Brisbane company developing new safety product for mines

Brisbane company QMW Industries has been awarded $250,000 from the State Government’s Business and Industry Transformation Incentives (BITI) scheme to develop and export an innovative safety product to protect workers on mine sites.

Industry Minister Desley Boyle announced the funding today.

“The BITI scheme supports projects that promote the transformation of priority industries and drive Queensland towards an internationally competitive, sustainable and knowledge-intensive future,” Ms Boyle said.

Minister Boyle said the BITI grant would enable QMW Industries to become a world class manufacturing supplier for the mining and resource industry.

“This is a Queensland-owned company that has established itself as a market leader for safety overfit frames, structures, canopies and cabins for use in the construction, earthmoving, mining and maintenance industries,” she said.

“QMW will develop a new safety overfit frame prototype that will assist in minimising the effect of accidents on mine sites. This new product will create a Queensland supply chain allowing the company and its partners to meet the needs of the global mining industry.”

QMW Industries owner Jeff Samuels said the State Government funding would also help his company to establish a world class testing laboratory to develop the new prototype.

“We have a very experienced R&D team with a proven track record in the design, development, manufacture and installation of these safety overfit frames,” he said.

“The new prototype will act like a cage protecting the driver/operator in the event of an accident which may cause the cabin to be crushed.

“It will also protect driver/operators from falling objects.”

Ms Boyle said the State Government was pleased to support an innovative company like QMW Industries.

“This is a great opportunity to create significant export opportunities for the company and its supply chain partners,” she said.

“BITI focuses on the big picture and the impact of a project on an industry and region as a whole.

“Small to medium enterprises operating in Queensland’s priority sectors can apply for between $30,000 and $250,000 for projects that have the potential to significantly expand their business, their industry and their region.”

The next round of BITI closes on 13 March 2009. For more information on BITI, visit www.industry.qld.gov.au/incentives

6 November 2008

Media contact: 3224 2007 or 3225 1005
Company contact: Jeff Samuels, 3717 8707, jeff@qmw.com.au