Mine Safety courses for mine rescue teams in Queensland

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Qld) Services, Queensland Mines Rescue Service (QMRS) and St John Ambulance (Qld) have launched a dedicated medical training program for members of mine rescue teams across the state.

Drawing on the Flying Doctor’s 86 years of experience and knowledge in delivering medical services to rural and remote Queensland, RFDS Chief Executive Officer Nino Di Marco said he was looking forward to working to improve safety in mines across Queensland.

“We are delighted to have worked with the Queensland Mines Rescue Service to provide valuable training that will significantly contribute to the safety and wellbeing of not just individual mine sites, but the overall Queensland mining community,” Di Marco said.

The three new mining specific courses will make use of RFDS Flexible Learning Options, an interactive online learning platform aimed at accelerating information uptake, prior to completing the courses with practical hands-on instruction.

QMRS Chief Executive Officer Wayne Hartley welcomed the official launch of the mine safety courses at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference in Townsville on the weekend (17 August).

“This is a significant step forward in the delivery of the vital components of first responder rescue training,” Hartley said.

“The specially formulated content will take mine rescue training to a new level of expertise and, in doing so, maintain the position of QMRS as the leader of mine rescue capabilities in Australia.”

The Advanced Surface Medical First Responder and the Advanced Underground Medical First Responder courses will train members of mine rescue teams in advanced emergency first aid and trauma management, above and below the ground  environments, respectively.

Both courses incorporate a nationally recognised training qualification and, on successful completion, graduates receive a statement of attainment.

Topics among the 11 specialised training modules include: considerations specific to the mining environment, advanced pulmonary resuscitation skills, critical pain management, advanced oxygen systems (safety, pre- and post-operational checks), stretcher transport, mental health and traumatic stress awareness, triage and incident scene management. In addition, graduates of the Advanced Medical First Responder courses also receive access to the Medical First Responder app, available on Android and iOS platforms, to allow ongoing digital access to up-to-date, best practice information.

An introductory Mine First Aid Course is also available to personnel who work across all sectors in surface mining environments. The course incorporates a nationally recognised training qualification and is the minimum required under workplace health and safety legislation.

Once the self-paced and interactive theoretical component of the course is completed, the hands-on and practical assessment of the course is conducted by St John Ambulance (Qld).