Chris Ryde, Senior Maintenance Planner at BHP Billiton Iron Ore Mining Area C, has won the Engineering category and the Industry Choice Award at the Chamber of Minerals and Energy 2015 Safety and Health Innovation Awards in Western Australia for his conveyor replacement initiative.

The awards are open to all Western Australia-based resource companies, operations and contractors and recognise excellence in creativity and ingenuity with the goal of improving safety and health outcomes at workplaces.

The conveyor belt replacement improvement project improved the way belts are replaced at Mining Area C by making innovative use of turning frames.

Receiving the award, Chris thanked the team at Mining Area C and said the project had delivered not only safety outcomes but also improved productivity and cost outcomes.

"It’s fantastic to be recognised for both engineering and industry choice from an initiative that started with an idea to challenge the status quo and seek better outcomes for our people and our Business," he said.

Mining Area C General Manager, Johnny Velloza, attended the awards and said Chris is a deserving winner and it was wonderful to see industry recognise the value of the initiative.

"I am delighted that Chris and the Fixed Plant Maintenance team have received this recognition for a terrific project," he said.

"The conveyor replacements at Area C are now safer, our people are exposed to less risk and as an added benefit the work is completed quicker and at less cost. I am very proud of the team."

The conveyor belt replacement project has also been recognised at our 2014 Health, Safety, Environment and Community Awards, where it received a merit award in the Safety category.