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THE principal of Rochfort, Associates – Peter Rochfort – recently completed his 30th year of successfully providing employment and workplace relations advice and advocacy to businesses across a spectrum of industries, including mining. Mr Rochfort’s first exposure to workplace relations came in the transport industry when he was the Australian Road Transport Federation’s executive director over a 12 year period. During this time he negotiated directly with unions on behalf of transport operators and was able to reach favourable outcomes in some of the most difficult situations of the time. Through Rochfort, Associates, Mr Rochfort continues to provide industrial advice and advocacy at board and company management level, as well as to individual clients. As Mr Rochfort has been at...

A new Tsurumi heavy duty dewatering pump that delivers heads of up to 200m will change the way mining engineers, quarry and construction operators carry out dewatering duties. The new LH4110-W was introduced by Australian Pump Industries (Aussie Pumps), the sole Australian distributor for Tsurumi. Aussie Pumps product manager Craig Bridgement said the ability to use one pump to get up to a 200m total head was a huge breakthrough. “To think that Tsurumi have been able to achieve this with a pump that provides a 1000 litre per minute maximum flow, but is only 23 inches (592mm) in diameter, is a revolution,” he said. The Tsurumi LH-W series is a super high-head version of the existing LH range. The...

THE WA Opposition Leader has introduced a motion to Parliament calling for an urgent inquiry into suicides among FIFO workers following a spate of recent deaths in the industry. WA Labor leader Mark McGowan’s motion called on the Parliament’s Education and Health Standing Committee to look into reasons behind the high suicide rate in the FIFO workforce and to recommend initiatives industry and government could take to reduce its prevalence. The push for the inquest came weeks after a worker took his own life on Barrow Island and just over a month after a man was found dead in his room in South Hedland in another suspected suicide. Four FIFO suicides last year were referred to State Coroner Ros Fogliani...

WITH a commitment to customer satisfaction its number one priority, HK Calibrations offers expert instrument calibration and repair services for all instrument types, including test and measurement instruments. HK Calibrations recently moved its Perth premises to a new facility in Bibra Lake, providing a single, centralised point of contact for WA customers who can have their instruments calibrated in one local place. Along with promoting the WA economy, the enhanced facility in Bibra Lake has allowed HK Calibrations to maintain its commitment to unmatched turnaround times. HK Calibrations offers a full spectrum of services for a range of equipment including electronic and electrical, pressure gauges, hard gauges, flow measurement, telecommunication, weighing and temperature, gas monitoring, dumpy levels, surveying equipment, and...

WHEN wasted seconds mean wasted money, companies need to power their mining operations with equipment they can count on. The Gates line of hydraulic hose and coupling products ensures that mines can keep up with demand. Gates parts not only dramatically improve uptime, they also come backed by services designed to reduce inventory expenses and improve safety. Conditions in longwall mines can wreak havoc on equipment and personnel. Gates iLok couplings release a residual pressure away from workers and provide a secure, visible, and easily functioning locking system so workers don’t have to resort to dangerous methods to move them. On average, it takes 20 minutes to de-couple traditional staple-lock couplings. On a longwall miner with 500 connections, that means...

FOR more than 26 years, leading gift hamper manufacturer Interhampers Australia has made gift-giving a simple process for major corporations and personal shoppers alike. Australian owned and operated, Interhampers uses only premium quality products and market-leading global brands. “Gift giving is a most rewarding moment and Interhampers ensures that this important and very personal gesture is an enjoyable experience for all,” company representative Julie Blake said. “Interhampers’ gift-givers have reported feeling proud to offer such quality gifts to business associates, family members or friends. Gift-receivers similarly report feeling privileged to accept such a special gift.” Gift hampers have traditionally made ideal Christmas gifts, but they can be used throughout the year to celebrate many other events, including mother’s day, father’s...

BOASTING a modern fleet of more than 1700 wagons and 70 locomotives, CFCL Australia (CFCLA) is the leading independent supplier of leased railway locomotive power and rolling stock to Australian rail operators. CFCLA provides operators with flexible leasing options that deliver reliable and efficient transport solutions to the rail industry and its customers. The company has a long association with the mining industry. A large fleet of ore haulage wagons can provide the means for transporting all types of minerals, including products ranging from large lump aggregates such as iron ore and coal, to fine products such as mineral sands. CFCLA can modify or even build specially designed wagons to suit the product where necessary through its affiliate company CF...

WA’s largest privately owned technology company grew from humble beginnings. Abacus was formed in 1981 with just two employees and a small product range, to provide for the specialised needs of small offices. Abacus has since grown in size and reputation, expanding its product offering and employing more than 40 people with a wealth of experience to expertly service its extensive WA customer base. The company is now an OKI Metro Platinum dealer for Perth, and a 27-year partnership with Sharp Australia has positioned it as the company’s number one WA dealer. Abacus has divided itself into smaller, more manageable entities to ensure all products are handled properly and efficiently, and has become a specialist in the supply of multi-function...

ESTABLISHED and dynamic Murray Engineering is rapidly developing into a major player in the Australian and overseas market. The company supplies mechanical and electrical goods and services to major industries including mining. Murray Engineering’s highly skilled and experienced mechanical and electrical team specialise in maintenance, refurbishment, construction, manufacture and assembly of a wide range of equipment. The company has grown 600 per cent since 2007, with a focus on best-practice training, safety, environmental and government protocols. The company’s Pinjarra facility is one of the largest of its kind in WA covering more than 14,000 square metres on a 5.5 hectare site. It was built with the future in mind; to allow for the company’s continual growth through meeting the diverse...

AS the Australian resources sector continues to expand, so too does the demand for quality transportable camps for the mining and drilling industries. Royal Wolf is Australia’s leading supplier of shipping containers and has developed a reputation as the market leader with expertise in the modification of shipping containers for a variety of applications. Royal Wolf modifies and completely fits out shipping containers to provide everything from camps to commercial kitchens, accommodation, food stores, laundries, ablutions, recreational units, blast resistant buildings and relocatable explosive magazines. The key advantages of the containerised units are their portability and structural strength. The modular units can be stacked or joined together to form almost any layout required and can be easily transported to site...

A leading provider of electrical engineering, construction and maintenance services for major asset owners, Electrix works both alongside and independently of parent company McConnell Dowell to service the mining sector. With major offices in Queensland and WA, Electrix provides the mining industry with a strong local presence and access to some of the industry’s most experienced engineers, project managers and a highly skilled workforce. Electrix seeks strategic opportunities to become involved in projects as early as possible during concept and design development. Early involvement provides the opportunity to best influence design outcomes and reduce project costs and delivery time through value engineering and constructability analysis. This is achieved by applying expertise to areas such as design and specification critique; materials...