May 2016 - MEC

Handling Fatigue in the Workplace

May 31, 2016

One of my favourite sayings is that engineers are like diamonds, formed under pressure and worth a lot. Unfortunately, lately we now seem to be worth a little less money than we are perhaps used to. None the less, the pressure and workload in mining stands above many other industries.

Who Understands The Gold Price?

May 25, 2016

If you are being objective, you can't really explain the price of gold by looking at its uses. Sure it looks good in jewellery but most of the gold doesn't end up in jewellery, it sits in locked vaults gathering dust. There is now enough stored gold above ground to keep the jewellery market supplied for hundreds of years without needing to mine any more. So logically the price should crash and nobody should bother mining it any more. In fact people predict this all the time but it never happens.

Adding Value Through Real-World Solutions

May 24, 2016

At MEC we pride ourselves on understanding all aspects of the mining system, allowing for the recognition of opportunities within clients’ mine-planning strategies.Our highly experienced mining team is adept at providing strategies for improvement and we firmly believe in giving our clients the best return on their investment. We also truly value our client relationships and work closely with them to ensure the highest-quality solutions are tailored to their needs.

Resources Sector Heavyweights Unite at Industry Breakfast Forum

May 19, 2016

Up to 60 resources sector senior industry leaders converged at the MEC and Siecap jointly hosted Industry Breakfast Forum at the Brisbane Club on Friday, May 13. And despite the superstitions surrounding the day’s date – it was far from all doom and gloom forecast for the industry as the mining downturn bottoms out.

Coal Controversy Discussion

May 16, 2016

I'll level with you, coal is pretty dirty stuff. I'm in the coal game (open pit / underground) but I'll give you that one. It doesn't do the atmosphere or the landscape much good. However had humans never used coal, then steel and power could not have been made, the industrial revolution would not have happened and we would still be living subsistence lives with short life expectancy.

Known Unknowns and Unknown Unknowns

May 9, 2016

I took out my wheely bins this morning and since we have been on holidays I couldn't remember if it was recycling week or green bin week. I looked up the street and saw that most people had put out their recycling bin so I did the same. It turns out that nobody knew that it was green bin week. Everyone had copied the first person to put their bins out, who had in turn just made a guess, leading to a whole street full of smelly bins.

Top 5 Mining Camp Must-Dos

May 6, 2016

Working in the mining industry often requires you to live in a mining camp. While there are some perks associated with a mine camp – such as meals cooked for you, cleaning services and low cost of living – it can also be hard to get used to sometimes. Depending on your roster, it’s not unusual for mining professionals to do four-week stints at a mining village. So, it’s best you prepare yourself ahead of time for mining camp realities in order to make the most of your experience.

Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout

May 5, 2016

MEC’s Managing Director Simon Cohn is taking part in this year’s Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout. It’s the forth time he will participating in this event which gives ordinary Australians the chance to walk a mile in the shoes of a homeless person.

Mighty but Outdated

May 5, 2016

Last week I was in Hawaii for my brother’s wedding. We stopped in to visit the battleship Missouri in Pearl Harbour. Built in 1944 and retired in 1994, she was amongst the largest battleships ever built, massive, imposing and sporting some of the largest guns ever made.