It’s the perfect balance that must be achieved for drift transport and haulage equipment, including dolly cars, rail systems, conveyances, couplings and rope attachments. No need to tell you that lacking in any of these factors could result in significant loss of time and production. We get it.

Compliance, or the lack of it, can lead to poor safety outcomes, resulting in fatalities, serious injuries, or in the least, can result in significant downtime due to audits or ‘catch up’ maintenance. There are relevant regulations  and guidelines specific to mine drift transport and haulage equipment, we know them intimately and so we should, 2 of our key people are on the Australian standards committee ME-018, which develops and reviews these standards, and the rest of us have been using the standards for most of our working life. To be specific, Reliance Hexham’s memberships, qualifications, certifications and accreditations list includes:

• Member AINDT (Australian Institute of Non-Destructive Testing)
• NATA laboratory accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 (National Association of Testing Authorities) for Destructive Testing, Non-Destructive Testing and Mechanical Testing.
• L2 and L3 NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) qualified technicians
• Member of ME018 Australian Standards committee (AS 3637, AS/NZS 3785 and AS 3751 included in the committee portfolio)
• Quality Management System certification to ISO 9001:2015

Relevant to underground mines with drifts or shafts (or both), AS 3637, AS 3751 and AS/NZS 3785 stipulate several minimum levels in:

• Design- including stipulated safety factors and fatigue factors
• Materials used in manufacturing-including minimum grades of steel
• Performance requirements
• Levels/frequency of testing at time of manufacturing and through the equipment’s lifecycle-including proof loading, magnetic particle testing, function testing, and measures on wear, damage and/or defects.

It therefore makes good business sense to deal with a supplier such as Reliance Hexham. They are not only experts in these standards but also have the capability to design, manufacture, test, maintain, repair and service your equipment as per, or above and beyond, the standard requirements and as a bonus:

• Can provide the necessary traceability and certification documentation and
• Help manage the asset life cycle and
• Can design and manufacture custom solutions, tailored to your needs.

It stands to reason that, by working with a diligent organisation such as Reliance Hexham, your safety risks are mitigated even more. It is also going to set you up with a more reliable, longer lasting asset. Add in the stipulated non-destructive testing, as well as the required maintenance regime; your asset’s life, reliability and safety will be even further enhanced, significantly contributing to OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency).

To know more about the standards and how we can help you stay ahead of the compliance, safety and reliability game, send an email to sales@reliancehexham.com.au Alternatively, give us a call on 02 49648500

 About Reliance Hexham

We design, manufacture (Steel Forging and fabrication), test, repair and certify to a range of standards as required by our customers and/or their industries and/or their stakeholders. We specialise in rope attachments, lifting equipment, couplings and draw bars; drift and shaft conveyances as well as specialised equipment.

• We are a NATA approved testing laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for Non-Destructive & Mechanical Testing. For more information please refer to our NDT Scope of Accreditation and our Mechanical Scope of Accreditation.
• Reliance Hexham have represented Australian Industry Group on Standards Committee ME-018 (Mining Equipment) since 2003. Being a member of this committee means we contribute to the development and maintenance of the standards within the committee’s portfolio. Standards in the portfolio for ME-018 include the AS 3637 series, AS 3751 and AS3785 series.
• Our quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by SAI Global

Author: Darren Grant, Sales and Marketing Manager - Reliance Hexham Pty Limited