WA tradie claims global podium finish

The NSW Resources Regulator has issued a safety alert following a truck rollover involving a Hitachi 3500 haul truck at Boggabri opencut coal mine.The roll occurred when the operator failed to comply with designated crest and ramp speeds while descending an in-pit ramp.The operator was wearing a seatbelt and was not injured, though they had to be extricated from the rolled truck.NSW Resource Regulator coal principal inspector Bill Barraclough says the hazards of not following site procedures when operating equipment in open-cut mines resulted in the roll over.“Following site procedures when operating equipment is crucial to keeping workers safe,” he said.The haul truck was recovered to allow truck monitoring systems to be downloaded, which identified the operator’s non-compliance to the site’s crest and ramp speed limits.Additional recommendations from the incident suggest mine operators conduct regular crest and ramp speed audits and review speed monitors.

Liebherr’s T 264 mining trucks are proving their reliability in one of WA’s most demanding environments, with a fleet now working at a Thiess-operated site in the Pilbara.With high temperatures, abrasive materials and demanding production schedules, mining in the Pilbara region presents a challenging environment.Thiess mining manager Kathryn Harrison says comments on the performance of the T 264s.“What we’re looking for in our machinery is that it can withstand those extremes of temperature, presence of dust, wet weather conditions, as well as hauling some serious dirt,” she says.That expectation is being met in day-to-day operations.Thiess maintenance manager Rob Sue says despite the conditions, the trucks have performed.“We can’t ask any more of the product than that,” he said.“The support from Perth has been phenomenal.”This partnership keeps trucks operating efficiently and reliably in one of the world’s toughest mining environments.

EACON hits autonomous haulage milestone in Australia A retrofitted Komatsu HD1500 haul truck has successfully completed its first fully autonomous haulage test cycle at Norton Gold Fields' Mulgarrie mine in WA.The achievement is part of a tri-partite project between EACON Mining Technology, Thiess and Norton Gold Fields, confirming the successful retrofit of autonomy on Komatsu trucks.Prior to the retrofit, the truck had about 20,000 operating hours and was elected as part of the project to broaden asset life.Following a structured series of testing and validation activities, the retrofitted truck, named Jerry, has met the criteria to operate fully autonomously, demonstrating the maturity of EACON's complete autonomous driving system under Australian operating conditions.The first phase of the project demonstrated reliable integration of EACON's independently developed drive-by-wire retrofit kit, consistent vehicle behaviour under autonomous control and effective tuning of control algorithms to match the truck's native operating characteristics.Comprehensive system-level validation was completed across perception, planning, decision-making and vehicle control, confirming the system's readiness for continued on-site testing and subsequent project phases.EACON Mining Australia chief operating officer Elaine Jin says the milestone reflects disciplined execution and close collaboration across all project partners."Achieving this milestone safely and on schedule validates the maturity of our ORCASTRA system, its adaptability to the Australian mining environment and its proven performance on large scale rigid dump trucks,” she said.Thiess assets and autonomy group executive Ryan Kirkwood says the global mining services provider was proud to work in partnership with EACON and Norton Gold Fields to demonstrate how autonomy could be introduced safely across mixed, brownfield fleets."Thiess has implemented, operated and optimised autonomous solutions for haulage fleets, dozer and drill applications globally for close to 15 years,” he said.“We're pleased to bring our experience to this project to support change management and implementation processes, from commissioning through to successful maintenance with our workforce of the future."Supporting fleet expansion and further validation activities, a second Komatsu HD1500 truck, Tom, has also recently completed retrofit works and is making its way to the Mulgarrie site.Norton Gold Fields chief executive Wei Lin says the milestone demonstrates the potential for retrofit autonomous haulage to be safely introduced into active Australian gold mining operations.“The project has progressed in a structured and measured way, with safety and operational readiness at the forefront,” he said.By enabling autonomy across multiple vehicle brands and models, EACON's open, OEM-agnostic autonomy solution provides a practical pathway for upgrading existing mining fleets and facilitates the transition of autonomous haulage from greenfield deployments to scalable brownfield and retrofit operations.

Metso achieves certification ahead of schedule Metso has achieved the internationally recognised ISO 27001 certification for its information security management system (ISMS), marking a significant milestone in the company’s cybersecurity capabilities.The certification was awarded to Metso IT ahead of the original Q2 CY2026 target, demonstrating the company’s strong commitment to protecting information assets and meeting rising customer and regulatory expectations.ISO 27001 provides a globally accepted framework for managing information security risks and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. By meeting the standard, Metso confirms that its security processes and controls are systematically designed, implemented and continuously improved to meet international best practices.Metso IT risk and compliance director Janne Mennala says achieving this certification signals credibility and discipline, but it is only the beginning of a continuous improvement journey.“With our ISMS now aligned with ISO 27001, our security practices are more transparent and easier to demonstrate to partners and customers,” he said.The certification covers Metso IT’s global functions and strengthens the basis for further security development within the company’s business segments.Throughout the certification process, Metso worked in close partnership with Cyberismo, a Finnish cybersecurity company and long-standing expert partner. Their support has been instrumental in ensuring that Metso’s ISMS aligns with industry best practices and future requirements.“We are truly proud of what we have achieved together. The success confirmed that we have been moving in the right direction for much longer than this project alone,” said Mr Mennala.