November 22, 2015
More than 360 South Burnett students are better informed about the frightening risks of driver fatigue, thanks to a Meandu Mine Fatigue and Safety Management Campaign.
Campaign materials were presented to the students from Nanango State High School, St Mary’s Catholic College and Kingaroy State High School recently by the schools’ Adopt-a-Cop police officers and Meandu staff.
Students received a Meandu Mine Fatigue Management handbook and listened to speakers tell personal stories about the dangers of fatigue.
Meandu Training and Compliance Coordinator Tracy Sutton said people working at Meandu Mine were familiar with safe fatigue management, given that the mine supplies up to seven million tonnes of coal to Tarong Power Stations annually by working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
She said the Meandu Health, Safety and Training Team recently recommended the information be presented to the local high schools.
“As part of the Meandu Mine Safety Program, we recognised benefits for the community as well as our people,” Tracy said.
“The program is based on our own fatigue campaign and handbook,” she said.
The program focused on educating young drivers who are freshly P-plated and may be travelling to Schoolies or entering the workforce next year.
Tracy said more than 250 seniors from Nanango and Kingaroy State High Schools attended the information session, along with 110 students from St Mary’s Catholic College.
“Young people, as many of us remember, may feel invincible but fatigue can take anyone by complete surprise and with devastating results,” Tracy said.
“Winding the window down or blasting the stereo will not stop you from falling asleep.”
One of the fatigue program presenters, Meandu Operator Russell Schloss, spoke passionately to the students about the importance of not driving when fatigued, or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Russell talked about his love of circuit sports-car racing but focussed on being fit to drive a vehicle and the importance of driving responsibly.
He also spoke about regularly being tested at Meandu for alcohol and other drugs.
“In the simplest terms, it’s about looking after your mates,” Russell said.
He then asked the students how they’d feel if one police officers had to knock on their parents’ door or the parents of one of their mates because they’d been in an accident that could have been avoided.
“The decisions you make today may have lifelong impacts, and driving tired or under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not worth the risk,” Russell said.
Meandu Health and Safety Coordinator Stuart Janson spoke about being in the last car in a four-car head-on accident when one person in another car was seriously injured due to a fatigued driver.
Stuart also talked about the trauma that awaits people who are seriously injured and the life-long ramifications of such decisions.
The schools’ Adopt-a-Cop officers, Constable Samantha Giles, Constable Tamika Wilson and Constable Todd Armstrong, also gave a presentation to the students with hard-hitting statistics and realities about driving fatigued, as well as the legal penalties.
