The death of a 43-year-old man crushed by machinery in an underground mine has brought operations at Prominent Hill to a halt.
Site operations have halted at a mine site in South Australia’s Far North after an underground worker was fatally injured when crushed in a workplace incident.
Emergency services rushed to Prominent Hill, a copper-gold mining operation, about 3.30pm Sunday after reports a man had been crushed by machinery.
The Aberfoyle Park man, 43, died at the scene.
Police and forensic investigators have been to the site and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
The mine’s owner, OZ Minerals, released a statement on Monday morning, saying the man had been an employee of Perth-based contract underground mining group Byrnecut.
“Byrnecut and OZ Minerals express our deepest sympathies to the worker’s family,” OZ Minerals’ managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Cole said.
“This incident has had a profound impact on our workforce and our priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone at site.”
Mr Cole said the company was providing support to the worker’s family during this “very difficult time”.
OZ Minerals and Byrnecut were helping SA Police and SafeWork SA with investigations and site operations at Prominent Hill have been temporarily suspended.
A statement from SafeWork SA offered condolences to the man’s family, friends and colleagues at this “sad and distressing time”.
“SafeWork SA has initiated an investigation into the incident at Prominent Hill and will not release any further information at this time,” a spokeswoman said.
The incident follows two workplace deaths in 48 hours earlier this year.
Source: Adelaide Now
