THE fabled skyhook no longer ranks with striped paint and left-handed screwdrivers as props in a practical joke - there now really is such a device.
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Invented by innovative staff at Centennial Coal's Myuna Mine, the new device won both the people's choice and the judges highly commended awards at the recent NSW Minerals Council Occupational Health and Safety Conference.
The skyhook is already making waves in mining, a Centennial spokesperson said.
It was designed and engineered by Myuna personnel to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries caused by lifting heavy underground cables and hoses weighing about 60 kilograms.
"With two men lifting the cables, it can cause quite a strain on your body. You have to bend to pick the cable off the ground and raise it to your chest to be suspended from roof brackets," Myuna miner Michael Cowan said.
Described as having a multitude of potential applications, the Skyhook appears set to be rolled out across all Centennial operations and then industry-wide, Myuna Mine manager Roger Davis said.
