The Mining and Energy Union (MEU) is demanding answers following the fourth mining fatality in Queensland this year.
A man in his 30s died at the Oaky Creek Coal Mine site on Wednesday 2 October and another worker was flown to Rockhampton Hospital with life-threatening head, arm and leg injuries.
Learn more
The Oaky Creek Coal Mine is located 300 west of Rockhampton and is managed by Glencore Australia. Glencore released a press statement on October 3 confirming that the workers were performing a maintenance task in and around a conveyor belt when the incident occurred, and that relevant Queensland authorities have been notified and operations at the mine suspended.
The Mining and Energy Union’s (MEU) Steve Smyth reported that the MEU had industry safety and health representatives on site at the mine to support workers. “It’s been a very, very tragic time and there’s not a lot of answers to what is going on,” he said.
"Even if people are not directly there at the event, it’s the ripple effect of working at a mine or around the industry itself when these events occur.”
A report will be prepared for the coroner and police are assisting Workplace Health and Safety with the investigation. A Resources Safey and Health Queensland (RSHQ) inspector issued a directive to isolate the incident scene and an investigation began immediately.
This latest fatality is the fourth mine death in Queensland this year:
- Luke O’Brien, 27 years old, died at Saraji Mine on January 15
- Chris Schloss, 48 years old, died at Byerwen Mine on August 3
- Joh Linwood, 56 years old, died at Byerwen Mine on August 22
Queensland Premier Steven Miles spoke at a press conference on Thursday 3 October and described the incident as “an awful tragedy”, and went on to state that “Too many mine workers have died this year. How often do we need to hear of a worker who has left their family in the morning and died at work?”
Mr Miles followed with the statement that “The onus should be on the companies. These are big profitable multi-national companies…they need to be taking better care of their workers.”
The MEU’s Mr Smyth said “With all these tragic events we want to make sure we get to the bottom of it and find out what’s happening. We are just having too many workers killed and not returning home. Certainly, a lot of questions are going to be asked.”
Read more: Fatal incident at Oaky Creek coal mine | Resources Safety & Health Queensland (rshq.qld.gov.au)