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Inquest into the death of a mine worker told tighter controls needed

A coronial inquest into the death of a mine worker at BHP’s Perseverance Mine near Leinster in WA has been told that tighter risk assessment controls could have prevented the man’s death.

Forty-five year old loader driver, Wayne Ross, drove off an underground mine shaft and fell 25 metres to his death in April 2010.

The ABC reports that the inquest, held in Perth, was told that Ross was an experienced and competent loader operator and that he “assessed his activity on the day of his death as low-risk.”

Exact details of what happened in the lead up to the accident are not known as there were no witnesses to the event. Ross’s body was discovered some time later by another worker, however forensic specialists believe Ross died within minutes of impact.

Giving evidence to the inquest, Department of Mines and Petroleum inspector Andrew Harris said he “believed Mr Ross had removed safety bollards 6 metres from the lip of the shaft before going over the edge.”

Mr Harris said dust from a ventilation system may have reduced visibility in the underground shaft.

There were no signs Mr Ross tried to brake or of the loader “locking up”, he said.

The ABC reports Harris called for an overhaul of risk assessment process in underground operations, so mines are not relying on the judgement of one person.

“There has to be very rigorous procedures if there is going to be equipment working in and around voids,” he said.

He said there had been 7 other incidents, including another fatality, of manned vehicles tipping over into mine shafts underground in Western Australia since 1994.

The inspector made four recommendations to improve safety when using underground loaders, including better signage and access controls, formal team-based risk assessments, and use of unmanned vehicles near the edge of underground shafts.

Mr Harris said 35 West Australian mines used manned loaders in underground operations.

The inquest continues this week.

 

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