October 26, 2022
Two workers were killed in a matter of days in Western Australian gold mines earlier this month.
A 59 year old man was killed at Capricorn Metals Karlawinda gold mine in the Pilbara on Thursday after the light vehicle he was occupying was run over by a large dump truck.
A 37 year old FIFO worker was killed at St Ives’ underground gold operation in the Goldfields.
WA Worksafe are also investigating another incident which occurred at the Kanowna Belle gold mine near Kalgoorlie that injured two workers.
MEU Western Australian District Secretary Greg Busson commented: “The fact that we’ve had two incidents in close succession in different parts of the state is very concerning.
“In this day and age, we’re still sending our loved ones to work, and some are not returning home. Production must not be prioritised over safety.”
Greg Busson has reiterated the importance of safety for all miners going to work, but also noted that the WA Government introduced manslaughter as a crime during their first term of Government.
The MEU will be watching closely to see how these laws will be applied in the aftermath of these tragic incidents and will continue campaigning for improvements to safety practices and culture across the industry.