$300k safety fine

Dang!

https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Companies-fined-600k-over-worker-injury

https://thewest.com.au/business/mining/three-rivers-drilling-tungsten-mining-fined-600000-after-worker-suffers-traumatic-head-injuries-c-10737760

Two WA companies operating in the miningindustry have been fined a total of $600,000 after a worker suffered traumatichead injuries onsite.

Three Rivers Drilling and Tungsten Mining were eachfined $300,000 and ordered to pay $6,000 in costs after pleading guilty forfailing to provide and maintain a safe work environment at the PerthMagistrates Court on May 22.

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

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

The day of the incident, an excavator wasbrought on site to dig around the rod and apply pressure to remove it from theground but during the excavation the drill rod snapped and one of the crewmembers who was standing offside was struck on the head either by the brokenpart of the drill rod or by the excavator bucket.

The man, who suffered traumatic and permanentinjuries, was flown to Royal Perth Hospital where he was admitted to theintensive care unit.

Acting WorkSafe Chief Inspector Mines ChristinaFolley said the incident was an important reminder that mine operators mustmake safety their number one priority.

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

“Nor had the acting supervisor completed themandatory training for his position as required by the Mines Safety andInspection Act 1994.

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

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