The Problem
Heat stress is a growing threat to health and safety in mining operations, particularly as extreme weather events and record-breaking heatwaves become more frequent due to climate change. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures in physically demanding roles can lead to dehydration, reduced cognitive function, heat exhaustion, and even life-threatening conditions such as heat stroke. In the mining industry- where personal protective equipment (PPE), confined spaces, and remote environments are common—managing thermal load is both a regulatory necessity and an ethical imperative.
Traditionally, managing heat stress has relied on retrospective analysis, generalised risk assessments, or static environmental readings that do not account for site-specific or individual factors. These outdated approaches often lead to delayed intervention, increased recordable injuries, and reduced productivity.
The problem was identified through feedback from MX3’s mining clients, field data on hydration testing, and a growing number of global studies linking climate conditions to occupational heat-related illness. While MX3’s existing hydration testing system enabled real-time assessment of individual hydration levels, clients highlighted the need for a comprehensive toolkit that could combine predictive analytics, individual risk profiling, and proactive training into a cohesive heat stress management strategy.

The Solution
In response, MX3 Diagnostics developed the Heat Stress Management Toolkit, a proprietary software solution designed to help mining companies move from reactive to proactive heat stress management. The toolkit integrates three synergistic modules:
- Heat map Page: This module delivers real-time environmental monitoring. It displays site-specific readings for apparent temperature. Predictive algorithms help forecast risk levels throughout the day. Custom alerts notify teams when thresholds are exceeded, empowering supervisors to act before incidents occur.
- Monitoring Page: This feature combines real-time environmental data with individual worker profiles to generate dynamic thermal risk assessments aligned with the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH) standards. By automating the integration of heat exposure thresholds and individualised risk factors - including job role, hydration status, and location - the Monitoring Page enables companies to operationalise the AIOH framework with greater ease and accuracy. This allows for the identification of high-risk combinations of workers, tasks, and environmental conditions, supporting timely interventions such as task rotation, hydration scheduling, or shift adjustments, all based on live data rather than static assumptions.
- MX3 University: A customisable education and compliance module, MX3 University offers training content developed to support onboarding, regulatory alignment, and ongoing education in heat stress prevention, providing multilingual and industry-specific content to suit diverse workforces.

Resources and Development Process
The toolkit was developed using internal software engineering resources and in consultation with external occupational safety advisors and industrial hygienists. MX3 engaged beta partners in mining and heavy industry sectors to test and refine the toolkit in real-world conditions.

Methods of Trialling and Testing
The system was tested in partnership with early adopter organisations across Australia Including Komatsu Global. Real-world feedback was gathered from field safety officers, environmental health professionals, and frontline workers. Metrics were tracked over a closed beta period.

Implementation
Implementation was designed for ease and speed. The Toolkit is deployed through the MX3 Portal using existing customer accounts, allowing MX3 customers to opt-in without reimplementing user accounts. Once activated, users can configure site profiles, upload worker data, and begin receiving live risk insights immediately. Alerts can be viewed on desktop or mobile devices, ensuring access even in remote locations.

Hierarchy of Control
The Toolkit supports the hierarchy of control in several key ways:
Elimination/Substitution: Forecasting high-risk periods enables rescheduling, additional heat stress measures or halting work where feasible.
- Engineering Controls: Live environemtnal data allows for optimisation of ventilation, shade structures, or cooling systems.
- Administrative Controls: The Monitoring Page guides decisions on job rotation, hydration scheduling, and break timing.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Data from the Toolkit supports selection of appropriate heat-adapted PPE and cooling garments.

Benefits/Effects
Safety and Health Benefits
Since implementing the Toolkit in beta, partner organisations have reported a measurable decrease in heat-related incidents. For instance, Komatsu Global, a major mining manufacturing company in NSW and QLD, reported that the data provided by the Heat Stress Toolkit provided more actionable outcomes and easier management of heat stress risks in their groups in Mossvale, Rutherford and Rockhampton sites during the 2025 beta period - marking a substantial improvement. Komatsu Global reported that employees took to the toolkit well and helped maintain safety compliance standards across the sites.

Deployment Across Sites
The Toolkit has been deployed at several sites during the beta phase. Feedback indicates that both field supervisors and health & safety teams find the system intuitive and actionable.
The centralised dashboard allows companies with multiple sites to compare heat stress metrics and standardise responses across their operations.

Transferability
The Heat Stress Management Toolkit has been designed with adaptability in mind. It is fully transferable across the resources industry- including mining, oil & gas, construction, and utilities - due to its modular, cloud-based architecture and minimal setup requirements.
Transfer can be achieved through:
- Inclusion in existing safety management systems (SMS)
- Direct use through the MX3 portal (requiring only internet access)
- Integration with MX3’s portable hydration and sweat testing products
The Toolkit’s data-driven framework also supports integration with third-party enterprise systems, allowing for expansion and customisation based on company needs.

