Mastering mine shutdowns in Australia

Tier 1 contractor Boom Logistics has become a trusted partner in delivering safe and efficient mine shutdowns on-time and on-budget.

Boom Logistics’ expansive services offering means the company is always busy.

“We’re a Tier 1 contractor and the only publicly listed crane company in Australia,” Boom Logistics director of operations Lester Fernandez told Australian Mining.

“By virtue of that, we have a national client base, whether it be gold in WA and the Northern Territory, the copper belts of South Australia, or the coal hubs of Queensland and New South Wales.

“We have 16 strategically located depots across the country, including key service centres in Port Hedland, Newman, Leonora, Mackay, Olympic Dam and Singleton. Boom is never far from where we’re needed the most.”

The safe delivery of mine shutdowns is a key capability of the company.

Plan to succeed

Boom Logistics understands that shutdowns are a critical window for equipment upgrades, repairs and preventive maintenance – all essential for long-term performance.

They also help to prevent critical failures, where the sudden breakdown of equipment can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue per hour.

Boom Logistics general manager – west Chris Vas emphasised that effective shutdowns hinge on preparation and teamwork.

“The success of every shutdown is contingent on how much effort goes into planning, and then it’s about operational execution,” Vas told Australian Mining.

“To achieve this, open communication within your team and with the client is paramount. It doesn’t matter how well you plan or how well you think you can execute the shutdown; if you’re not talking to one another, it can go downhill very quickly.”

Vas said communication is borne from internal and external relationships, something on which Boom Logistics prides itself.

“The best shutdown teams are those that are the best connected,” Vas said. “This is a key focus for Boom Logistics, where a culture of connectivity is fostered across Boom’s national operations.

“We have the operational expertise to deliver a shutdown, but we’ve also established the team camaraderie to execute to plan while meeting or exceeding client expectations.

“It’s important that the shutdown team is engaged and delivering safely, and building camaraderie is a key enabler of this.”

Gearing up

So exactly what goes into preparing a mine shutdown?

“We do a lot of detailed front-end planning,” Vas said. “We seek to understand the client’s needs, then it’s a case of putting the puzzle pieces together, ensuring the right resources are available and optimised to the specific site.

“Then it comes down to execution. This involves frontline leadership and supporting our crews – being in it with them, while constantly communicating with other working groups and the client to ensure the shutdown is on track.”

During the planning phase, Boom Logistics goes out and assesses the site well in advance. This helps the company bed down a shutdown strategy tailored to specific site requirements.

“Compliance is critical in the shutdown space,” Fernandez said. “Compliance is the right people for the job and the right assets for the scope of works.

“Chris’ operations team, our regional managers and superintendents go out and assess site well before the shutdown occurs to understand site specifications. We then come up with a plan that gets finessed, optimised and tweaked as the shutdown nears.”

Fernandez provided some pearls of wisdom for effective shutdowns.

“The best preparation is having the crane and crew ready, positioned and on standby the moment they’re required – because there could be a crew of 50 or more personnel relying on them to remove and reinstall critical plant components, such as screens, feeders or belts,” he said.

“The timing of that puzzle piece being delivered is critical to the success of each subsequent puzzle piece, and there are many other cogs that must be sequenced to ensure the success of an entire shutdown.

“Putting all those puzzle pieces together safely and effectively at the right time is where Boom Logistics excels.”

When a planned shutdown takes place, there is also potential for emergent work to take priority. This could take the form of a critical breakdown.

“A breakdown could occur and suddenly the planned works are not the first priority,” Vas said. “We have to be quick enough and agile enough to shift and adapt our operations.”

Fernandez said carrying out a shutdown can be akin to playing “three-dimensional chess”, particularly when emergent work takes precedence.

“Whilst we might move an asset or crew from point A to point B to accommodate emergent work, it’s just as important to be able to adjust or reorder your list of priorities on the fly,” he said.

“It’s a fine and complex balance to get right: ‘I’m moving this job here, that comes here, and that goes there’. This reorganisation is carried out by the frontline supervisors and staff in conjunction with our operations team.”

Fernandez provided some pearls of wisdom for effective shutdowns.

“Putting all those puzzle pieces together safely and effectively at the right time is where Boom Logistics excels.”

When a planned shutdown takes place, there is also potential for emergent work to take priority. This could take the form of a critical breakdown.

“A breakdown could occur and suddenly the planned works are not the first priority,” Vas said. “We have to be quick enough and agile enough to shift and adapt our operations.”

Fernandez said carrying out a shutdown can be akin to playing “three-dimensional chess”, particularly when emergent work takes precedence.

“Whilst we might move an asset or crew from point A to point B to accommodate emergent work, it’s just as important to be able to adjust or reorder your list of priorities on the fly,” he said.

Firing on all cylinders

Boom Logistics recently delivered a successful shutdown for an iron ore operation in Western Australia, which was achieved through detailed planning, clear communication, and coordinated execution.

“The shutdown was executed effectively through extensive pre-planning, which started months before,” Vas said.

“We visited site to understand the work scope, the technical aspects involved, and the resourcing required.

“Pre-planning was most of the job, ensuring we had all our ducks in a row – from resource allocation to mobilisations and everything in-between – and then it came down to execution.”

Vas said Boom’s frontline leadership came to the fore to ensure the shutdown was delivered safely and on-schedule.

“We are really proud of our output and what we delivered to the client, and we have received great feedback from them as well,” he said. “The shutdown was successful for both parties.”

Beyond shutdowns

Boom Logistics’ expansive mining services offering extends beyond planned shutdowns , with the company also known for its day-to-day maintenance capabilities.

Boom supports most assets on-site, with cranes assisting reclaimer builds, conveyor maintenance, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) installation and removal, and major plumbing and hydraulic upgrades, to name a few applications.

“We’ve been on a really strong growth trajectory over the last three years, and this is sustainable, profitable growth, not just growth for growth’s sake,” Fernandez said.

“We want to go where we can add value and where we are valued. This methodology has helped us establish strong relationships across the mining industry, enabling us to consistently deliver shutdowns and maintenance works safely and effectively.”

This article originally appeared on Australian Mining’s July 2025 issue. It is republished here with permission. You can view the original article here.