Condolences to family, friends and fellow workers. Fatalities...

Condolences to family, friends and fellow workers.
Fatalities and serious accidents  impact the whole sector :/

https://thewest.com.au/business/min...olomon-iron-ore-hub-in-pilbara-ng-b882023333z
Mine worker death at Fortescue Metals Group’s Solomon iron ore hub in Pilbara
Daniel Newell, Stuart McKinnon and Caitlyn RintoulThe West Australian
Thu, 30 September 2021 8:39AM


The Andrew Forrest-controlled miner said it was working closely with police and WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Credit: Photography Project/Photography Project

Operations at Fortescue Metals Group’s Solomon iron ore hub in the Pilbara have been suspended following a fatality involving a worker at the site this morning.

The West Australian understands the man was a member of a drilling and blast crew and had fallen into a hole to his death.

CFMEU state secretary Mick Buchan labelled the workplace death a tragedy.
“It’s a stark reminder that the industry needs to lift its game,” he said.
“Safety must come first and foremost. Every worker deserves to come home safely.”

The Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest-controlled miner said operations were on hold “pending a full investigation into the incident”.
Fortescue said it was working closely with WA Police and WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

“The safety and wellbeing of our team members is our highest priority and at this time our focus is on ensuring that support is being provided to our employees and contractors,” chief executive Elizabeth Gaines said.

The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety said it was aware of a significant incident at the minesite and mine safety inspectors from the department were travelling from Perth to attend the scene, and were expected to arrive this evening.

Fortescue’s Solomon hub is 60km north of Tom Price and produces about 75 million tonnes of iron ore a year.

The suspension means thousands of workers across the massive operation have been temporarily ordered to stop work.

Solomon was the first mining operation in the world to see the deployment of Caterpillar’s autonomous haulage technology on a commercial scale in 2012.
Auto haulage technology has since expanded across the company’s Pilbara operations with 193 autonomous trucks now in operation.


Today’s incident comes less than two weeks after a miner fell to his death at the Sino Iron site 100km south of Karratha on September 17.
Queensland father Eugene Tata, 52, died from injuries sustained in the fall at the China’s CITIC Pacific Mining’s operation where he was working for contractor Karridale Group.
Mr Tata started working at the site in March. Paramedics treated him at the site before transferring him to Karratha Health Campus but it is understood he died en route.
Mr Tata’s Brisbane-based wife Bronwyn has been traumatised by the tragic death, having had to identify his body via a video call.
The West Australian later revealed mines inspectors had slapped more than 60 breach notices on the operation since 2015 — a record slammed as unacceptable by mining unions.


In June, an underground contractor died at Silver Lake Resources’ Daisy complex near Kalgoorlie-Boulder in an incident that is still under investigation.