Mines ‘just accepting death rate’

QUEENSLAND’S mining industry has been slammed for overseeing a risky working environment that will likely cost another 12 lives over the next five years without a significant safety shift.

A review of 47 fatal accidents at the state’s mines and quarries over the past 20 years has found the mining industry’s own fatalistic view of itself as a “hazardous industry” is helping keep things that way.

The review, ordered by the Government following eight deaths in 18 months, found a large number of deaths happened in preventable situations when a worker was inadequately trained, when controls meant to protect them were ineffective, unenforced or absent and there was equate or no supervision.

“The six fatalities that occurred between July 2018 and July 2019 have been described by some in the industry, media and politics as evidence of an industry in crisis, but a bleaker assessment is that this is an industry resetting itself to its normal fatality rate,” report author Dr Sean Brady wrote.

“Past behaviour suggests that in order of 12 fatalities are likely to occur over any fiveyear period,” it said.

“If the industry continues to take a similar approach to safety, using the same philosophies and methodologies adopted over the past 19½ years, then similar safety outcomes are to be expected.”

His report found that both the mining industry and public

Advertisement inadappeared to expect mining to be dangerous and “this fatalism may be the biggest stumbling block” to better safety.

Among Dr Brady’s 11 recommendations is that the industry recognise the causes of fatalities were not simply “human error, bad luck, or freak accidents”, which had the potential to mask underlying system failures.

A look at the 47 deaths found 17 involved no human error at all, 17 involved a lack of training, 10 involved faults people were aware of but had not fixed and nine fatalities were in situations where nearmisses had happened prior to the death.

Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said authorities had already met with Dr Brady to discuss the way forward.