Reporting standards add to workplace complacency

The coal miners’ union has called for safety processes to be straightened out after a string of deaths in the industry this year. They joined the state government, Queensland Resources Council and Australian Workers Union at a meeting in Brisbane yesterday afternoon addressing workplace safety challenges which CFMEU state secretary Steve Smyth said was ‘constructive.’ There have been six fatal accidents in Queensland extractive industries so far this year, the last being the early Sunday morning death of a 27-year-old man at the Baralaba North mine site, about 150kms west of Rockhampton. As a result of yesterday’s meeting, quarries had been included in both an inquiry into fatal mining accidents over the past 20 years and a University of Queensland review into the effectiveness of current safety standards, Mr Smyth said. The third measure agreed to was including hardrock miners and quarry operators in a safety forum targeted for Wednesday this week between unions, government, coal companies and operators, he said. The indications were there that complacency was building but the reporting system was ineffective Mr Smyth said. “Lost time injuries (LTI) are a black mark against employers and the reporting of LTIs in mining is actively discouraged,” he said. “The scenario is often that workers who are injured and are not able to return to their normal duties are encouraged to do ‘soft’ duties, like office work and data input. It’s then not an LTI, so the accident goes unreported. “The thing is that a rise in workplace accident reporting is an indicator of complacency. If the figures are being fudged then there is no measure of complacency. We are all waiting for the report by the mines inspector for the reasons behind the latest fatalities. But it is something that needs to be looked into.” The rise in the number of labour hire staff was also cause for concern, Mr Smyth said. “There’s a definite correlation between safe worksites and unionised worksites,” he said. “Workers who don’t have permanent positions are less likely to speak out when they see something wrong. When people, especially those with experience, can’t speak freely without the fear of reprisal, then we are going to be making the same mistakes.” The Baralaba site was shut down for 24 hours as a mark of respect for the family. It was supported by the dead man’s employer, Golding Contractors and seen by government, the QRC and unions as a chance to ‘reset’ the focus on safety. The Baralaba fatality was followed only hours later on Sunday morning by another accident at the Collinsville Coal Mine in the northern Bowen Basin. News Limited reported that the man fell ten metres and was rushed to Townsville Hospital with suspected back and pelvic injuries. He’s in a serious but stable condition. The mine is owned by Glencore. A digger operator died at Middlemount Coal Mine in the northern Bowen Basin late last month when a bench, or high wall, collapsed on the machine he was operating.

Reporting standards add to workplace complacency

Industry Queensland

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