NQ mine helps Queensland school children stay safe

Queensland school children will benefit from the generosity of a North Queensland-based mine that is the newest sponsor of the Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT) program.

It is expected that more than 100,000 school children around the state will be inspired to stay safe on the roads, in the water and beyond this financial year, thanks to the outstanding support of $125,000 by BHP Billiton Cannington Mine.

The Mine’s support has meant the award-winning program can be offered at no cost this financial year to schools for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Already, more than 65,000 Queensland children have seen or are booked in to see the program, which has presenters who have a spinal cord injury informing and inspiring students about safe behaviours.

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said the ambitious target of sharing life-changing safety messages with more than 100,000 school students before 30 June next year was on track to being achieved.

“This week is Spinal Injuries Awareness Week and we are delighted to announce BHP Billiton Cannington Mine’s support – and the dramatic results of that support,” he said. “This increase in bookings is a tremendous result for SEAT as the more children we can inspire to think about safety and the consequences of their actions, the fewer young Queenslanders will be injured.

“The feedback we have received from teachers and principals, especially at small schools in regional and remote areas, is that they could never afford the program in the past even though we only charged $1 per child.

“Now that SEAT is at no cost for this financial year, we can barely keep up with demand. For example, in October last year, 8,885 children viewed the program compared to 16,645 children in October this year – that’s an 87% increase in just one month and I hope that BHP Billiton Cannington Mine staff and management are incredibly proud of what they are helping us to achieve.”

BHP Billiton Cannington Mine General Manager Bob Fulker said: “As Zero Harm is the number one priority for Cannington, supporting the Spinal Education Awareness Team in Queensland is a wonderful opportunity for us to make this aspirational goal real for the next generation.

“Cannington has a long running relationship with the Spinal Injuries Association. Seeing how much impact the SEAT program is having across the state reinforces the value of our relationship,” said Mr Fulker.

SEAT has been operating as a service of the Spinal Injuries Association for 22 years and has shared safety messages with nearly 1.3 million children around Queensland in that time.

“Coinciding with the success of SEAT, Queensland has gone from the state with the highest rate of spinal cord injuries to the state with the second lowest rate,” Mark said.

“Around 90 people will still sustain a spinal cord injury every year in Queensland, however. Road trauma continues to be the major cause, followed by falls/crushes and water-related accidents.

“The more children our presenters can reach out to with their personal and very powerful stories – the better our chance to further reducing injuries that will have a lifetime of consequences.”