Marine use, will self activate on contact with water and providing the battery is in service, will continuously transmit a signal for 48 hours and will float.

As a EPIRB is a lot bigger in physical size, that is why a PLB was designed and manufactured for personal use, hence the name Personal Location Beacon

I carried an EPIRB on my first Canning Trip due to the remoteness as well as the HF Radio & Sat Phone - leave nothing to chance I think, it was registered through AMSA to both my Boat AND my 4wd.

On all of the EPIRBS I have owned during my boating & 4wding time they have had Antennas that required "lifting" whether it be via a spring or physically lifting as is the case with my current Ocean Sat Rescue Me EPIRB, it is a lot smaller than the original EPIRB but would not carry it on a Hike which is where the PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) come into their own but they do lack a light which is where the EPIRBs differ as far as I am aware.

In any case, carry either and as much safety communications as you can as you never know which one is going to be the most beneficial.

Cheers

Can not comment on the Rescue Me PLB, but the GME MT610G Personal Locator Beacon do have a bright strobe light for detection at night or inclement weather.

Personal responsibility is definitely a factor but the company had responsibilities too.. its all about minimising the number of holes in each slice of swiss cheese.. they left some gaping ones open by the looks..

https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/management/swiss-cheese-model

Very true but you have missed one very big and important thing that will now play out in court…….Workplace Health and Safety.

Were these workers given training on what to do and not do.

Regardless of the results that took place, the safety of all employees is the employer’s responsibility and a fact that they can not escape.

Unfortunately this is just another very tragic event that should never happen, but the outcome will not be known to us outsiders, but only the courts.

Very true Stephen.

Previously I worked for a multi national Oil company, safety of its employees and visitors to its sites was paramount. PPE was provided by the company, including safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves etc. and although compulsory to wear them, some individuals still did not, and had to be reminded to put them on.

I am not saying that this was the case with this incident, just commenting that the best safety precautions are only work if they are actually used. EPIRB/PLB’s, tracking devices etc. are only useful if taken with you and switched on, and in the case of automatic tracking devices, monitored at the other end.

Macca.

" PPE was provided by the company, including safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves etc. and although compulsory to wear them, some individuals still did not, and had to be reminded to put them on. "

Hey Macca

A friend of mine was running a work for the dole programme in a regional town where the participants were being taught to renovate a house. Safety glasses were mandatory but would you believe one of the participants poked himself in the eye while putting on his safety glasses and couldn't see for half an hour. Now they have a one hour course on how to put on safety glasses properly FFS

The more you try and idiot proof everything you just end up breeding bigger idiots !!!


Cheers
Gazz

Somewhere along the line he would have been offered training on this situation, most likley included in a 2 day monotonous online induction package before he was mobilised to site.
He most likley just ticked it as understood without having paid any attention to the content.
Never the less he has legally acknowledged he recieved the training and the companies scapegoat that he knew better and failed to follow proceedure.
Most of the safety inductions these days are just as much to cover the companies arse as to teach the employees proceedure.

There is a major difference between wandering through the bush on your own - and being employed by a company or business, that SENDS you out bush on a company job in a company vehicle.

That difference is called DUTY OF CARE as an employer, and it's a major legal requirement in W.A. (since 2002), and it also applies in other States as well.

If, as an employer, you're found to have breached your duty of care to your employees via deficient instructions, or deficient training, then you are held liable for injury or loss or deaths.

The $64 question here is whether the employee training was adequate, and whether the employee disobeyed company training instructions.

At the end of the day there will likely be an inquest, and the coroner will find if anyone in particular besides the deceased can possibly be found guilty of an offence under duty of care or other relevant company OH&S legislation.

If you go wandering through the bush on your own, following your own aims, then you have no-one but yourself to blame, if you die - especially if you take minimal safety precautions.

Cheers, Ron.

Peter

When my son worked in the Cooper Basin, for safety reason and OH&S, employees were not permitted to leave camp, not unless going out on a job, otherwise they would have no idea where everyone is.

Maybe they were, but I have personally seen no information to suggest that these people were working or employed in the area at all.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome