Mobile Heavy Diesel Mechanics at Onslow Iron.

Service Requirements at Onslow Iron

Sustaining 35 Mtpa iron ore throughput across a Channel Iron Deposit (CID) hematite operation places cyclic, high-load demand on the haul truck and ancillary equipment fleets that cannot be absorbed by scheduled maintenance windows alone. Mobile Heavy Diesel Mechanics at Onslow Iron must be capable of field-level diagnosis and repair of large-format diesel drivetrains — including haul trucks, graders, and dozer units — operating continuously across a 150 km private haul corridor under sustained ambient temperatures of 45°C, with peaks reaching 48°C. Mineral Resources Limited (MinRes) — operator on behalf of Red Hill Iron Joint Venture (RHIJV); JV partners: Baowu, AMCI, POSCO — operates the site under a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) open cut extraction model, meaning equipment availability directly gates ore movement to port. The NextGen modular crushing infrastructure and transhipping logistics chain at Ashburton North amplify the downstream cost of unplanned drivetrain downtime, making reactive field response capability a primary contractor selection criterion. Scope documentation should specify unplanned call-out response time from nearest Pilbara hub as a minimum performance threshold.

• Thermal operating competency: Demonstrated delivery of heavy diesel field repairs in sustained ambient temperatures of 45°C, with documented site exposure of ≥24 months within the last 5 years in the Pilbara region — evidence required via verifiable site references or timesheets
• Fleet coverage breadth: Demonstrated capability across ≥3 OEM platforms common to DSO open cut operations (e.g. Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi haul trucks and ancillary earthmoving equipment), with OEM authorisation documentation or equivalent competency records submitted at tender
• Red-dust filtration wear management: RFQ must specify contractor's documented protocol for air filtration system inspection intervals under high-particulate Pilbara conditions — minimum inspection frequency of every 250 engine hours must be demonstrated via prior site maintenance records

Site-Specific Operational Constraints

Conditions procurement must communicate to all bidders in tender documentation for Onslow Iron.

• Environment: Ashburton Mineral Field conditions impose sustained summer ambient of 45°C and peak temperatures of 48°C, combined with fine red-dust particulate generated by CID hematite extraction and haul road traffic — contractors must demonstrate abrasion-rated tooling inventories and heat-management protocols for field technicians working on exposed drivetrains
• Logistics: Site is approximately 1,085 km from Perth; nearest regional hub is Newman at approximately 381 km — parts and personnel mobilisation must account for road haulage lead times along the Onslow Iron corridor, with no assumption of same-day metropolitan supply chain support
• Response SLA: Emergency drivetrain call-out response: 2–4 hours from on-site standby or nearest pre-positioned crew; extended mobilisation from Newman hub: 12–24 hours maximum — both windows must be contractually committed and evidenced by equivalent Pilbara operational records
• Roster: FIFO roster compatibility is mandatory; contractors must demonstrate concurrent multi-site mobilisation management capability and submit a coordination protocol confirming how their field crews integrate with the existing Onslow Iron site workforce without creating access or induction bottlenecks
• Camp/facilities: FIFO access is supported via the Onslow Iron corridor with DIDO options from Tom Price and Paraburdoo; contractors must confirm accommodation and messing arrangements are either self-sufficient or pre-agreed with site management — no assumption of surplus site camp capacity is permitted in tender pricing

Contractor Capability Checklist

Minimum evaluation criteria for shortlisting Mobile Heavy Diesel Mechanics contractors at Onslow Iron. Each criterion must be verifiable via documentation submitted with tender response.

• Technical certifications: OEM authorisation for ≥3 heavy equipment platforms relevant to DSO open cut fleets; compliance with AS 3788 (pressure equipment in-service inspection) where applicable to diesel ancillary systems; MARCSTA site safety card or equivalent Pilbara site access credential
• Personnel tickets: WA-recognised Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology (or equivalent MEM-stream qualification) for all field technicians; current Construction Induction (White Card); High Voltage Awareness certification where hybrid or electric ancillary equipment is present on fleet
• Mobilisation SLA: Documented evidence of 2–4 hour emergency response delivery from equivalent Pilbara iron ore operations — reference site names, dates, and equipment types must be provided; undocumented claims are non-compliant
• Public Liability insurance: Minimum AUD $20M per occurrence (Certificate of Currency required)
• Professional Indemnity: Minimum AUD $10M aggregate (applicable where contractor provides technical specification, failure analysis advice, or maintenance design recommendations)
• Workers Compensation: Full statutory cover under WA law (WorkCover WA — Injury Management Plan required)
• Site exposure: Minimum 24 months demonstrated exposure within the last 5 years at an operating Pilbara iron ore mine using open cut / surface extraction methods — DSO or CID hematite site experience is preferred and must be evidenced by verifiable client references
• Safety systems: HSE management system certified to ISO 45001 or equivalent; ICAM-trained lead investigator available within the contractor's deployed team; documented heat illness prevention protocol specific to field maintenance work at ≥45°C ambient

Regulatory & HSE Framework

All Mobile Heavy Diesel Mechanics work at Onslow Iron is governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) and the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 (WA), administered by WorkSafe WA. Contractors operating field diesel maintenance activities on surface mining equipment must comply with the plant and machinery provisions of the WHS (Mines) Regulations 2022, including pre-start inspection obligations and hazardous energy isolation (LOTO) requirements applicable to heavy drivetrain work. Supplier registration via ISNetworld (https://www.isnetworld.com/) is required as part of the prequalification process — portal registration must be current and in good standing at the time of tender submission. Mineral Resources Limited (MinRes) — operator on behalf of Red Hill Iron Joint Venture (RHIJV); JV partners: Baowu, AMCI, POSCO — mandates site-specific induction completion and compliance with its contractor management framework before any personnel mobilise to site. Additional supplier information is available via the MinRes supplier portal at https://www.mineralresources.com.au/suppliers/.

Sourcing Qualified Contractors

No confirmed tender activity for this specific service category at Onslow Iron is on record at the time of this briefing. The regional labour pool for Mobile Heavy Diesel Mechanics is concentrated in the Pilbara, with approximately 3–5 active providers capable of meeting the site's remote-deployment and multi-platform fleet requirements. Newman, at approximately 381 km from site, functions as the primary staging hub for contractor crew rotations and parts pre-positioning. Contractors with confirmed regional exposure include SHIFT Diesel and Earth, Marlee Resources, and Everything Diesel (noted as market reference only, not endorsement). Procurement teams engaging this market must allow a minimum of 4–6 weeks for prequalification, ISNetworld registration validation, and onboarding through the MinRes supplier portal before RFQ responses can be evaluated against the capability thresholds set out above.