A worker was fatally injured when a large earthmoving tyre fell from a tyre handler at the mine’s heavy vehicle wash bay. The NSW Resources Regulator has commenced a major investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of the incident.
Bengalla Mining Company Pty Limited, is the mine operator of the Bengalla Coal Mine, located about four kilometres southwest of Muswellbrook, in the Hunter coalfields of NSW. Bengalla Mining Company is a joint venture of Wesfarmers, New Hope Group, Mitsui and Taipower. The Bengalla Mine is an open cut coal mine that uses a dragline, truck and shovel operation. The mine is operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The mine produces coal for international customers. The worker was employed by Marathon Tyres Pty Ltd and was undertaking tyre maintenance tasks at the mine.
At 7.20pm on 3 November 2018, the worker, 37, suffered fatal injuries when a large earthmoving tyre, weighing about 2.2 tonnes fell onto him at the mine’s heavy vehicle wash bay. The worker and another worker had removed the tyre from a water cart at a service bay with the tyre handler. The tyre handler was then used to take the tyre to the nearby wash bay for cleaning. At some point during the cleaning process, the tyre fell onto the worker. Other workers responded to the scene and initiated the mine’s emergency response procedures.
