Reducing Manual Handling Risks at Mt Owen Mine with Nivek

The operators of Mt Owen Mine, Thiess, sought to reduce manual handling risks, improve posture and ergonomics and streamline heavy maintenance tasks across their site. By incorporating Nivek Industries’ TED and LA-40 equipment into their daily operations, the mine significantly improved safety standards, reduced physical strain on workers and increased their efficiency. Nivek now plays a key role in supporting safer workflows for GET maintenance and large machinery work.

The Client

Mt Owen Mine, located in Ravensworth, New South Wales, is the largest coal mining operation under the responsibility of Thiess. Delivering a full scope of mining activities at the site since 1995, their teams cover everything from mine planning, design and execution, to drill and blast, overburden removal and rehabilitation.

The Challenge – Turning Strain into Strength

Along with a myriad of mine tasks, Thiess were specifically looking for equipment to help improve GET (Ground Engaging Tools) maintenance and changes for their fitters. This labour-intensive task exposed their workers to risk of injury due to:

• manual handling of heavy machine components such as belly plates, cutting edges, sprockets and grouser plates
• awkward or fatiguing body positions during lifting and tooling
• constant vibration exposure when stabilising equipment manually
• tasks requiring multiple personnel, especially when completed with forklifts
• limited precision and visibility when performing adjustments during GET maintenance.

To strengthen safety outcomes and support more efficient workflows, the company sought equipment that would reduce physical strain, give workers greater control and streamline heavy maintenance tasks.

The Solution – Working Smarter, Not Harder

By integrating the LA-40 alongside TED, Thiess noticed immediate improvements across safety, ergonomics and workflow.

The LA-40 significantly reduced physical strain on their fitters by supporting heavy components and enabling safer, more natural working positions. Workers also experienced reduced vibration impact. The LA-40 also allowed operators to maintain visibility while making precise adjustments and using hand tools, resulting in safer and more accurate work.

By using TED during GET changes and maintenance, these jobs now only require one or two personnel, where previously two to three workers were needed. Not only did maintenance tasks become safer, Nivek’s equipment also helped to improve efficiency and workflow planning. Together, TED and the LA-40 contributed to creating safer, easier and more efficient workdays for the fitters at Mt Owen Mine.

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