[JTMILLER]

Hey Guys
A few of the fellas at work want to put in a pit, but I vaguely remember hearing that putting in a pit these days is very hard to do legally, due to ventilation and hazards etc. Does anyone know where to look for this info? tried safework SA but they are a bit useless.

As its a mine and we get inspected semi regularly needs to be done properly.

Cheers

[IcE]

Speed limit is 40km/h and only 6 people are allowed over the line to work on a car at any given time.

That should cover it...

[JDNakaBomb]

JTMILLER, on 10 August 2010 - 11:36 PM, said:

Hey Guys
A few of the fellas at work want to put in a pit, but I vaguely remember hearing that putting in a pit these days is very hard to do legally, due to ventilation and hazards etc. Does anyone know where to look for this info? tried safework SA but they are a bit useless.

As its a mine and we get inspected semi regularly needs to be done properly.

Cheers

Pits are like nearly impossible to get passed by councils now days as they have a tendancy to kill! Carbon monoxide has killed a few as has explosions in the pits. . . Pretty sure at least one end has to be ramped to allow for blast dispersion and rescue access. . . With the cost of making one that complies (electrical cables with flame proof insulation etc, probably a drainage pump that runs to a separator (EPA/EHO definately wont let you run the drainage to a soakwell or stormwater mains (I am a plumber ;p )), reinforced concrete walls so it doesn't fall in on you. . .) chances are a $3000 hoist would be a better idea. . .

The only places that I have seen a new pit put in was at a truck/agricultural workshop. That was a major PITA for drainage requirements and had to run x amount longer than the largest item to be driven over it, with both ends ramped @ x degrees. That was in country WA and it was the council and EPA/EHO that were inspecting it.

[250Pluss]

IcE, on 11 August 2010 - 07:59 AM, said:

Speed limit is 40km/h and only 6 people are allowed over the line to work on a car at any given time.

That should cover it...

ROFL :lol:

[JTMILLER]

Thanks for the info JDN.

Luckily as we are a mine we can tell the councils to bugger off so don't need their approval.
Just need to meet safework SA's standards and the EPA's.
Going to do a concrete floor in the loader shed so that wouldn't be too hard to do a reinforced one for the pit.

Sadly I don't think a $3,000 can lift 25 tonne loaders or 30 tonne trucks, would be interesting to watch :P

[Gordo]

we still have pits at my work and only just able to hang onto them. they are only there cause they've been there since the 40's or something and where not allowed to renovate cause of the unley council and the stupid malven residents. but yeh we can only keep them cause there well ventilated.

As for new ones ive been led to believe that you either cant put them in at all anymore or at the most extreme cases they must be extremely well vented. its crazy the laws on them. when ever anything happens in relations to the pits the epa, work safety and all the rest come in and try and get rid of them but never do. It will be next to impossible to get a pit approved now days

For the hoist side of things. the normal car/ 4x4 hoist plus four post hoist are any where from 3k up to 10ish. not sure on four post. but those normally have a max 8 or so tone lift for the bigger ones. normal work shop ones being around a 4 tone lift. however, i know for a fact that there are truck and bus hoists. they are big individual lifters and have 6 or so that work together. but they cost a bit more. Don't have details but if you ask hoist companies they might be able to point you in the right directions. sorry about the long write up. hopefully this sheds some light

[JDNakaBomb]

Ahah. . . I didn't realise it was for the actual mine vehicles. I thought it was just for the guys cars. . . Safework SA will not give any help until something goes wrong (disclaimer - hearsay - don't sue me) . . .As you said, mines are covered by the mines act and can write their own rules. . . With a budget of a minesite it will be a piece of piss to build one that complies. Flameproof electrical, a ventilation fan pushing from one end, well lit up, ramped ends for rescue/blast dispersion, a drainage pit/pump setup and a structural engineer to design the reinforcing so that the weight doesn't collapse it. . . I have seen a few reverse pits on mine sites and rail yards as another option; basically build up a concrete track either side about a metre high to drive on. The machinery is then usually within reach. All depends on what your working on as to the specifics. . . Come to think of it, I think most were sunk down half a meter and had half a meter high tracks so that access/egress was still easy. . .