A Queensland mining contractor has been fined $32,500 in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for failing to arrange health assessments for two coal mine workers.
An investigation by the state’s resources regulator, Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ), revealed the testing failure occurred after a director of the company falsified health assessment reports and a drug and alcohol screening report.
As a result, the company pleaded guilty to failing to comply with its obligations under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 and was sentenced on Friday 24 October with no conviction recorded.
RSHQ’s Director of Health Strategy and Compliance Patrick Jensen said the sentencing sent a clear message that worker safety and health cannot be compromised.
“These actions undermine health protections for workers and ultimately put lives at risk,” Mr Jensen said.
“Medical tests ensure workers can do their job safely and are vital in the early detection of occupational diseases like black lung.
“RSHQ takes these matters very seriously and we won’t hesitate to take proportionate regulatory action where appropriate.”
Mr Jensen said the sentencing should act as a deterrent to anyone thinking of neglecting their obligations in the resources sector.
“Not only did the contractor put workers’ safety and health at risk, but the company will also now pay a $32,500 fine,” he said.
“This outcome serves as a warning that neglecting testing obligations and endangering workers’ safety and health will not be tolerated by the regulator and will prove far more costly than implementing proper medical screening.”
The company’s director was also sentenced in Brisbane Magistrates Court in September for initially falsifying the medical records, a separate offence to the company’s failure to arrange the tests.
Source: Resources Safety & Health Queensland
