Mining contractor Macmahon reported a fatal collision on 22 August at QCoal’s Byerwen coal mine in Queensland. The accident follows the death of a worker involved in a crane incident three weeks prior.
Macmahon said a loaded dump truck was ascending the ramp leading out of the pit at low speed when a light vehicle approached from behind and ran into the rear of the dump truck.
“This is a tragic and sad incident which has impacted our whole team. We continue to support our people, especially friends and family of our deceased colleague, as well as the dump truck operator,” Macmahon’s Managing Director and CEO Michael Finnegan said.
Industry regulator Resources Safety and Health Queensland gave the green light on 27 August for work to restart at the coal mine, provided operators can maintain a safe environment. The regulator had suspended all activities involving heavy vehicles following the most recent accident until inspectors were satisfied it was safe to resume.
“It’s disheartening and concerning to see a second fatality in less than a month at Byerwen,” said the regulator in a statement.
“We want to assure affected workers, friends and families that we are conducting a thorough investigation and are committed to taking appropriate action.”
Sources: Macmahon and Resources Safety and Health Queensland