PRODUCTS & SERVICES
REFUGE CHAMBERS
A
ustralia's mining sector is no
stranger to cyclones and extreme
weather conditions. Even with
solid emergency and evacuation plans in
place, situations can escalate quickly. As
recently witnessed with cyclone Marcia,
the storm upgraded from a category 1 to
category 4 system in less than 10 hours,
leaving little warning to adjust large scale
evacuation plans.
For their operation in the Northern
Pilbara region, prone to extreme weather
conditions and cyclones, Atlas Iron
recognised the advantage of providing
on-site storm shelters at their largest Port
Hedland facilities.
MineARC Engineer, Daragh Quinn, said
"the custom StormSAFE chambers were
specifically designed to comply with
the Australian Building Code's 'Region D
Rating' for tropical cyclones, as well as the
Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/
NZS1170.2, with a Building Code of Australia
Importance Level of 4."
"Each chamber is large enough to house
72 people safely during extreme weather,
eliminating the requirement for Atlas Iron
to send staff to Perth during an emergency,
and allowing them to continue production
and processing as normal all the way up to a
'blue' alert."
the chambers were designed as four-piece
modular units that bolt together to provide
approximately 105m
2
of internal space,
allowing easy disassembly and relocation as
required. Boasting a clever, compact design,
the shelters each offer bedding for up to 54
persons, ample seating, a kitchenette and
dual toilet facilities.
"the MineARC team, from initial concept
discussions through to handover on site,
provided a professional service," said
trevor Beattie, Capital Works Manager at
Atlas Iron. "the design of the StormSAFE
product evolved during construction to
meet the conflicting requirements of two
separate end user locations."
"the StormSAFE shelter met all the technical
criteria and the internal fit out provides
total flexibility for seating arrangements
within the two center modules. A special
thanks to MineARC for their determination in
delivering the product to schedule and at a
level that was promised at the outset."
the StormSAFE's unique modular
design means it can be customised and
adapted to meet any client specification,
particularly in regards to size, occupancy
and internal features.
If you are interested in a storm shelter for
your site, please contact MineARC, whose
qualified engineers can work closely with
you to produce a solution to best suit
your needs.
Cyclone Shelter designed for
extreme weather conditions
the StormSAFE represents MineARC's latest venture into above-ground safe refuge solutions for industry. in close collaboration with
australian iron ore company, atlas iron, minearc has developed two modular, fully portable cyclone shelters, built to withstand wind
speeds in excess of 300km/hr.
for more information on MineARC's
StormSAFE call (08) 9333 4966 and
visit www.minearc.com.au.
AUST R A L AS I A N M I N E SA F E T Y J O U R N A L / Autumn 2015 / www.amsj.com.au
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