On 20 January, a worker suffered crush injuries after being trapped between two vehicles at a mine in Central Queensland, Australia.
As a result, Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RHSQ) is investigating the incident, in which Chief Inspector of Coal Mines Jacques le Roux says a safety alert was issued to share initial learnings from serious incidents and help the industry minimise potential risk.
“Initial information suggests a worker operating a bobcat was travelling up the box cut of the mine when they exited the vehicle after suspecting it had overheated,” le Roux says.
“At the same time, a load haul dump travelling up a ramp approached and made contact with the workers, temporarily trapping them between the two vehicles. The worker suffered fractures and was transported to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.”
Le Roux reminds site senior executives at Queensland mines to review their traffic management systems, including for transporting loads in or around the mine.
In 2025, 167 worker deaths were recorded in Australia, as reported by Safe Work. Out of 167, six of those deaths were related to the mining sector.
At the beginning of 2026, two mine workers were killed in separate incidents at Mt Britton and near Blackwater in Queensland, as previously reported.
On 2 January 2026, an incident occurred at Coronado Global Resources’ (ASX:CRN) Mammoth Underground Mine in which a roof had collapsed. One worker was confirmed dead on 3 January 2026, while another worker was safely recovered and suffered injuries.
Coronado Global Resources provided support to the contracted coal mine operator, Mammoth Underground Mine Management, which is working with relevant authorities at site to understand the cause of the incident. Operations have been suspended at the mine.
Another gold prospector was killed in another incident near Mt Britton at a small-scale gold mining operation, after a large boulder struck him.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: RSHQ
