Fatal scaling ‘high risk’

THE scaling operation Nathaniel Owen Beesley was performing when he was killed by a rockfall came with a high residual risk, the Hobart Coroners Court has heard.

Former British Royal Marine Mr Beesley was 32 at the time of his death at Grange Resources Ltd mine in March 2017, which is the subject of the inquest which began on Monday before Coroner Simon Cooper.

Counsel assisting the coroner Luke Taylor said the father of two and Afghanistan veteran had “sadly and tragically died” from injuries from a rockfall at the mine, near Savage River, 100km southwest of Burnie.

Mr Taylor said Mr Beesley (pictured) had been engaged through external engineering maintenance company SRG to improve the safety of the east wall of the mine pit.

He said pertinent to the case would be determining the risk level of the scaling method, the adequacy of the training provided, alternative methods that could have been used, the type of approvals required to perform the scaling and the regulatory regime for carrying it out.

Counsel for Grange Resource Ken Read SC said the east wall of the mine had been prone to small rockfalls, with the existing booms having a reduced ability to withstand future rockfalls.

He said geotechnical investigations over the mine’s 40year history had tried and failed to assist with the issue.

Inspectors were deployed to investigate rockfalls from the east wall in January 2017, finding the radar on site had not picked up the most recent rock falls because they had been too small to register.

“It’s the little ones that cause the problem and the little ones which can be deadly,” Mr Read said.

Staff from engineering and maintenance company SRG arrived to abseil down the wall and remove dangerous rocks so mesh could be installed to improve wall retention.

WorkSafe Tasmania inspector of mines and major hazard facilities Craig Sault gave witness evidence scaling activity had induced rockfalls in Tasmanian mines before, saying “if there’s any doubt, don’t work underneath it”.

“No one, I believe, could give an absolute surety that with all the controls in place that there would not be rockfall,” he said.

Mr Sault had said there was “a level of risk acceptance by all parties” but noted the risk would have been greater if the scaling had not been done before installing wall meshing.

Mr Read said Grange had invested in an “exciting” S60 scaler machine, which would “hopefully be able to solve this outstanding problem” of safety risks without requiring people to physically enter the unsafe area.

The inquest will resume on Tuesday, when Mr Beesley’s widow, Katie Beesley, is expected to give evidence.