Wiluna Operations: Mining company fined $575,000 over accident that saw worker become a paraplegic

Mining company Wiluna Operations has been fined $575,000 after an apprentice mechanical fitter suffered a permanent spinal injury and became a paraplegic when a wheel assembly weighing more than 750kg fell on him. WorkSafe on Thursday said the incident happened at the Matilda gold open-pit mine in September 2021. The workplace safety regulator said Wiluna Operations pleaded guilty in Carnarvon Magistrates Court on April 24 to contravening sections 9(1), 9A(2), and 15C of the Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994. This meant it had failed to provide and maintain a working environment that, as far as practicable, did not expose its employees to hazards. Wiluna Operations’ failure caused serious harm to the apprentice, who through a labour hire arrangement was performing work for the company under the supervision of a Wiluna Operations-employed heavy diesel mechanic in the mine site’s mechanical workshop. Wiluna Operations’ contraventions of the Act were assessed as if the apprentice, who was 18 at the time of the incident, was a direct employee of the company. WorkSafe explained on the day of the incident, the apprentice and the mechanic were replacing two of the wheel assemblies on an articulated dump truck. After using a telehandler to lift the first assembly off the truck, the mechanic placed it on the ground and asked the apprentice to retrieve the washers that had fallen inside its rim. The mechanic then transferred the assembly upright to a nearby tyre storage rack, which they did without securing it to the telehandler. About 30 minutes later, the mechanic used the telehandler to remove the second assembly but kept it upright on the machine’s tines rather than placing it on the ground. The mechanic gestured for the apprentice, who had been observing the procedure nearby, to walk in front of the telehandler and retrieve washers from inside the assembly’s rim. As the apprentice reached into the rim, the unsecured assembly fell forward, striking and pinning him to the ground. The mechanic lifted the assembly with the telehandler to free the apprentice and asked another worker to call for medical assistance. An ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later and transported the apprentice to a medical facility. WorkSafe said at the time of the incident, Wiluna Operations’ standard operating procedure for changing tyre and rim assemblies directed workers to ensure handled components did not pose pinning or crushing risks. However, it lacked clear and specific instructions directing workers on how to avoid or minimise these risks. WorkSafe said after the incident that Wiluna Operations amended its standard operating procedure by identifying further hazards, adding more safety requirements, and appending a competency assessment. The company also developed an additional procedure for the replacement of wheels on surface mining equipment that addressed exclusion zones, transportation protocols, and injury risks. WorkSafe commissioner Sally North said Wiluna Operations’ failure to provide and maintain a safe working environment had caused serious, life-changing harm to an apprentice under its care and supervision. “A young worker suffered a permanent spinal injury and became a paraplegic because the company responsible for their safety had an operating procedure for changing tyre and rim assemblies that was overly generalised and lacked direction,” Ms North said. “The circumstances of this devastating, life-altering incident were avoidable. “This tragic case highlights that the only operating procedures that contribute to safety in Western Australian workplaces are those that provide clear and specific instructions. “I encourage Western Australian employers to review their safety procedures and engage with their employees to ensure that every process is clear, specific, and fit for purpose. “Taking these steps is essential to preventing avoidable harm and safeguarding workers.”