Worker Death at Byerwen Mine Leads to Suspension of Operations

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s QCoal announced on Saturday that workers at its Byerwen coking coal mine in Queensland have been sent home pending an investigation into a worker’s death on Thursday.

This incident follows another worker’s death at the site, located approximately 840 km (530 miles) from Brisbane, on August 3.

QCoal, which operates the open-cut mine in the Bowen Basin with an 85% ownership stake in a joint venture with Japan’s JFE Steel Corp, has stated that the workforce will receive full pay during this period.

A spokesperson for QCoal indicated, “The company decided to send the workforce home on full pay pending the initial outcome of current investigations into the latest fatality.”

On Friday, Queensland’s mining regulator halted the use of heavy vehicles at the mine after the incident that led to the worker’s death.

Rob Djukic, CEO of Resources Safety & Health Queensland, stated, “QCoal has chosen to suspend operations at the mine, but we’ve taken this extra step to ensure activities involving heavy vehicles cannot take place until our inspector is satisfied that it is safe to do so.”

Djukic expressed concern regarding the second fatality at Byerwen within a month, noting that an investigation is currently underway.

The worker who passed away this week was employed by contractor Macmahon Holdings, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The Byerwen mine produces up to 10 million tonnes of hard coking coal annually, which is an essential ingredient for steel-making, according to QCoal.