News
Contractor and worker fined following mine accident
Sun, 23 Mar 2008On 29 February 2008 a Central Queensland contracting company was fined a total of $44,000 in the Mackay Industrial Magistrates Court in relation to an incident at Broadmeadow coal mine in February 2006. A mechanic with the company was fined $4,400 in relation to the same incident.
Contractor CQE Hire Pty Ltd and mechanic Terence Atkins of Moranbah both pleaded guilty to breaches of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999.
CQE Hire was ordered to pay $18,000 in investigation costs and $66.50 in court costs. Atkins was also ordered to pay court costs of $66.50.
The prosecution followed an incident at the BMA-owned mine in February 2006. A coal mine worker received burns to 65 per cent of his body when the water truck he was driving ran down a surface access ramp, overturned and burst into flames.
Investigations by the Mines Inspectorate revealed faulty and poorly maintained brakes on the truck.
For its part of this incident, BMA Coal Operations had previously pleaded guilty in December 2007 to failing to meet its obligations under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act and was fined $35,000 plus investigation costs of $9,000.
The penalties were the highest court-ordered penalties made to date under the state’s Coal Mining Safety and Health Act.
Penalties imposed on all parties totalled $83,400 while total investigation costs were $27,000.