Union safety representatives are meeting in Mackay today to discuss health and safety issues in underground coal mines, on the 29th anniversary of the Moura No. 4 underground mine disaster which killed 12 coal mine workers.
Industry Safety and Health Representative for the CFMEU Mining and Energy Qld District Greg Dalliston said that there had been three fatalities in Queensland’s coal mines in the past 12 months and that job insecurity and deteriorating training standards in the mines were extremely concerning.
“We’ve noticed a sharp decrease in training standards for new workers and this is something we are very worried about,” said Mr Dalliston.
“Workers are going underground with far inferior training to what would have been required in the past and we think that could lead to disaster.
“Job insecurity is another big concern. Workers are much less likely to speak up if they see a hazard in the workplace when they are worried about losing their jobs.”
Safety representatives from across Queensland are meeting in Mackay for a week-long underground site safety and health education seminar to share knowledge and discuss safety and health hazards in the industry.
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