Snowy 2.0 underground workers strike over safety concerns
Workers on one of Australia’s biggest renewable energy projects have downed tools due to safety issues onsite.
According to the Australian Workers Union (AWU), there were concerns that some refuge chambers on the Snowy 2.0 project — crucial for worker survival in the event of an underground emergency — were inoperable and not maintained to the manufacturer’s specifications.
The AWU also said that the workers had not been trained in the operation of the refuge chambers, underground emergency evacuation procedures, firefighting and medical emergencies as required by the project’s Emergency Response Management Plan.
The Emergency Response Management Plan also requires that regular underground rescue scenarios be conducted, but the AWU reported that there had not been any evacuation drills or other scenarios done in some areas of the project for months.
The union has written to Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, NSW Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis and project managers requesting urgent meetings to discuss their ongoing concerns.
“Refuge chambers are crucial for survival if there is an emergency underground. They are meant to be inspected regularly to ensure they work, yet some have been found inoperable,” said AWU NSW Secretary Tony Callinan.
“Workers need to be trained how to use the refuge chambers, and how to respond in the event of an emergency.
“These emergency scenarios need to be practised regularly… Tunnelling is a dangerous industry, and the risks need to be managed.”
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