A new report has revealed mine workers in Western Australia's booming resources sector continue to be seriously injured at a rate of more than one a day, as the state prepares to roll out new workplace health and safety laws.
The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) report for 2020-21 showed there were two fatalities and 402 safety incidents classified as "serious".
Serious incidents result in an injury that disables a worker for two weeks or more — there were 24 more of these occurrences than in 2019-20.
In one incident a truck driver was hospitalised with upper-body and right-leg injuries after rolling a haul truck onto its side.
In other cases a worker received burns to his leg from hot slurry at a processing plant, and an underground miner received lacerations to his head, arms and a fractured arm from a rock fall.
The serious injury incidence rate for underground mining was 22 per cent higher than surface operations.
There were two fatalities in the year to June 30, 2021 — both occurred in underground mines.
Bogger operator Michael Benjamin Johnson, 38, died at the Dervish gold mine near Kalgoorlie-Boulder after his underground loader plummeted over an open stope.
Paige Taylor Counsell, 25, died at the Big Bell gold mine after being hit by a truck underground.
Mining industry workforce triples
A total of 23,695 days were lost through occupational injuries on WA mines last financial year, the report said.
State mining engineer Andrew Chaplyn said since 2019-20, the overall lost time injury frequency rate had improved by 5 per cent.
"We acknowledge industry's efforts to improve safety outcomes, however these figures are a reminder we still have too many workers being put in harm's way," he said.
WA's mining workforce has more than tripled since 1997-98 — when there were 13 deaths — from 43,466 workers to 144,029 in 2020-21.
Mr Chaplyn said there had been an increase in the contract workforce, with 58 per cent of reported work hours attributed to contractors.
Another concern was the 745 fires reported on WA mine sites during the period, including 72 at underground operations which resulted in three injuries.
In one case from April 2021, a boilermaker was treated for burns to his leg after his trousers caught on fire while he was oxy-cutting a nut off the inside of an apron feeder.
New workplace laws introduced
The DMIRS figures have been released ahead of the introduction of WA's new workplace health and safety laws from March 31.
Industrial manslaughter laws will also begin; they carry a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a $5 million fine for an individual and a maximum $10 million fine for a body corporate.
Insurance will no longer cover penalties, ensuring that senior management are held accountable for their actions and are responsible for financial penalties.
Bill Johnston, the Minister for Mines and Industrial Relations, said the laws brought WA into line with other states and territories.
He said senior decision-makers must exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the laws, ensuring the responsibility for workplace safety sat with those at the top of an organisation.
"These important laws modernise WA's outdated workplace safety laws, which were over 30 years old, and will protect all workers — physically and mentally," Mr Johnston said.
