Underground work has ground to a halt on Australia’s biggest renewable energy project, Snowy 2.0, over safety concerns.
According to the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), tunnel boring machines have been turned off and all drill and blast works have ceased.
“Workers are concerned some refuge chambers on the project—crucial for worker survival in the event of an underground emergency—are inoperable and not maintained to the manufacturer’s specifications,” the AWU said in a statement.
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“The workers have not been trained in the operation of the refuge chambers, underground emergency evacuation procedures, firefighting and medical emergencies as required by the project Emergency Response Management Plan.
“The project Emergency Response Management Plan also requires that regular underground rescue scenarios be conducted, but there hasn’t been any evacuation drills or other scenarios done in some areas of the project for months.”
The union, which represents workers on the site, 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 ongoing concerns.
“We have been raising safety concerns on this project for years now, someone’s going to get killed if safety issues aren’t addressed immediately,” AWU NSW secretary Tony Callinan said.
“Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) have been raising their concerns onsite for months, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears.
“Tunnelling is a dangerous industry, and the risks need to be managed, Snowy 2.0 management just can’t seem to get it right, it’s the worst project I have seen in 20 years as an AWU organiser.
“Yes, it’s an isolated project. Yes, it’s a difficult and complex design, but the management can’t seem to even get the basics right. It’s a disgrace.
“The workers have the skills and knowledge to do this project safely, but management continually prioritise production ahead of safety and it is preventing the workforce from doing their job safely.”
In a statement to Energy Source & Distribution, a Snowy Hydro spokesperson said, “Some underground work at Snowy 2.0 has temporarily stopped while principal contractor Future Generation Joint Venture (FGJV) takes steps to ensure a back-up safety system meets strict safety requirements.
“The matter relates to the project’s refuge chambers, last-resort areas where workers can shelter in the unlikely event that both primary safety systems are compromised and evacuation routes are blocked.
“Snowy Hydro expects FGJV to maintain the highest safety standards and requires the contractor to resolve matters relating to certification, management plans and additional training requirements, before underground work in the affected areas can begin again.
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“The issues were identified after listening to concerns from workers and conducting proactive inspections of the refuge chambers. Refuge chambers have been the subject of discussions with unions in the past. Snowy Hydro takes any safety concerns very seriously and took steps to address previous concerns. There has been an increased emphasis on safety performance in the revised Ministerial Statement of Expectations issued to Snowy Hydro.
“FGJV has advised Snowy Hydro that it expects all work to resume shortly. All surface work on Snowy 2.0, as well as some underground work, is continuing unaffected.”
