New project for Alice Springs

Global mining company Thor Mining will establish an open pit mine near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Thor Mining is proposing to develop the Molyhil Mine, 220km north east of Alice Springs.

Major project status has been awarded to the mine, which will produce tungsten. It is commonly used for heavy metal alloys such as steel and used for drilling, the automotive industry and in aerospace.

The project has an estimated capital expenditure of $69.3 million and is expected to create nearly 100 local jobs – 59 ongoing local jobs in Alice Springs over the seven year projected mine life, and a further 40 jobs during construction.

The timeline of works includes:

• Final investment decision by the end of 2021
• Project construction and development during 2022
• Production commencing in the beginning of 2023

Thor Mining has secured a number of approvals for the project so far, including a mining agreement with the traditional owners and environmental assessment.

Workplace exposure standards halved for respirable crystalline silica

The new national workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica takes effect in the Northern Territory on 1 July 2020.

Exposure standards are mandatory legal limits set to minimise exposure to airborne contaminants in the workplace to protect the health of workers.

The new exposure standard halves the amount of respirable crystalline silica a worker can be exposed to over an eight-hour shift, from 0.1 mg/m3 to 0.05 mg/m3.

Results from last years a silica compliance campaign found Territory businesses understood the dangers of silica, and compliance with work health and safety requirements was very high. WorkSafe Inspectors only issued three improvement notices and two prohibition notices during the campaign.

The NT Government reminded employers to control the risk of silica dust with these steps.

• Use a product with no silica content, and if that’s not possible use a product with the lowest content;
• Always wear appropriate PPE;
• Use engineered solutions which minimise dust generation and the risk of exposure such as local exhaust ventilation, water suppression (wet cutting) or using tools with dust collection attachments;
• Clean up regularly to stop any dust spreading;
• Conduct regular air monitors; and
• Provide health monitoring for your workers.

Employers are reminded that natural stone still contains silica.