Safety and Transport
At AGR, our commitment to safety extends across all of our operations and aims to ensure the wellbeing of our staff, customers, the communities in which we operate and the environment.
Packaging
We use one-tonne intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) for the storage and transportation of our solid sodium cyanide briquettes. An IBC is a proven packaging system that complies with
- UN1689 regulations
- the International Maritime Dangerous Goods code
- Australian Dangerous Goods regulations
Our manufactured briquettes are filled into a hermetically-sealed bag inside a woven polypropylene (PP) bulk bag, which helps protect the product from moisture. The bags are then placed in a box with a wooden pallet base, braced wooden sides and top. The pallet format protects the internal bulk bag during handling and transit.
Transport and logistics
We follow a comprehensive transport management plan for the transportation of our AGR sodium cyanide.
Our transport management plan has
International Cyanide Management Code (ICMI) accreditation and covers all aspects of the delivery route from our Kwinana site. We also ask all of our customers to demonstrate that they have similar management plans in place.
As part of our transport management plan, we only use major transport and logistics companies that have policies and systems in place to handle dangerous goods, including sodium cyanide.
Technical support
At AGR, we offer full technical support to our customers. Our technical and sales staff are available to provide the following assistance:
- Inspections and audits of sodium cyanide storage and receival facilities
- Training for mine site personnel on sodium cyanide handling and storage
- Advice on job safety analysis, HAZOPS and procedures for storage, handling and application of sodium cyanide
- Transport route risk assessment and recommendations
- Training for vehicle operators and convoy management staff
- Free, 24-hour telephone support
As part of our commitment to responsible care, we sponsor several projects by the
Australian Mineral Institute of Research (AMIRA), including Sodium Cyanide Practices, Sodium Cyanide Handling and Sodium Cyanide and the Environment projects.
For more information about these research projects, visit
www.amira.com.au.
Environment
All of our sodium cyanide facilities at AGR Kwinana have been built with the
environment in mind. Our manufacturing plants have a range of environmental protection features, including:
- Preventative measures to ensure that equipment failure or abnormal operating conditions don’t allow dangerous concentrations of hydrogen cyanide to be released into the atmosphere
- A selective catalytic reduction system which burns waste gases, therefore minimising nitrogen oxide emissions
- Continuous monitoring of all plant emissions and reporting to the Department of Environment and Conservation
- Facilities for converting waste heat from the incinerator to electrical power, which is then distributed for use at our other CSBP manufacturing plants
- Intermediate bulk containers and internal linings which are specially designed and tested to ensure environmentally safe transportation of solid sodium cyanide
Health and safety
At AGR, we’re committed to the health and safety of our staff, customers, contractors and the communities in which we operate.
Since we began manufacturing and transporting sodium cyanide in 1988, we’ve maintained a strong safety record without a single spill incident.
Our plant’s safety facilities include a fully-automatic shutdown system for process or equipment malfunctions and a 24-hour emergency response service ready to respond to any incident involving sodium cyanide.
Contact us for more information.