Qube Ports and Bulk operations manager Glenn Gibson and Bunbury Port Authority chief executive officer Kevin Shellack have welcomed new state-of-the-art mobile hoppers.
NEW state-of-the-art technology has lifted morale and decreased the risk of injury among Qube Ports and Bulk workers operating at the Bunbury Port.
The company has welcomed two $2 million mobile hoppers to be used for bulk material handling.
The hoppers are the first of their kind at the Port and were designed to speed up operations while reducing the risk to workers and the environment.
Qube’s Bunbury facility operations manager Glenn Gibson said the old hoppers, which were built in the 1970s, posed risks to both the environment and employees.
Mr Gibson said some employees injured their necks and shoulders by operating the stiff handles and chutes.
“Our new hoppers eliminate this issue, featuring advanced auto-raise chutes and baffle plates which keep all dust to a minimum, catching it inside the hopper itself, benefiting both our team and the environment,” he said.
Mr Gibson said the new technology had lifted morale among workers and had come at the perfect time as mineral sands imports were increasing.
The hoppers will also be used to discharge petroleum coke, urea and ilmenite.
More than 300,000 tonnes of product will be handled by the hoppers every year.
The company also developed its own purpose-built container rotator system in May this year to reduce dust and spillage.
The new system impressed government departments and port authorities across the country who were worried about dust and environmentally hazardous minerals in their local communities.