Golden Grove Operations Pty Ltd has been fined $35,500 after an integrated tool carrier and blast truck fell into a 13-metre deep hole at the company’s Golden Grove precious metals mine southeast of Yalgoo in October 2018.
While no one was injured in the incident, three workers from a blast crew had been working in close proximity to the bomb truck minutes earlier.
A number of charged blast holes were also engulfed in the sinkhole.
Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd has been fined $75,000 after a worker was fatally injured when the truck he was driving crashed at the company’s Channar iron ore mine in August 2018.
Hamersley Iron, a Rio Tinto subsidiary, pleaded guilty in the South Hedland Magistrates Court to causing the death of an employee.
On the day of the incident, the worker was driving down ramp 84E that has a gradient mostly between 8 and 10 per cent and is around 1.2km long.
The tragic loss of life and significant environmental impacts associated with the failure of a tailings storage facility (TSF) at Vale’s Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine in Brazil has highlighted the devastation that can occur when critical mine infrastructure fails.
In light of this tragedy it is important to provide information about similar infrastructure on Western Australian mines and how it is regulated.
There are more than 800 TSFs in Western Australia, with approximately two thirds categorised as shut - including historic TSFs.
ThinkSafe is the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety's (DMIRS) new online publication for workplace safety and health in Western Australia.
DMIRS Deputy Director General Safety Ian Munns said that while the look, design and production of the magazine has changed, its primary aims haven't.
"The new-look online magazine ThinkSafe will play an important role in raising general awareness of safety and health issues," Mr Munns said.
Dampier Salt Limited was today fined $20,000 and ordered to pay $6,283 in costs after a worker’s head and neck became trapped while working at height at the company’s Port Hedland salt operations.
In July 2018, two contractors were using an elevating work platform (EWP) to inspect the underside of a large salt stacker. A third man was working at ground level as the leading hand and spotter.
The McGowan Government today announced an additional $6.5 million for the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) program as part of the State Budget 2022-23.
Launched in December 2021, the MARS program boosts responses to mental health, workplace culture and mine safety in Western Australia’s mining sector.
The McGowan Government’s new Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws begin tomorrow improving protections for all Western Australian workers.
A national first, the new laws bring together WHS for general industry, mines and petroleum operations under a single act.
BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd was today fined $125,000 after a contractor suffered a lacerated artery from being struck in the neck by a metal shard in September 2017.
The incident occurred while the contactor was working on an excavator during routine maintenance works at BHP’s Whaleback iron ore mine located about six kilometres from Newman.
BHP pleaded guilty in the South Hedland Magistrates Court after being charged with causing serious harm to an employee and failing to provide a workplace where employees were not exposed to hazards.
Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Ltd was today fined $80,000 and ordered to pay $7,500 in costs after three workers were exposed to extreme conditions without proper training.
The company pleaded guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court for failing to ensure the safety of employees.
On 14 October 2017, two workers and a supervisor were searching for proposed drill sites in rugged terrain while working at Mount Windell in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The work took place over two days in temperatures estimated to be higher than 37°C.
Mining and petroleum operators are reminded to review their contingency plans for the 2021-22 cyclone season.
Employers in control of workplaces in cyclone sensitive regions must have adequate plans in place and provide adequate training to protect workers in the event of a cyclone.
