Rio Tinto expresses its gratitude to search crews for locating missing capsule

Rhea-AI Summary

Rio Tinto has expressed gratitude to Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services and other agencies for successfully locating a missing capsule that was lost during transit from its Gudai-Darri iron ore mine. The Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, acknowledged the remarkable effort of the search teams and apologized to the community for the incident. He confirmed that a thorough investigation will be conducted to assess the processes related to the handling of radioactive materials, which the capsule is a part of. The gauge, used in the mining industry, was reported lost on January 12.

Positive

• Successful retrieval of the missing capsule, ensuring community safety.
• Ongoing investigation shows commitment to improve safety protocols.

Negative

• Incident raises concerns about handling procedures for radioactive materials.
• Loss of the capsule may impact community trust in safety measures.

PERTH, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto expresses its gratitude to the Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services for coordinating the successful search effort to locate a missing capsule lost while in transit from the company’s Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in the Pilbara, Western Australia.

Rio Tinto would also like to thank the specialist search crews from the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, as well as all other support agencies, for their crucial role in the search and recovery efforts.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Simon Trott said, “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work of everyone involved in finding the missing capsule.

“While the recovery of the capsule is a great testament to the skill and tenacity of the search team, the fact is it should never have been lost in the first place. I’d like to apologise to the wider community of Western Australia for the concern it has generated.

“We are taking this incident very seriously and are undertaking a full and thorough investigation into how it happened.

“This sort of incident is extremely rare in our industry, which is why we need to investigate it thoroughly and learn what we can to ensure it doesn’t happen again. As part of our investigation, we will be assessing whether our processes and protocols, including the use of specialist contractors to package and transport radioactive materials, are appropriate.”

Notes to editors

The device involved is an industrial gauge which is commonly used in the mining industry. In this instance it was being used at our Gudai-Darri mine site to measure iron ore feed in the crushing circuit of the fixed plant.

The capsule is small (6mm diameter, 8mm long), round and stainless steel, and forms part of a level sensor (gauge) that is used in some fixed plant assets.

The gauge, packed by a specialist radioactive materials handler, was collected by a transport contractor from the Gudai-Darri mine site on 12 January.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230201005476/en/

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Rio Tinto plc

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London SW1Y 4AD

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Rio Tinto Limited

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Melbourne 3000

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Category: Pilbara

Source: Rio Tinto

FAQ

What incident occurred involving Rio Tinto on January 12?

A capsule was lost during transit from Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri iron ore mine.

How did Rio Tinto respond to the missing capsule incident?

Rio Tinto expressed gratitude to search agencies and announced a thorough investigation.

What is the significance of the capsule that was lost?

The capsule is part of an industrial gauge used for measuring iron ore at the mine.

What actions is Rio Tinto taking regarding the lost capsule?

The company is investigating the incident and reviewing safety protocols.

Who was involved in the search for the missing capsule?

The search involved the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Australian Defence Force, and other agencies.