Glencore identified the mine's below ground level mineral oil filled transformers as a potential fire risk and flagged them for further investigation.

Furthermore, Glencore invited ester transformer fluid company MIDEL on-site, to explore the options to reduce the fire risk posed by the existing transformers.

After researching MIDEL's options, Glencore opted to retro fill the first transformer using MIDEL's 7131 biodegradable, synthetic transformer fluid.

The MIDEL 7131 has a high fire point of 316 degrees Celsius, offering excellent safety benefits for sites with enclosed spaces such as Mt Isa, where smoke can be even more deadly than the fire itself.

Glencore electrical superintendent Peter Ferguson said the price was worth it when thinking of his workers' improved safety prospects.

"Despite MIDEL being more expensive than other transformer fluids, in the overall scheme of things, the difference was negligible particularly for such a vast improvement in fire safety," Mr Ferguson said.

"If we ever had to physically move the transformer it would be costly and disruptive, so retro filling with an oxygen-stable fluid gave us peace of mind.

"By retro filling with a synthetic transformer fluid, fire risk by transformer is almost completely eliminated."

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