A worker is reportedly in critical condition after suffering a mine site accident at an underground coal mine near Emerald in Queensland while undertaking work on a pressurised compressed-air pipeline system.
Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) has reported the worker to have been standing on the front bumper bar of a drift runner to access the pipework when the pressurised clamp and pipe assembly failed, releasing compressed air and creating significant dust and reduced visibility.
After the worker fell from the front of the drift runner, the operator moved the vehicle, made contact with the worker, and caused serious injuries.
The circumstances of the incident are still under investigation.
ABC News reports that the victim is a 71-year-old man who was working at the Crinum underground coal mine in Bowen Basin on Saturday 12 September when emergency services were called around 10am.
The worker was treated for significant chest, facial, arm, and abdominal injuries.
He was taken to Emerald and Rockhampton hospitals before being flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital on Monday morning.
The man remains in hospital in critical condition. RSHQ’s safety alert states that coal mine operators should ensure workers isolate and depressurise systems before starting work on pressurised systems. It also advises workers to avoid standing where an unplanned release of energy could expose them to additional hazards.
RSHQ also recommends the establishment of an exclusion zone and says work should be undertaken on suitable work platforms rather than using mobile equipment.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
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