At 1.40 pm on 22 January 2016, an operator was driving a load haul dump (LHD) vehicle in an underground roadway at Mannering Colliery when a damaged roof support strap entered the open cab and hit the operator in the head.
The impact resulted in a serious laceration to the operator’s head. The laceration extended from near his left ear to his left eye. The injury resulted in his temporal artery being damaged. The operator parked the LHD and applied pressure to the wound with his hand to stem the blood flow. He staggered about 120m into the mine to get help.
Other workers gave him first aid and evacuated him from the mine.The operator was transported to Wyong Hospital via ambulance and treated.
