Companies fined $600k over worker injury

Two WA companies operating in the mining industry have been fined a total of $600,000 after a worker suffered traumatic head injuries onsite.  

Three Rivers Drilling and Tungsten Mining were each fined $300,000 and ordered to pay $6,000 in costs after pleading guilty for failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment at the Perth Magistrates Court on May 22.

An employee of Three Rivers Drilling was contracted to undertake mineral exploration using drill rigs mounted on trucks at Tungsten’s Mt Mulgine project in the Murchison Region, before he was struck in the head while trying to remove a drill rod.

The day before the incident occurred, a drill rod became stuck in calcrete cap rock while the drill rig was operating.

The day of the incident, an excavator was brought on site to dig around the rod and apply pressure to remove it from the ground but during the excavation the drill rod snapped and one of the crew members who was standing offside was struck on the head either by the broken part of the drill rod or by the excavator bucket.

The man, who suffered traumatic and permanent injuries, was flown to Royal Perth Hospital where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.

Acting WorkSafe Chief Inspector Mines Christina Folley said the incident was an important reminder that mine operators must make safety their number one priority.

“While the two companies had risk management procedures in place, a recently appointed acting supervisor did not request a Job Hazard Analysis for the task of removing the rod,” she said.

“Nor had the acting supervisor completed the mandatory training for his position as required by the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994.

“A JHA would have identified the potentially fatal hazards associated with the work and enabled those risks to be addressed.

“These missteps and oversights led to a potentially deadly situation that resulted in a worker suffering significant long-term injuries.”