Innovation
Originality
The Heat Stress Management Toolkit represents a first-of-its-kind integration of real-time environmental data, individual risk profiling, predictive AI, and training into a unified platform. While many tools exist to measure heat index or provide hydration guidelines, MX3 is the only provider offering:
- Personalised risk scoring based on environmental and biometric data
- Predictive alerts for high-risk heat scenarios
- Embedded training and compliance modules in the same ecosystem
By offering predictive risk analytics, not just passive monitoring, the Toolkit enables earlier and more effective interventions. This represents a paradigm shift in occupational heat stress management - from reaction to prevention.

Approximate Cost
Currently, the toolkit is free of charge and is included in MX3’s current portal. There are no upfront hardware costs, and setup requires only an internet connection.
For organisations already using MX3 hydration or sweat testing systems, the Toolkit adds significant value at no additional cost.

Exhaust lagging has historically been used in mining to insulate machinery, reduce heat, and mitigate fire risks. However, over time, this practice has become a significant health and maintenance issue, releasing inhalable fibres and increasing respiratory risks.
At a coal Mine in Queensland, maintenance teams raised concerns about fibre exposure, prolonged servicing times, and inefficiencies caused by lagging to there SSHR. Collaborating with Dr. Nikky LaBranche and the Mines Inspectorate, we developed a proactive solution: To remove exhaust lagging where practicable and adopting safer alternatives such as ceramic coatings, metal heat shields, fire-resistant surface treatments,RS23 recognised hose burst protection ,Dual skin exhaust components and advanced fire prevention strategies.
Aligned with safety standards RS14, RS20, and RS23, our solution significantly improves workplace health and efficiency, offering broad applicability across the mining industry.

The Problem: The Burden of Exhaust Lagging
Maintenance crews faced numerous issues with exhaust lagging, including:
• Mandatory Full PPE: Protective suits and respirators were essential due to airborne fibres.
• Skin Irritation: Direct contact caused significant skin irritation.
• Extended Inspection Times: Removal and reinstallation increased maintenance duration by up to 50%.
• Waste & Disposal: Premature disposal due to rapid degradation, contributing to approximately 100 kg of waste annually per vehicle.
• Fire Hazards: Damaged lagging increased the risk of fires by absorbing oils and fuel mist.
• Extended Downtime: Machines experienced on average 50% more downtime due to extensive maintenance procedures.
Exhaust lagging, originally intended as a protective measure, was now identified as a substantial respiratory hazard, especially related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), now the fastest growing mine dust lung disease in Queensland with 101 new cases reported in FY24. Research has confirmed significant health risks from inhaled particles and fibres, particularly those with a length-to-diameter ratio greater than 3:1.
Testing by Dr. Nikky LaBranche, utilizing Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), confirmed a significant increase in airborne fibres and broken particles in aged lagging samples. Literature further indicated a potential transformation of amorphous silica into cristobalite—a harmful form of crystalline silica known to cause lung diseases—under prolonged heat exposure. Although TEM and XRD analysis found no immediate presence of cristobalite in our samples, these findings underscored the need for proactive risk elimination.

Solution & Implementation
Recognizing these risks, we strategically removed exhaust lagging, introducing:
• Phased Removal Strategy: Initially targeting high-risk machinery.
• Alternative Safety Measures: Ceramic coatings, metal heat shields, fire-resistant surface coatings, hose burst protection, routine thermal imaging,Dual skin exhaust components and frequent engine bay inspections.
• Education & Training: personnel trained in fibre risks and new safety practices.
• Comprehensive Air Quality Monitoring: Measured before-and-after particulate levels.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular audits, worker feedback, and air quality assessments ensuring compliance with RS14, RS20, and RS23.

Results & Impact
Removing lagging can yield measurable benefits:
• Health Improvements: 50% reduction in airborne particulates.
• Reduced PPE Burden: Eliminated need for full-body suits and respirators during routine inspections.
• Operational Efficiency: Inspections are 80% quicker, with overall machine downtime reduced by approximately 30%.
• Cost Savings: Achieved 20% annual maintenance cost savings, translating to substantial financial benefits.
• Environmental Impact: Decreased waste by approximately 100 kg annually per vehicle.
This initiative has transformed safety culture, encouraging proactive hazard identification and elimination.
Transferability & Industry Impact
The solution offers significant potential across mining operations:
• Simple implementation process.
• Proven effectiveness with tangible results.
• Applicable wherever exhaust lagging is employed, ensuring broad industry adoption.
Conclusion
The removal of exhaust lagging represents a critical advancement in mining safety and health practices, delivering significant health, operational, and environmental benefits.
✅ Improved Worker Health
✅ Enhanced Safety and Maintenance Efficiency
✅ Compliance with Regulatory Standards RS14, RS20, RS23
✅ Significant Reduction in Waste and Costs
We proudly submit this innovative initiative to the QMIHSC Health Awards, confident in its potential for positive impact industry wide.

