Contract worker Paul Phillips was fatally injured when he was struck by a reversing mobile processing unit (MPU) at Wambo United mine near Singleton earlier this month, the state's resources regulator has determined.
The regulator has issued an Investigation Information Release as part of its investigation into the tragedy, which occurred on Monday, August 3.
The release says mine workers and contractors were loading blastholes with explosives on a drill pattern in preparation for blasting activities before the incident.
Mr Phillips, 59, a contract shotfirer, was assisting a mobile processing unit with loading emulsion into blastholes.
Mr Phillips was on foot and located to the right of MPU027 at the emulsion hose.
A second mobile processing unit (MPU026) was in the adjacent row to the right of the worker about 1pm.
MPU026 had reached the high wall at the end of the drill pattern and started reversing towards Mr Phillips.
The reversing activity was supervised by a spotter.
After reversing about 50 metres, MPU026 was next to MPU027 when it struck Mr Phillips, who suffered fatal injuries.
The resources regulator has begun an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of the incident.
The investigation will examine the effectiveness of controls to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety arising from mobile plant and pedestrian interactions, including the adequacy of planning and coordinating mobile plant activity, communication protocols leading up to the incident, risk assessments, work instructions and procedures for the involved plant, equipment and work task, the practicability of proximity detection and collision avoidance technology as a control measure, instruction, training, experience and supervision of the workers and the mine operator's contractor management plan.
The mine operator's safety management system including principal hazard management plans and associated control plans and procedures governing the management of hazards and risks associated with blasting activities, and mobile plant and pedestrian interactions, will also be examined.
Mr Phillips, who was affectionately known as "Chook", had just finished planning his 60th birthday celebration hours before he died.
He was a father to three adult sons and a grandfather to one.
The eldest of five sons, Mr Phillips moved to Singleton when his father Bob took over the Percy Hotel in 1978.
Ben Phillips described his eldest brother as a "bloke's bloke," who loved the annual trip to the Bathurst 12 Hour with his brothers, sons and nephews.
"He just confirmed he had booked the campsites only hours before his death on our group message. It would have been his 60th at February's event," Ben said.
.png?w=600)
