Calls for an industry-wide review have been sparked by a worker’s death in central Queensland, the latest in a string of mining fatalities.
Operations have been suspended at the Oaky Creek coal mine amid an investigation into a machinery incident that left one man dead and another seriously injured.
It marked central Queensland’s fourth mining fatality this year and third in just months, prompting a union outcry and a demand from Premier Steven Miles for companies to better care for workers.
“This is an awful tragedy … too many mine workers have died this year,” Miles told reporters on Oct. 3.
“How often do we need to hear of a worker who’s left their family in the morning and died at work?”
The tragedy also comes just months after a man died and another was seriously injured in an underground collapse at Victoria’s Ballarat Gold Mine.
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Industry regulator Resources Safety and Health Queensland is investigating the latest incident.
Mining and Energy Union said it would push for an industry-wide examination of work practices.
It wanted the probe to focus on practices involving contractors and maintenance tasks “who are sadly over-represented in serious workplace accidents.”
“Something in this area of our industry is not working and not protecting our contract coal miners,” the union’s Queensland district president Mitch Hughes said.
“We need to look broadly at training, supervision, systems and workplace culture.”
Miles said the onus was on the mining industry.
“These are big, profitable multinational companies. They need to be taking better care of their workers,” he said.
“Nobody should die at work. My heart goes out to the family of this man who’s lost his life and those who’ve been injured as well.”
Paramedics were called to the Oaky Creek mine at Tieri, west of Rockhampton, about 4.30pm on Oct. 2.
A man in his 30s suffered significant head injuries and died at the scene.
Another man—aged in his 20s—was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening head, arm and leg injuries.
It was central Queensland’s fourth mining fatality of 2024.
Luke O’Brien died in a vehicle incident at the Saraji mine near Dysart in January.
Another two fatalities occurred at the Byerwen coal site at Suttor, west of Mackay, in August.
The fatal incident at Oaky Creek occurred when two employees were carrying out maintenance works, mine operator Glencore said.
“This is devastating for our entire Oaky Creek workforce, and we are providing support services and counselling,” the company’s Ian Cribb said.
Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli said the death would reverberate throughout the local community.
The Mining and Energy Union’s industry safety and health representatives will also investigate the Oaky Creek death.
“We will leave no stone unturned in uncovering what has gone wrong,” Hughes said.