Manual handling remains one of the most consistent sources of lost time injuries (LTIs) in coal processing plants, particularly during equipment maintenance shutdowns. Traditional tertiary sizer segments are heavy and cumbersome to manage, often requiring forceful removal methods such as jackhammering. These methods introduce serious risks including overreach, musculoskeletal strain, tool slippage, and uncontrolled fragmentation.
Due to the cyclic nature of wear, segments must be replaced multiple times per year. For machines requiring up to 264 segments, the cumulative weight manually handled can exceed 4,000 kg for a standard 12hr shift during a shutdown period. This total weight is for new parts being installed only, it does not include the additional weight of removing the old segments. Beyond physical strain, jackhammer removal exposes workers to fragmentation and airborne debris risks. The industry has long accepted this as standard, but KCL Industries identified an opportunity to eliminate these hazards at the source.
KCL Industries undertook a complete redesign of the tertiary sizer segment to improve manual handling safety, reduce fragmentation risk, and extend wear life.
The innovation process was driven by direct consultation with maintenance crews and site safety officers. KCL worked closely with its casting foundry and metallurgists to produce a proprietary alloy designed for durability and user friendly manual handling use. Computer modelling and real-time site feedback were used to refine geometry and material composition. Field testing took place at two locations one in the Bowen Basin and one in the Hunter Valley area.

Key Safety Innovations:
Weight Reduction: Each segment is approximately 2.5 kg lighter than traditional parts—a 17.25% decrease. For a 264-segment machine, this results in 660 kg in a 12hr shutdown period that does not require being manually moved or 1,980 kg less manual lifting per year based on three shutdowns annually. This does not include the additional weight reduction of removing the old segments with our design.
Pocketed Feet: A patented design feature that stabilises jackhammer entry, minimising slippage and strain. This reduces overreach and strain related incidents, while mitigating fragmentation of the chisel point.
Wear resistant material: The segment’s material composition allows it to provide a longer wear life during operation, therefore reducing the amount of times these machines will require to be exposed to the human element of having to change segments which reduces manual handling exposure significantly.
Laser-Etched Identification: All raised markings were removed from the wear face to avoid snag points, and identification is now laser etched on the base of the part for longevity and traceability of our parts. Not only does this present a smooth surface for better operation and less material sticking issues on startup but also allows accurate product control and accountability.
Rollout required no new tools or training—existing maintenance procedures were preserved. Parts were swapped in during scheduled shutdowns with live feedback collected. The innovation applies the substitute control level of the hierarchy by substituting the old segment design for our new lighter, jackhammer friendly design which reduces manual handling weight and fragmentation risk, rather than relying on PPE or administrative protocols. Safety is embedded in the design, not dependent on human behaviour.

Benefits and Effects
Reduced Injury Risk: A 17.25% reduction in part weight significantly reduces musculoskeletal strain and cumulative lifting exposure.
Fewer Jackhammer Injuries: The pocketed feet allow for safer tool alignment, reducing incidents of overreach, tool slippage, and airborne debris.
Longer Wear life : Means fewer stoppages and fewer isolations for maintenance, therefore reducing the risk of human error.
Improved Morale: Crews reported a notable decrease in the weight of the part during installation and ease of movement during this period.
Green Impact: By using 2.5 kg less material per segment, the environmental footprint of each part is reduced. In aggregate, this contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions and material wastage during the manufacturing process. KCL’s 100% off-grid facility also enhances this benefit further, avoiding 35.6+ tonnes of emissions to date.
Deployment: The solution is only in early stages of production with interest being fielded from many sites looking to adopt this technology.

This innovation is not equipment-specific and can be retrofitted to other crushing systems. Because the safety features are embedded in the part—not in process changes—it requires no retraining or operational adjustments.

KCL is currently in discussions with CHPP sites to scale adoption of this design. The same pocketing and weight-reduction principles are now being evaluated for shaft-mounted components, and other wear parts.
KCL’s design is the first in the sector to fully integrate weight-reduction, stabilised removal, wear-life extension into one segment. Unlike other components that only extend part life, this design prioritises safety as the central innovation.

Features such as laser-etched identification, jackhammer guidance pockets, and reduced material volume are purpose-built to address known risks—proactively, not reactively. The innovation redefines what a “better part” means in mining: not just longer-lasting, but safer, lighter and easier to handle.
Since the inception of mining and mineral processing, there has been significant progress in engineering, safety, and coal processing techniques, leading to today’s highly efficient and safe CHPP designs. While these advancements have improved efficiency and safety the fundamental methods of crushing, sizing, and handling materials have remained constant. These latest developments in manual handling aim to further refine these processes. By reducing the weight and increasing the wear life of parts we seek to create a safer coal processing environment for all workers and thus making our contribution to advancing the coal processing industry.